Doers and thinkers: The need for both to power Indiana’s creative economy
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Indiana’s creative economy has massive potential, but we’re missing something vital if we want to unlock it. It’s not just about supporting our creatives—it’s about understanding that our economy needs both the “doers” and the “thinkers” to thrive.
We have incredible entrepreneurs launching culturally relevant, community-driven efforts like Chreece and the Indiana Fashion Foundation. These are major “doers” who saw a need in our city and jumped in to make a difference. But here’s the thing: while they’re out there doing the work, they struggle to secure the support they need. And that’s a problem we need to solve.
Take Chreece, for example—a hip-hop festival that started out as a grassroots effort to unite the community and celebrate the culture of our city. It wasn’t about making money; it was about making a statement. Then there’s the Indiana Fashion Foundation, which is working to position our state as a fashion hub, connecting designers with opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. Both of these efforts are making our city more vibrant, more prosperous—but they’ve faced an uphill battle because the resources they need just aren’t there.
That’s the gap between doers and thinkers. The doers are in the trenches, launching businesses, creating art, building community. They’re the ones taking risks, putting their ideas out there, and making things happen. But without strategic thinkers—people who can provide the frameworks, funding, and long-term planning—those ideas often hit a ceiling. And the thinkers? They’re amazing at creating strategies and laying out the vision, but without the doers to execute those bold ideas, none of it becomes reality.
We need both. And we need to bring them together.
Here’s what I see happening: the doers are getting bogged down by the day-to-day challenges of running their operations. They’re not traditional business people, but they’re doing everything they can to keep their initiatives alive. Meanwhile, the thinkers—those with strategic insight—are coming up with solutions but often don’t have the connection to the on-the-ground work that makes those solutions come to life.
We can fix this, but we have to be intentional about it. For Indiana’s creative economy to thrive, we need targeted support systems that address the unique needs of both doers and thinkers. One-size-fits-all solutions don’t work.
For the doers—people like the teams behind Chreece and the Indiana Fashion Foundation—we need to provide resources like funding, mentorship, and operational support. They need the right tools to streamline their businesses, so they can keep innovating without burning out. Access to affordable workspaces, production facilities, and networks of experienced mentors could make all the difference in whether or not their ventures succeed.
And for the thinkers? We need to give them environments where they can sharpen their leadership skills, refine their strategic planning, and connect with the right partners. Data, market insights, and mentorship are key for them too—so they can guide our creative ventures toward sustainable growth.
Right now, our support systems in Indiana are too fragmented. Doers often don’t know where to go for help, and thinkers struggle to find avenues to make their ideas actionable. By building clearer pathways that connect creatives with the resources they need—no matter where they’re starting from—we can ensure that our creative entrepreneurs succeed.
This is especially critical for creatives from underserved communities. Entrepreneurs from minority, rural, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds face even more barriers to success. If we want Indiana’s creative economy to truly thrive, we need to create more inclusive systems that make support accessible for everyone.
The 2024 Creative Economy Summit is a great place to start. It’s an opportunity to bring together creative leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to collaborate on the frameworks we need to build a robust creative economy. If we can foster better coordination between the doers and the thinkers, we’ll see Indiana’s creative economy grow in ways we haven’t even imagined yet.
Creatives are at the heart of our state’s future. Whether they’re the ones doing the work or the ones thinking strategically about where we’re headed, we need to support them both. With the right models in place, Indiana’s creative economy can set the pace for the rest of the country.