On Creativity
I have to reblog and repost the entry I just read on CEOs for Cities. Called In Detroit for Creative Cities Summit, Carol Colletta has this to report on what she learned about creativity and economies (emphasis added by me):
“Creativity is the only inextinguishable resource we have.”
There are 3 principles of the creative ecology from John Howkins:
1. Everyone is creative.
2. Creativity needs freedom.
3. Freedom needs markets.Creativity does not equal the arts. Creativity is not the same as innovation.
Creativity needs freedom of expression, dialogue, collaboration, education and learning, cities and clusters, and acceptance by family and society.
Creativity is not deferential. You don’t do it (creativity) because something thinks it’s a good idea. Otherwise, it becomes the repetitive economy. The creative economy thrives on novelty and meaning.
The creative economy is an economy of failure. It we skirt that truth, we are back to repetitive economy.
The creative ecology is niche where diverse individuals express themselves in systematic and adaptive ways, using ideas to produce ideas and others support this even if they don’t understand it.
It’s easy to build a building. It’s hard to fund creativity.
Diversity -> Change -> Learning -> Adaptation
Education is only important if it enables learning.
Cities must ask, “How big is our learning capacity?”
I know there are people who will poo-poo this, but for me it strikes a chord. Maybe because I’m all about failure, or maybe because I’m all about doing stuff that isn’t deferential. For example, you want something like a DemoCamp? You really want a DemoCamp? Just friggin’ hold one then. (This goes for anything worth doing. Rinse and repeat: anything worth doing!) And don’t worry about ownership. Who cares?
There’s a great song by Abbey Lincoln, a vocalist, composer, recording artist I admire totally. It’s called Throw It Away. There are often days when Lincoln’s songs provide a palimpsest for what I feel most deeply.
Throw it away / Throw it away / Give your love, live your life / Each and every day // And keep your hand wide open / Let the sun shine through / ‘Cause you can never lose a thing / If it belongs to you (Album source)
Maybe it’s weird to go from CEOs for Cities to Abbey Lincoln, but it makes sense to me. Creativity is the blues, but what a great shade of blue it is. As Colletta posted (above), “The creative ecology is niche where diverse individuals express themselves in systematic and adaptive ways, using ideas to produce ideas and others support this even if they don’t understand it.”
“…even if they don’t understand it.” Trust, keep your hand wide open.
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