This article takes a look at women and creative industries in which they have experienced both success and a notable level of progression among surrounding communities. For women, such sectors can range from non-profit work, a career in animation to visual graphic designers.
Female small business owners and serial entrepreneurs alike seem to thrive when connecting their creative development with building a project based on a passion as was the case with Jill Rae Scarbro, Founder and CEO of a therapy and education center called Bright Futures Learning Services. “As an undergraduate in special education, she learned about applied behavior analysis (ABA), an effective therapy treatment for individuals with autism, backed by decades of peer-reviewed research, and eventually enrolled in the world’s first graduate program in behavior analysis at the University of North Texas.”1 Scarbro helps children with autism through her organization which focuses on “ underserved kids in her home state with life-changing therapy.”2 It all began with her own personal experiences of dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After her family sought professional help, she was motivated to assist others encountering similar developmental difficulties.
In April of 2019, as Behavioral Analyst and Founder of Bright Futures Learning Services, Scarbro was recognized as a U.S. SBA Women Owned Small Business of the Year. Furthermore, women want to be paid for their work equal to fair value. According to a Forbes article, “Being your own boss generally allows for more freedom than working for someone else.” Based on recent findings, the “Census Bureau found that full-time, year-round working women earned 80% of what their male counterparts made in 2016. If change continues at the rate seen since 2001, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2119.”3
The Women of Graphic Design (WOGD) exhibits some of the most talented female designers and boasts of an exceptional portfolio while examining “exploring issues of gender-equality in education provided by design institutions.”4 The mission of womeninanimation.org
(WIA) is to “… bring together the global animation community to empower and advocate for people of underrepresented gender identities in the art, technology, production, and business of animation, inspiring excellence and justice in all facets of the industry.”5 Their core stance is for gender justice and their theme last year during their Women in Animation World Summit was “The Business Case For Diversity”. 6 Also available on their site is a video compilation on Women in Creative Leadership and “A visual collection of short stories from some of the world’s leading animation studios highlighting women in creative roles.” 7
Helpful Articles & Links:
Women of Graphic Design (Tumbler)
https://womenofgraphicdesign.org
America’s SBDC West Virginia:
https://wvsbdc.com/bright-futures-learning-services-recognized-as-u-s-sba-woman-owned-small- business-of-the-year/
Women in Profession of Animation:
https://womeninanimation.org
Creative Women’s Co.
https://creativewomens.com
Creative Women’s Business
https://www.creativewomensbusiness.com.au
Sources:
1. Rebecca Deczynski, How This Behavioral Analyst Who Helps Children with Autism Landed the SBA’s Highest Honor, Inc.com (Inc., May 5, 2022), https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/small-business-administration-small-business-person-of-the-year-bright-futures-jill-scarbro.html.
2. Rebecca Deczynski, How This Behavioral Analyst Who Helps Children with Autism Landed the SBA’s Highest Honor, Inc.com (Inc., May 5, 2022), https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/small-business-administration-small-business-person-of-the-year-bright-futures-jill-scarbro.html.
3. Caroline Castrillon, Why More Women Are Turning To Entrepreneurship (Forbes Magazine, May 12, 2022), https://www.forbes.com/sites/ carolinecastrillon/2019/02/04/why-more-women-are-turning-to-entrepreneurship/?sh=8d4a588542a7.
4. Women of Graphic Design, Women of Graphic Design, of Graphic Design, accessed May 24, 2022, https://womenofgraphicdesign.org/.
5. https://womeninanimation.org/our-mission/
6. https://womeninanimation.org/2021-summit/
7 https://womeninanimation.org/2021-summit/
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