All Hail The City Slickers
I was reading the August 2007 issue of Psychology Today (yes, I go for therapy in all forms) and came across an interesting article on creativity - mainly that where you live (in the city or country) can affect your level of this important trait. Now, before you start packing, or gloating, please read on.
The article explains the two schools of thought on this issue - the "flatworlders" and "creative class" - and offers arguments for both. Flatworlders are of the opinion that the world is now "flat", that information technology erases distance and brings the tools of innovation equally to everyone. It doesn't matter where you live, in urban or rural areas, they say. The creative classers say that this is not so and that, by living in the city, the intellectual and creative juices can't help but flow. There are naturally more options for interaction, collaboration, and feedback by living in the city. By simply getting out and about in the city, one comes in contact with different cultures, situations, and interactions that assist in the creative effort.
On the other hand, with the advent of telecommuting, texting, video-conferencing, and the like, it doesn't really matter where you live - on the farm or in suburbia - we all have access to the same information.
Now, being a city person myself, I know that there are plenty of opportunities for seeing and interacting. The problem, at least for me, lies in the part of actually making it happen. I can be as isolated in a coffee house full of people as I would be on a secluded farm in Ohio. I have to take advantage of what the environment offers, no matter where I am.
I do believe that there is some merit to the city-living notion, at least in terms of garnering creativity and inspiration. But, what does one do when they're stuck in suburbia or down on the farm? Well, the article offers some hints on "Networking from Nowhere" as well:
* take advantage of instant message talk - sounds like a simple and logical idea, and it can provide some "conversation" between large distances
* pick up the phone - as we all know, using the phone versus email for communicating can be a lot more productive and give more insight on what is actually being said (voice inflexion, etc.)
* get out and go where the people are - no matter where you live, there always is a place where the groups are (and I'm not talking about support groups)
* change your routine - instead of doing the same thing everyday and taking the same route to and from work or school, change it up, go somewhere different
I also think it's good to always have a sketchbook with me at all times, whether I'm in the city or not. I know that I have to write things down or doodle as I get that creative spark or the next "big idea" in my head.
So, city-slickers or country-bumpkins, we can make the most of where we live and get the most creative energy out of our environment. It can also be said that there are some of us who aren't the least bit creative at all, no matter where we live.
Great topic, Mike! On a similar note Dynamic Graphics published a nice article on the "redesigning" your creative process: http://www.dynamicgraphics.com/dgm/Article/28650
I think creativity has to do with how you apply existing knowledge to solving a problem. The more you are exposed to the more potential knowledge you have to apply to a variety of situations. However, not everyone can do this.
It has less to do with how much knowledge you have and more to do with how you apply it.
I don't think people in the city innately have an advantage over those in the suburbs when it comes to application skills.
-Steve
As someone who once lived in Chicago, and is now in the backwoods of New England, I can attest to living in a city opening up more creative opportunities. Each place has it's own pluses and minuses. I personally prefer the citylife though. In the country generally speaking, there is seclusion, nature, closer community, and an overall better environment for introverted thinking. If you want to 'get into touch' with your own ideas, the country is a great place to do it. It can still be done in the city, but having a lot of social interaction dapens ones desire to express controversial or very personal ideas unless they are very secure with themselves. In the country, you can be insecure, and still express yourself without restraint. Again, if you're highly social in the country, this effect is negated.
The downside/upside to living in the city is that there is so much culture. I listen to music from the UK, Japan, South America, and no one around here has even heard of half the artists I listen to. Meh. And for what I do, design graphics, and take photos primarily of people and strangers, the environment isn't condusive to new things. In the city, I can meet different people are who are... less conservative, and willing to try new things. Here, I have a hard time finding a nude model, in Chicago it's easy. Here the graphics projects are simple and mundane, compared to what I can design for a firm in the city that wants to be more adventurous and risky.
This arguement also seems to parallel the whole nature vs. nuture. You're environment can very much help you explore your potential, but you need to have that potential to begin with. I've met people here in the backwoods of New England who design better than art students I've met in Boston. The art students in Boston however are drawing from a wider range of sources though. I'd say learn in the city, practice in the country if you would rather have a less hectic life. Desprei this, I still miss the screeching of the subway, towering buildings, unique architecture and people, and all the music and food of living in a city.