Creators are less judged on their talent and more on how good they are at being themselves. They really are a one-person media empire in whatever medium they choose.

The creator economy is different from the gig economy. Both promises that you can be your own boss, but one agrees to participate in a particular place in an existing system, while the other adds something to an existing ecosystem that is new. (Consider YouTube or Instagram or TikTok creators who rip content found elsewhere.)

Over 50 million people worldwide refer to themselves as content creators, a term used to describe everything from YouTubers to podcasters to writers to artists to people who sell courses online.

According to people paying attention, content creation is the future of work, regardless of your...