Discussion 1: Is there truly a "creative class"?
(for "Charged community," summer 2006)

In his first 2 chapters, Richard Florida advances a very important thesis, important because it has direct implications for economic and community planning for cities and organizations as well as nations and regions. But his ideas also raise interesting questions related to our assumptions about creativity itself. Let us begin this discussion by considering the validity of Florida’s notion of the creative class and how it is functioning in our society by taking on the following questions:

1. Do you think the level of creativity is rising in our society? To what extent does the answer to this question depend on our own understanding and definition of creativity? Simply put, do you think that the tasks and jobs that Florida considers “creative” are actually evidence of a special level of creative activity?

2. In your own professional lives, do you actually see – in concrete, substantive terms – ideas functioning as economic stimuli? Do you see a new focus on creativity and ideas? If so, is your organization or community changing to accommodate this focus?

3. After addressing these issues, let’s turn the spotlight on ourselves. How do the social and economic dynamics involved in the rose of the creative class affect your own strategies for a career, lifestyle choice, or view of yourself as a creative person?

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Preeta: My response to the question of is there really a creative class is to say that there are an increasing number of economic opportunities that involve creativity. Florida seems valid in saying that by measuring economic opportunities by occupational classifications that there are increasing levels of “economic” indications of creativity. However, as Kunstler describes, creativity is not solely based on valuation or calculation of impact on local or regional economies. The type of creativity that Kunstler describes has been extant in society throughout the ages and has seen peaks in historical societies like renaissance Florence – these societies later had an economic impact but their creativity was based on breaking from traditional thinking.
Thus, if we were to take Florida’s view than we might say that the level of creativity is rising in our society, but if we were to take Kunstler’s view we might even say that creativity has been at a historical low. I personally ascribe to Kunstler’s view that creativity should not be measured by its economic impact but its innovativeness – an idea that is either new or has not previously been applied to that purpose.
As a researcher and a consultant, I do actually see – in concrete, substantive terms – ideas functioning as economic stimuli. But the focus is rarely on creativity of ideas, but on the development of ideas and efficiently making them productive. In this mindset, the assumption is everyone has ideas but only the best are good at capitalizing on the ideas. Thus, this community of researchers accommodates this focus by looking at innovation cycles and models of knowledge production and less at how to be creative.
The creative class, as occupational classifications that increasingly require economically valued creativity, does reflect my own strategies regarding career and lifestyle. I suffer the same symptoms of frontloading time and never working nor playing at the “right” times; I make sure to have my daily stimulation and creative experience or else I fret; my ties might be considered loose compared to my father’s/mother’s ties – mostly because our friends are all transient – never in the same city for more than 3 or 4 years. However, I feel that the truly creative people are surrounding themselves with peace and calm and that inspiration “away from the maddening crowd”. This is the real honing of creativity – the rest of us are trying to get economic value from our creativity, e.g. chasing the money, so to say.