One of the benefits of free exchange and interconnectedness has been the ability for creative people to not only find ways to express their creativity, but to be able to make it available for wide distribution to people who want to enjoy it. While artists have existed and been sponsored in the past, they often required wealthy patrons to support them individually and made it only truly accessible by the elite in society.
In modern times, however, we have leveled the playing field dramatically, making entry into creative outlets more accessible than ever. Not only are there plenty of ways to learn to create arts, crafts, videos, or more for free through sites like YouTube, but there are also an amazing array of tools to create that range from top dollar to free programs to get started. Tools to allow people to express themselves are more accessible than ever before, and the ability to broadcast and share your talent reaches far and wide through mediums like various communities in Discord, to Twitter, or any other number of niche sites.
Sites like Patreon, Locals, Etsy, and Teespring have also leveled the playing field when it comes to monetizing your art. It allows people not only the ability to go full time, but even to just make a few dollars on the side to supplement their hobby costs. This also allows consumers to find neat, artistic products that wouldn't come out of a big-box retailer. People who create cool art, videos, or content can be rewarded through these commerce sites for appealing to a niche fan base, whether you're a musician who creates tracks for clients to use in videos or a digital painter creating vaporwave art of Super Smash Brothers.
Free markets have allowed people to destroy the barrier to entry into the creative world and have the resources to create, to share, and to make it all sustainable.
