Abstract
The most powerful vehicle for communication and change is art. Creative endeavors have served humanity as a source of motivation and inspiration, as agents for shaping meaning and, most importantly, evoking empathy. Unfortunately, women in the arts face significant challenges due to deeply entrenched stereotypes, social expectations, societal norms, and gender-related misinformation, which result in destructive narratives. Paradoxically, this marginalized population possesses the skills and insights needed to address disparities through authentic narrative dissemination. Research indicates a limited focus on the contributions and pathways of women in the creative arts industry as entrepreneurs, explicitly highlighting their genuine needs conveyed through their voices and experiences. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the stories and meanings ascribed to women's experiences in the creative arts, particularly regarding their relationship with business acumen and technological fluency in their entrepreneurial pursuits, professional trajectories, and personal lives. By integrating theoretical frameworks of intersectionality, empowerment, and human capital, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 female creative artists to identify recurring themes during data collection and analysis. The findings revealed that female creative entrepreneurs require training in business acumen and technological support to foster inclusion and success in the business sector while enhancing authentic and counter-narratives. This study underscored the importance of the creative arts community, policymakers, union representatives, global advocacy organizations, educational institutions, and consumers to support female creative artists’ technological empowerment and proficiency in business acumen.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Women artists--Economic conditions; Human capital; Intersectionality (Sociology)
Date of Award
2025
School Affiliation
Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Department/Program
Education
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate
Faculty Advisor
Jennifer Miyake-Trapp
Recommended Citation
Tracey, Heggins-Jackson, "Empowered creation: investigating business acumen and technological engagement among female artists as creative entrepreneurs" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 1680.
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/1680