-
[Economics, not politics has been the base of the
development of our society, since it is of a
material base, whereas politics is vital. The educated class has
given it its power. Creativity in society, which is the focus of Florida’s
book, is the highest aspect of education. Thus, the 40% creative people that
the author describes have the decisive economic influence in the US.]
-
[In the 21st
century spiritual individuality, rather than economics will be at the
forefront.
[Spirituality is a movement beyond the physical nature of economics, the
higher vital nature of politics and social intercourse; even beyond the
great mental ideals and plans of leaders and movements. Each succeeding
level has a greater power. Four stages
of human history -- Man has progressed from the original physical to the
vital stage of his development. There is some movement in the last 100 years
progress at the mental level. The spiritual level is beyond these.]
-
[Understanding how
US has
became the socio-cultural leader of the world is worth uncovering.
What constitutes world
leadership, and what makes the US a leader is also worth contemplating. Both
of these will support an understanding of the emergence of the Creative
Class (and perhaps how it can occur elsewhere outside the US).]
-
[In the preface the author
shows his openness by revealing things in his research that
do not conform
to conventional wisdom. He shows a many-sided wisdom born of openness and
discovery. (These two values are interestingly revealed
in the book to among the key sources of the success of the Creative Class).
Florida's is not a
prejudiced view; i.e. it is more objective.]
-
Creativity has become the
driving force of economic growth. The Creative Class that engages in
creativity therefore drives
America
economically.
-
[Creativity
is the highest aspect of education; that it is the spearhead of our society.
Thus the Creative Class is the highest aspect of the education spearhead,
giving it its most power.]
-
He notices that companies
moved to, or formed where, there were skilled people. Why this was
occurring is why he wrote the book. [He lived in Pittsburgh, which
was the
antithesis of this movement.]
-
Economic growth has been
focused in places that were tolerant, diverse, and open to creativity.
These are where creative people wanted to work. [This was my own experience as
well, from the '70s onward.]
-
The Creative Class is
unconscious of its own dominant role in society. If this creative class can becomes conscious, it
can lead our society in many ways, including overcoming many of its
problems. [This is a key theme in his book.]
-
Social change occurs not
during booms but during crisis, as in the 1930s and 9/11 [and 60s]. [What
about the Internet? Perhaps that’s not the social change itself, but the
result of it. I.e. of the mental evolution of man]
-
The author hopes the
Creative Class can develop cohesion to help others who are not in that
class. He hopes events like 9/11 and the DotCom bust
can create that social impetus
to bring that cohesion and change.
-
He argues that the
change
from 1950 till now is vaster than that from 1900-1950. [We have suggested it
is even more dramatic than that; so he is on the right track.]
-
From 1900-1950 there is a
relatively bigger technological change to period 1950-2000. In
1950-2000 norms and values have been the truly great relative change
compared to 1900-1950 where they changed less. From 1950-2000 there has been
a vast change in the social structure, in the rhythms and patterns of our
daily lives. There has been great social and cultural change including rise
of individuality, self-expression, changed attitudes, expressions, and
behavior. There has been in this period a deeper, more pervasive
transformation.
-
Society is changing
because we want it to. We are not victims;
it is our choice.
It is also changing in a logical and rational way, contrary to other’s
opinions. [This emphasis on human choice is a major theme
of ours -- i.e. Human Choice.]
-
The driving force is
human creativity, now being unloosened in an unprecedented way.
-
Even more significant
than our being an “information” or “knowledge’ economy is the fact that we
are a creative economy.
[Thought: Creativity enables intuition, which means a fuller perception of
the object of any knowledge. This enables even greater knowledge through
education, which means greater, faster achievement and prosperity.]
-
We are becoming conscious
of the power of creativity to enable success, and we are systematizing this
fact in work and in our lives. [It seems pretty much unconscious; which the
author aims to make conscious; explained in later chapters.]
-
Creativity is the
decisive source of competitive advantage.
-
There is an interplay of
technological and economic creativity with artistic and cultural creativity.
(This is evident in such new inventions as computer graphics.)
-
Creativity must be
nurtured in companies. E.g. companies with open dress code, having
creativity in research and development that is well funded.
-
There is a putting of
creative people, even bohemians at the center of power.
-
The creative person is no
longer considered eccentric, but mainstream.
-
People are the critical
resource of the new age.
-
Place,
like SF Bay Area and Austin and Boston, is important. Access to a talented
and creative pool is critical. Companies say to cities trying to lure them
with old methods: “Keep your tax incentives and highway interchanges; we
will go where the highly skilled people are.”
-
Places that have a
creative climate; cities that are trying to become broadly creative
communities, attract the Creative Class individuals.
-
People now move about
more. There are weaker ties, replacing the strong old social bonds. There is
a desire to find places where we can make friends and acquaintances more
easily and live quasi-anonymous lives.
-
These individuals of the
Creative Class have more
self-identity; rather than the traditional group
identity (e.g. in families, churches, companies, etc.) [This is important!]
-
Creativity
is the highest of education. Education is the spearhead of economic growth.
It is then no wonder that the Creative Class is leading the economic charge
and boom.
-
We are moving away from
being defined in terms of being an economic class and functioning.
That is no longer the determinant. One’s creative work is; i.e. their
creative individuality is the determinant. Thus individuals can be viewed as
whether they are or are not part of the Creative Class.
-
The social influence is
less on these creative individuals. [This is again important in that we can
accomplish more, know more, and evolve more when we are less concerned with
social opinion and influence.]
-
38 million Americans
belong to this new class, the Creative Class.
-
Their
values are:
creativity, individuality, self-expression, openness, difference, and merit.
[Merit (i.e. pay for deserved skill) is the first socialistic major
tenet of Marx that capitalism has adopted. Pay for one’s true needs is a
next step.]
-
There is a core creative
class as well as a broader group of creative professionals around these 38
million.
-
There is a Super Creative
Core of the Creative Class of 15 million.
-
Members of the Creative
Class earn 2x the average pay in the US.
-
There has been a decline
in the nuclear family.
-
Creativity is even
growing in jobs outside the Creative Class, such as in the improvement in
factory floors, i.e. operation.
-
The key to those who are
of the lower classes rising is not more social welfare, but supporting the
emergence of their creativity.
-
The Creative Class is in
large cities, metro areas that offer amenities. They are also in smaller
regions that offer such amenities, as in certain college towns.
-
These cities, towns
provide stimulating, creative environment, and diversity, allowing for
individual expression.
-
Conservative Southern
Sun-Belt cities, which have expanded since WWII, have not been attracting
these people for obvious reasons.
-
There is an emergence of
a new society, culture, and way of life.
-
These shifts are the most
enduring developments of our time.
-
In
companies there are
significant changes: new forms of self-management, of peer recognition, new
motivational approaches, casual dress, less hierarchy, etc. [Truism of Tom
Peters.]
-
Companies are giving
workers the ability to work and grow, to shape the content of their work,
control their own schedules, etc. Companies that enable these factors will
thrive; those who don’t will wither and die.
-
There is a blending of
the bourgeois and the bohemian values.
-
The people in the
Creative Class tend to be very creative in other aspects of their lives.
(E.g. they have other outside interest, such as artistic interests. They are
living a more full life expressing creativity in many ways beside work.)
-
They live lifestyles of
creative expression; there is less separation between work life and home
life. [E.g. living-work lofts in
San Francisco
mission district exploded during DotCom boom.] They desire for a rich,
multidimensional experience in their lives. [This is an evolutionary
movement that we can explain.]
-
The use of time in work
has densified, intensified; packing every second full of creative stimuli
and experience. [We can be creative here and explain in terms of new
definitions of time and timelessness in the emerging spiritual age.]
-
Their perception of time
has begun to warp and morph. E.g. one can work more when one wants. [See
above]
-
Larger
social changes:
People now work intensely when young, rather than the slow movement up the
hierarchy of the company culminating in the proverbial gold-watch. Marriage
is deferred. Midlife crisis now are becoming quarter life crisis (!),
as people seek other outlets (beyond the customary relationships) for their
creative capacities. [Another significant development.]
-
There is a desire among
the Creative Class to live in distinctive communities rather than the
homogenous city or suburb. [The outer can manifest the inner creative
vision, and it can support the inner.]
-
People in the Creative
Class tend to have impermanent relationships, and live more anonymous lives
in such communities. [One must first find true freedom to find Self and
Universal Self to others and the world. I.e. it creates the right conditions
to extend to others. Of course, within the bounds of culture and propriety.]
-
Such developments are
part of a larger global change toward economic and social systems
based on creativity. [This opens the doors to even more insight.]
-
Most social writers do
not perceive the great social changes that are under way. Many long for a
lost past; others for a technological-oriented future without understanding
the real social change going on. [The emerging higher harmonies will
transcend the contradicting perceptions.]
-
The social observers
think that changes are being imposed on us, when it is really what we are
choosing. [Again very important idea of human choice, championed by MSS.]
-
More than technology it’s
the change in the social fabric
over decades that are bringing about
these great changes. Social and cultural changes are having even more impact
than technological change. These forces have been building for decades.
[Perhaps we can say the technological is the outer result, rather than the
cause, though it can at some point reinforce the social cause as well.]
