Suhani Shah is a rather unconventional creator. She is not into the most identified genres of dance, comedy or fashion. Shah is a mentalist, perhaps India’s only female artist practising mentalism and has amassed over three million followers across YouTube and Instagram due to her unique ability to read the minds of people. Shah’s story demonstrates the democratic nature of the expansive creator economy: there is space for all and one doesn’t need to stick to a particular playbook to make it big on the internet.
Shah staged her first magic (illusion) show at the age of seven in Ahmedabad, it was a hit and there was no looking back. For Shah, who launched herself as a mentalist in 2017, digital was never her plan A; she was surely aware of the wide reach of the internet but performing online was not on the table. It was necessitated by the pandemic. “I never really thought I would become a content creator or a YouTuber. Necessity makes you innovative..when the pandemic hit....the closest that could get me to the stage at that time was streaming online on YouTube and that’s what I did,” says Shah.
Despite standing apart in terms of her content, which sort of gave her an edge in the competitive space, Shah has chosen not to just stick to her core craft. She started live streaming games and sharing bits of her life with people, for instance, a video about her learning something new. “When I went online and I started streaming, I realised that even when I am not performing magic and I am just playing a chess game…people like to watch that. People love to see who I really am, the raw, authentic self of a creator. People want to connect with the person you are and then with the artist you are,” says Shah.
Shah is quite gung-ho about the future of the creator economy. “It is going to magnify itself at a very fast pace,” says the creator, backing her statement with the belief that growing internet and smartphone users will push marketers to move online. “Creators become this medium to reach people. Also, the creator economy is not just about creators distributing content, it is also about how they become part of the creative process of designing, making campaigns, writing scripts, directing and so much more. I think creator economy is going to be part of every sector eventually in some way or the other,” says Shah.
Shah’s advice to creators is to be real and responsible on social media. “Be responsible creators, be responsible with what you create and what message you are putting out there because you are going to have power..it could be power over 10,000 people or 10 lakh people, doesn’t matter. It is your responsibility to influence them well,” says Shah.