There is no doubt that Indonesia has quite large creative industry potential. In fact, last year the government designated this sector as one that could support national economic growth. This is none other than because referring to 2018 Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, the creative industry contributed 7.44% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 14.28% of the total workforce, and 13.77% of total exports.
To date, there are more than 8 million creative businesses present in Indonesia. The culinary, fashion and craft sectors still dominate existing economic activities. Meanwhile, the other four sectors with the fastest growth are TV and radio; film, animation, and video; performing Arts; as well as visual communication design.
The large potential of the national creative industry is supported by several factors. First, the cultural diversity that exists from Sabang to Merauke has become a source of inspiration for creative workers. For example, diversity in traditions, designs or motifs, and also various fine arts and moving arts. Apart from that, there is also local wisdom that cannot be missed. Local wisdom can be developed into works of high value, such as weaving products, sculptures, paintings and other creative commodities. Indonesia's culture and local wisdom have characteristics or uniqueness that other countries do not have, making it a selling point in itself.
Furthermore, in terms of human resources (HR), Indonesia can be considered superior compared to several other countries. The ability to produce various works has been passed down from generation to generation and remains sustainable today, for example batik or weaving.
Apart from that, the individual abilities of Indonesian creative workers have also been recognized worldwide. Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, The Raid, Prenjak, and Like Revenge, Longing Must Be Paid Full are a series of works by the nation's children who have achieved international level achievements. Indonesian film industry has succeeded in combining a solid storyline with neat cinematography.
Looking at the current journey of the domestic creative industry, the government is optimistic that this sector will have great potential in the future. Various programs are being promoted to support this industry, for example by holding training to increase the reach and effectiveness of marketing; Indonesian Creative Products Week; creative economy festival, and many more.
So what types of creative businesses have opportunities right now?
Types of Creative Businesses and Their Opportunities
The creative industry can be defined as a business that relies on utilizing a person's creativity, skills and talents to create prosperity and employment opportunities. There are many creative sectors that are currently on the rise, including
Almost every line of business requires design and illustration services. Visual works are needed as promotional, educational media, or simply as pure art. So, opportunities in the design and illustration industry are generally in the form of freelance or under the auspices of an agency or design studio.
For this type of freelance , the market share can cross countries because currently there are various websites that display vacancies for this. The freelance system can also help you to focus more on finding and developing creativity because you are not required to face daily deadlines. You are also free to work on your work anywhere.
Indonesia's large population is a large market for the fashion industry. Even though people's purchasing power had decreased during the pandemic, now conditions are starting to improve as their economy recovers.
The development of the country's fashion industry is supported by the presence of famous designers. They developed fashion brands from fast to slow fashion which are now starting to be noticed by many people. Some people are now starting to switch to environmentally friendly clothing brands which tend to be more comfortable and durable. This is certainly an inspiration for designers to develop fashion businesses in the future, for example how to make slow fashion products at more affordable prices or various other ideas.
The world of animation seems to never die. Even Indonesian filmmakers have succeeded in creating animated films that are accepted by the wider public, for example the films Nussa, Si Juki The Movie, and so on. Apart from films, a number of Indonesian animators have also been successfully involved in several box office films, such as Terminator, Transformer, GI Joe, Tintin, and many more.
Apart from that, in Indonesia animation studios are also increasingly developing. This indicates that the animation sector is growing rapidly in Indonesia and holds promising opportunities.
The music industry is currently bouncing back after two years of being hit by the pandemic. This is marked by at least two indicators, namely the presence of various music concerts which take place in a hybrid manner and also the increase in the number of users of music streaming applications. In fact, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, in June 2020, Indonesia was one of the countries with market value for streaming in the world, occupying 18th position.
This digitalization is certainly a big opportunity for Indonesian musicians. They now have a wider area to work and also don't need to be under the auspices of a big label. Just by focusing on producing extraordinary work, they can also develop into independent musicians.
So, those are the creative industry opportunities that you need to know about. It can be underlined that the opportunities that exist are quite wide open, it just depends on how you read and capture these opportunities and turn them into a promising source of income.