What Is The Creative Economy?

By: George Callas

The 2009 Juice 2.0 Conference: Building Maine’s Innovation Networks brought together a great cross section of Maine’s leadership under the banner of the Creative Economy. We at the Midcoast Magnet have been buzzing about the roles that creative types can play in developing our state’s future, ranging from gubernatorial candidates and legislators to artists, bankers to technologists, builders and preservationists to dancers, educators to social networkers and so on, The connections and hats worn vary and run the gamut.

The Creative Economy, like the weather, is something that everyone seems to have an opinion about. With vague notions about what it actually is, it is hard for individuals and organizations to coordinate activities and commit resources towards its advancement.

The first level attempt to define the creative economy is deciding who makes up the creative class; the economic agents of creativity. Right out of the gate, we tend to think of the artists, isn’t all of their work creative? But in the core, the artists are also joined by the scientists, engineers, architects, designers, and software developers, along with those in the entertainment, education and music fields. However, another tier to the creative class is the broader group of creative professionals in business and finance, law, government and healthcare. Anyone who has followed stories around hedge funds, Ponzi schemes or Enron has some idea just how creative people in these disciplines can be. Finally, the third tier to the creative class is one not typically associated with creativity at all; factory and service workers. We all can attest to circumstances and stories where people in these positions went above and beyond to create solutions to customer problems. Tapping the creativity of workers in repetitive task positions has helped many firms excel in productivity and profits.

While there are traditionally defined creative-types in the economy, virtually any person in any kind of job can help further the creative economy cause. The conclusion is that creativity is “the ultimate economic resource”, but it draws crucially on our ordinary abilities. In this light, perhaps the ubiquitous buzz from Juice was to be expected, everyone was excited in their own way about their own field.

The crucial point and question here is if Maine wants to redefine itself along the lines of the creative economy does that mean we have to create certain kinds of jobs? Well yes, and no. On the one hand, having more scientists doing more research certainly helps. On the other hand, cultivating the creative potential in people throughout Maine’s economy also helps. This is where the Juice Conference comes into play; if nothing else it keeps alive creativity by “frequent and random collisions of people and ideas.” But, it is more than that, during the Perfect Pitch competition at this year’s conference over 40 Maine start-ups connected with bankers and venture capitalists, while honing their presentation skills.

If the creative economy can be developed both by developing “creative” jobs and by actively cultivating the creative capacity of ordinary people, what then can help Maine distinguish itself? This gets to the heart of the Creative Economy question and the answer turns out to be a traditional one: Place. It turns out that creativity flourishes in socially stable environments that nonetheless provide opportunities for random inspiration and the display of quality work. While this tends to be more available in major metropolitan areas, where individuals can circulate through social circles and following veins of attraction or inspiration, many come to Maine because they want to be in Maine. It is harder here to move in quasi-anonymity, alone with inspirations, without running into several people you know.

From a classical Creative Economy perspective Maine may not be socially great for the creative type. But, this is where organizations like the Midcoast Magnet come into play. The Magnet brings together people in decidedly creative vocations around its core activities, we don’t just hang out, we do stuff. And the stuff we do! Pecha Kucha, that funky Japanese creative showcase has attracted over 1,000 participants thus far around the Midcoast region, introducing leading-edge creative economy practitioners in a wide array of fields. The Juice Conference provides a concentrated form of creative stimulation across many fields and regions, from both inside and outside of Maine. The Magnet’s Juice Box events represent a scaled down version of this function across specified vocational fields. And all these events inspire participants to more deeply plumb their creativity storehouse and actively cultivate that precious economic resource.

Perhaps here we practice a more mature brand of the creative economy. What we may lack in streetscape fluidity and anonymity, we make up for with landscape beauty and endurance of engagement among creatives. Perhaps being in relationship with people whose creativity is on the go and growing more than compensates for the chance to substitute friends and stimulations. While big investments to create decidedly creative jobs is a fine thing, growing indigenous creative networks will probably in the long run do more to remake the face of Maine’s future economy.

Submitted By: George Callas - Midcoast Magnet Treasurer and President of Build Green Maine