In his recent book, “The World is Flat,” economist and futurist Thomas Friedman argues that we are living in a time of an emerging “creative and innovative” economy. Friedman argues that this era may represent America’s salvation; that this new thinking will encourage America once again to do things it does best: “create and innovate.” An article in Business Week magazine recently echoed these sentiments, claiming that business and economic success is “no longer dictated by just math and science (although those are surely important disciplines). It’s about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation.”
There is much recent and past history to suggest that our culture has been singularly productive in producing ideas that have led to systems essential for progress and innovation. Business Week pointed to two such examples: historically, Thomas Edison’s fame rests less on his invention of the light bulb, but more so on his concepts that led the way to systematic methods of producing and distributing electricity; more recently, Apple Computer’s iPod not only provides easy, legal access to lots of songs, movies, and podcasts, it has become the central design piece of a whole system that made Apple the leader of the innovation economy.
As we talk about the foreshadowing of a whole economy based upon creativity and innovation - the dawn of the “Creative Age” as one research institute put it - we are more acutely aware of the importance of reinventing our business strategies, our corporations, our communities, our schools, our housing and land-use policies and more. Nothing can remain the same if we are to survive, let alone succeed in this new global economy.
Today, corporations, governments and the communities they serve must put themselves at the forefront of this sweeping change in the structure of the world in which we live and work. It is imperative that we begin in earnest to attract, retain and nurture the creative and innovative workforce we know we need; and in the process, create a new overlay of our land-use planning as well. Cities across the U.S. have to change the lenses in their cameras and their parochial thinking about “land use,” the transformative value of technology and the urgent need to reinvent our schools.
We need to redesign our high school and college curricula in particular, to focus on preparing students for this new competition. While creative industries, according to the Americans for the Arts are defined as “arts-related,” creativity and innovation are vital to the success of all businesses. And we need to focus more on training the next generation of leaders for the Creative Age. There is some evidence that this process is underway, as business schools across America are rethinking their curricula, too, as the Master of Fine Arts is as valued to business as the revered MBA.
Lest we miss our way here, today’s students must be trained appropriately to capture the high ground in this latest effort to lead the world economy by being first in the demand for creativity and innovation. There is now no doubt that our old industrial and information economies are giving way to the creative economy. Corporations and whole communities are at another crossroads; we live in a community facing such choices. From the most basic decisions about what courses to offer our students to the more complex ones involving how we build houses and provide essential services to them – they are all in play in our community. We know that our arts educated students are high achievers; we know that our arts educated students are better problem solvers and better thinkers, in general. Now we must, as a nation, find ways to incorporate their skills into our global economic efforts, from the schoolroom to the boardroom.
(Thanks to John M. Eger of San Diego State University, and The World Foundation for Smart Communities for providing the kernel of ideas for this column.)
Opportunities for this week and the future: don’t miss local actress Dina Barrone in “Menopause the Musical” Wednesdays through Sundays at TUC until Dec. 17; Theatre Jacksonville offers Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” through Oct. 7; The Limelight Theatre in St. Augustine provides “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) through Oct. 8; Garrison Keillor offers stories of Lake Wobegon at the TUC, Oct. 10; “Oklahoma” runs through Nov. 26 at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
10.4.06
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