I've become a huge fan of illustrator Hugh McLeod of http://www.gapingvoid.com lately. I know, I know, so has everyone else. What I want to say here is that web 2.0/social media isn't just about the buzzing crowd, coffee-swilling developers, VC savvy dudes and clever social media strategists. A missing link is apparent and I'm not sure why it took so long for me to realize it. It's also about the creative ideas and content that are needed to make things that actually stand out and worth being there for. This doesn't say that we should usher old-school advertising back into the door. But it does say that the creatives that fueled the creative machine - the copywriters, illustrators, filmmakers, designers, animators, photographers - are still needed but in a new viral way. Gapingvoid gets it and freely distributes his illustration several times a day. He also makes money from his work as web 2.0 marketing strategist for Stormhoek Wine (http://www.stormhoek.com/blog/) and his Blue Monster series for Microsoft (http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/003388.html). It's kind of an obvious turning point for me since I've been trying to actually subvert my creative direction and interactive marketing background over the past few years. The point is that creative is good and necessary and needed. And that by saying web 2.0 and social media means everybody is a creator, doesn't mean that creative people aren't needed anymore. Gapingvoid.com is sure proof of that. The difference is that MacLeod uses social media via his blog, Twitter and free distribution of his art to get his work and ideas out there. He gets it and it's viral enough that a lot of people get him too. Oh, and don't miss reading his Creative Manifesto at http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html