Monday, May 01, 2006

Who's Not Creative?

With all the talk about the rise of the creative class, it begs the question: who's not creative?

For the past few years, there have been lots of articles written about the so-called "creative class". Richard Florida's book, The Rise of the Creative Class, has created buzz around the idea, and cities around the country are vying to be the next breeding ground for the creative class.

But suggesting that there's a "creative class" must mean there is also an "uncreative class". We can't all be creative, can we?

Who is this "uncreative class", and, more importantly, are we doing everything we can to attract it?

5 comments:

Joe said...

I think Florida's distinction has to do with, say, the difference between graphic designers and programmers; between living in San Francisco and living in Silicon Valley.

Supposedly, people who use PhotoShop and Fireworks on a daily basis are somehow more creative than people who code Visual Basic.

I'm not sure I agree. Even engineers, accountants and lawyers can be creative, off the job.

Anonymous said...

So the creative person turns down the Silicon Valley gig, but accepts the one in San Francisco?

Does Florida really get things down to that degree of distinction?

And we're hoping to lure the would-be SFer but not the Silicon Valley geek?

Hmmm. I wonder if there's a tatoo or body piercing quotient that ices the creative class distinction?

Anonymous said...

creative means that they are not like every annoying suburbanite that lives in west co. with their SUBURBAN cars and big houses in safe neighborhoods. The creative class takes chances and openly and succesfully help their communities grow, if it's in the work place our just as a hobby.

we all CAN be creative..but many chose to be...well not.

Anonymous said...

So no creative people live in West County?

Or only the ones who spend their time in the city?

What about the ones who work in the city, but recreate in St. Charles County?

There seems to be a lot confusion surrounding this whole "creative class" idea.

If you make little ceramic farm animals at your home in the woods of Jefferson County, and then sell them at a booth at the Strassenfest, are you a "creative"?

Anonymous said...

The Uncreative Class is a combination of Boomers and Generations X & Y, including former members of the Creative Class who now have kids and a mortgage and learned they are not so important and special as they once thought.