An exploration of and commentary on my undergraduate research portfolio, connecting the dots to current events, recent inspirations, and a more targeted thesis of my life.

Creativity’s Influence on Community Development

Creative Capital

What do I mean when I write and think about creativity as an asset, as a form of capital to activate for the benefit of The People?

Richard Florida is a famous urbanist who has had a lot to say about The Creative Class and related ideas of the need to focus on developing creative capital in the skilled workforce. — When I hear his name, I can’t help but to think of Robert California from The Office. — Mr. Florida got a lot of flak for appearing out of touch with holistic development needs of places — the argument being that his theories tend to drive cities toward gentrification without adequate investment across the population.

^^^^ When I talk about creative capital, or creative capacity, I don’t mean that.

Each and every person in your family, circle of influence, and beyond has a creative grounding — a connection to creation. We are, in the same moment, written into the story and writing the story. We are woven into the tapestry and we weave strange, wonderful, and majestic patterns into life. The force of creation runs through us — we wield it when we tool around in shop class or invent a game because our dad kicked us off the Nintendo. We are agents of creativity when we draw, sing, or design some new business scheme. Day in and day out, we act on the world around us — in small and large ways, to shape reality and influence outcomes.

I cleaned my apartment today, and now I can move with greater peace through my day-to-day activities in the delight of a clutter-less space. I find inspiration can strike and be maintained easier when my space is clean. Stewardship of creation — cleaning the created world compliments my ability to bring new thought and creation into the world.

These things scale from individual to family to block to neighborhood, and on. Asset Based Community Development is a way of looking at your neighborhood and framing all of the opportunity for growth around the goods all around you. Often the conversation around community development focuses on the real and perceived lack of resource and opportunity. Awareness and responsiveness to the lack of critical and equitable opportunities and resources is essential — no ‘buts’ about it. We’ve got to know where we lack to understand our strengths and weaknesses. Just as important as knowing our lack is knowing what we have working for us. This informs how we are strategically situated in a broader market of ideas and activities…. beyond this, it informs our identity — which significantly influences how we ‘show up’ in the world.

The great news is that creativity is a limitless resource — I think of it as a star — a great sun channeling the boundless energy which sustains all of space and time. Where there are people, this force can be awakened to new levels and engineered for the improvement of wellbeing, economy, and other infrastructure.

People are creative and will make wonders where models and diagnostics failed to see opportunity. This is the point of creative capital. We have to think about it and implement programs and policies that operate to expand the creative capacity of our communities.

This is just one angle of a larger paradigm for approaching the life and future of our communities with a generative and infinite-game framing.

What does it look like? That’s what I’m here to see and do and share. Please share what you know, see, or think about all of this.