Meet the inaugural 2022 Adobe Creators to Watch

The creator economy has seen massive growth in recent years, as individuals tapped their inner creative to transform hobbies into businesses, express newfound passions, and share stories of their local communities. In fact, according to a recent Adobe study, more than 165 million people have joined the Creator Economy since 2020 — and each one has a unique story to tell.

Today, we are launching the inaugural 2022 Adobe Creators to Watch list , spotlighting individuals who have demonstrated the impact that creativity can have on our world.

Who are they?

The creators we selected are a part of the Adobe community, regularly use our creative tools to tell their stories, have made a real impact in their communities and above all, creators that we believe deserve to have their voices heard. From a home goods designer in Los Angeles using Adobe Express to market her small, yet nationally recognized business, to a character artist in Australia evangelizing the potential of 3D and immersive technologies, to the Mexico based non-profit investing in indigenous women — each creator shows that regardless of skill level, anyone can tell their story and inspire others.

Meet Our 2022 Creators to Watch

Even if you don’t know Justina Blakeney’s name, you’ve most definitely stumbled across her work. The designer, artist, and entrepreneur has made an indelible impact on 21^st century interiors with her business, Jungalow — just ask her 500,000 strong (and growing) social media following. Justina uses Adobe Express to help bring her designs to life and share her work on social media, while driving engagement in channels like Instagram. We recently teamed up with Justina as part of our Express Your Brand Meta partnership to help create custom templates suited for mood board creation and more.

With nearly 600K followers on TikTok, Tejas Hullur is a burgeoning entrepreneur and content creator. He provides an inside look into his daily experiences with videos created in Adobe Premiere and markets his content with Adobe Express.

Take one look at Courtney Quinn’s vibrant and colorful Instagram feed and you will know why her followers immediately fall in love. The video content creator, known as ‘Color Me Courtney,’ uses positivity and bright aesthetic to celebrate what makes her different and encourages others to do the same. Courtney also uses Adobe Express when creating some of her colorfully bold content to help spread her knowledge and share tips for other aspiring creators.

As a fashion and textile designer, business owner, former Project Runway contestant and self-proclaimed dancing queen, Katie Kortman is no stranger to the creative space. Katie uses Adobe Express to bring the whimsy of her designs for Katie Kortman Clothing into the digital marketing she uses for her business. Now based in Japan, she released her first clothing collection, the Hand-painted Color Collection in October 2021.

On walls and buildings across the U.S., and designs splashed with quirkiness, color and character, Steffi Lynn has been designing murals with Adobe Fresco, providing messages of hope, optimism, and humor. And with Adobe Aero, she is always trying new ways to make art come to life.

Born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona, Mylo Fowler uses photography and Adobe Lightroom to tap into his heritage, capturing landscapes including Southwestern skies, native plants and animals and bodies of water. Proceeds from his work go back into the community, helping local initiatives. His most recent humanitarian work involves powering 65 homes of Indigenous students who don’t have electricity.

Concept and character artist, Pablo Munoz Gomez has been a key force in evangelizing the potential of 3D and immersive design. Through courses, tutorials, and personal projects done with Adobe Substance 3D, the Australia-based artist has had his work featured in numerous books and industry magazines about 3D sculpting and art.

The Bird’s Nest was created at the University of Louisville, as a student-led marketing and ad agency. Supporting brands through social media, web design, strategy event planning, the agency focuses on advancing the next generation of marketing and communications professionals. Adobe Creative Cloud will continue to be an important tool as they create their brand and work with clients.

Having worked with major brands such as Toyota, Reebok, Square and Columbia, Kane uses photography to connect with the trans community and their trans identity. Using Adobe Lightroom, he prioritizes advocating for others, creating culturally progressive work to help tell his stories.

Owner of a DIY children’s clothing company, Koko & Dolores, known for its use of playful designs, patterns and shapes, Nelly uses Adobe Express to promote her business across social channels with graphics that are just as eye-catching.

PSYDEH is an award-winning Mexican grassroots non-profit investing in rural and Indigenous women as community leaders to propel sustainable economic and social development. They prioritize leadership training and citizen education along with community organization based on human rights and gender equality. PSYDEH has been leveraging Adobe Express to showcase their work and purpose on channels like Instagram.

Why support creators?

We know just how important small businesses and creators are to consumers and our communities Adobe’s Holiday Trends and Insights report notes that 43 percent of consumers plan to seek out independent makers and creatives to buy products with a personal touch to support their local communities this holiday season. The constant challenge of having to promote and push out content to keep their business going is a job in and of itself — but the creators on this list have truly risen to the occasion. On behalf of Adobe, we’d like to thank creators of all kinds for the impact that they’re making at work, at home and in their communities.