Emily Broadwell

emily.broadwell@du.edu

Script-Outline for Composition 2:

“Creativity as Commodity”
Emily Broadwell

Note: an ellipsis indicates a “click” on the PowerPoint, usually the introduction of a new image.

[Slide 1] (Introduce Presentation)

[Slide 2] (Gradually click the first batch of pictures in)

What is a Neighborhood?
According to Sydney Brower, author of a book called Good Neighborhoods: “There are
many ways of defining neighborhood. Each fixes on an essential characteristic, such as the
presence of local institutions…a network of social acquaintances, a cluster of like-minded
people, a visually distinctive district, or a clearly bounded geographical area.”
There are a number of functions/perceptions of the Neighborhood:
-Desirable place to live (differs; can be defined in terms of Ambiance, i.e., land use)
-People like to have a “sense of place,” as it helps define them.
-A Retreat; movement to suburbs (urban living undesirable); idealization of small town
living
-The “Club Model”—exclusivity, “Residential Partnership”
-Convenience; center of the action
…(Word “Synergy” appears)
What I am going to focus on is the neighborhood as a model of synergy, as “a cluster of
like-minded people” and how this plays into the new migration to urban areas by a certain group
of young adults with money.

[Slide 3] In two books, Richard Florida presents the idea of “The Creative Class.”—Generally,
this encompasses the recent generation of young professionals, employed in “artistic” industries,
or industries emphasizing “innovation” (technological or otherwise). These young adults value
the “3 T’s of economic growth: technology, talent, and tolerance.”
…These may look like just your average twenty-somethings.
…But they represent an important new demographic—a demographic that has its own ideas of
what constitutes a “good neighborhood.”

[Slide 4] If you are a member of the Creative Class, the last place you want to live is bland
Suburbia…
[Slide 5] This is the Denver neighborhood around Confluence Park…in the shadow of the
Millennium Bridge…just across the river from downtown Denver…and within convenient
distance of the historic, and highly “made-over” LoDo shopping district.
…A fine example of urban renovation, the neighborhood was formerly an industrial warehouse
district (this picture is actually somewhere in Detroit—pre-redevelopment Confluence Park was
evidently so un-photogenic that there are no pictures of it to be found on the internet).

[Slide 6] There is something very appealing to the Creative Class about renovation of old
buildings—creating something “modern” while still retaining the charm of the original. Why not
turn an old power plant into a Recreational Equipment, Inc. store, complete with Starbucks?
…Denver’s Flour Mill Lofts….take the former production site of Hungarian High-Altitude
Flour…and transform it into costly luxury apartments with interiors like this.

[Slide 7] Things that formerly made cities marketable—high-end shopping malls, amusement
parks, big cultural amenities (symphony, opera, etc.), major league sports teams—are not quite
so attractive to the Creative Class. They prefer amenities like…pedestrian malls…and
opportunities for outdoor recreation.

[Slide 8] Other features of neighborhoods attractive to the Creative Class include easy access to
public transportation…and the sense that a neighborhood tends toward environmental
consciousness and a “healthy lifestyle”—for example, it makes use of natural features like rivers,
and turns them into an integral part of the neighborhood’s opportunities for recreation.

[Slide 9] A nightlife is also important. This nightlife cannot, however, revolve purely around
bars and the consumption of alcohol…consumption of alcohol is fine, as long as it’s paired with,
say…supporting the local music scene…or, supporting local art.

[Slide 10] This brings us to the concept of Indie Culture. “Indie”—short for “Independent”—is a
key word in the cultural taste of this young Creative Class.

[Slide 11] It comes along with all sorts of characteristic sights and sounds. You have your
traditional indie establishments: …indie bookstores…record stores…art house cinema…smaller
performance venues…at least in Denver, independently run “medical” marijuana dispensaries…
and, of course, coffee shops.

[Slide 12] This demographic LOVES coffee shops…as a rule, they can identify multiple types of
coffee beans, and tell you whether or not they’re fair trade. Coffee shops are also good places
for… intellectual conversation…and reading indie publications.

[Slide 13] There is a distinct musical taste associated with this lifestyle…and it does NOT
include Lady Gaga.
[Slide 14] Your typical member of the Creative Class would be more likely to listen to bands
from…Dumbo: …Down…Under…the Manhattan…Bridge…Overpass…an up-and-coming part
of Brooklyn.

[Slide 15] In fact, Brooklyn has really become an epicenter of indie music in recent years.
Taking into account bands that either originated or now record there, you get…The Strokes…
LCD Soundsystem…Vampire Weekend…TV on the Radio…The National…Grizzly Bear. All
together, we have an emerging “Brooklyn Sound” (play short portions of songs)—that is really a
variety of sounds.

[Slide 16] Nothing screams “indie”—at least in principle—as much as the punk movement, out
of which you got little bands like…Green Day…which turned out to be an incredibly successful
little act (indicate that album covers show the band’s first album and most recent album). Like so
many indie acts…they went from playing clubs…to stadiums.

[Slide 17] One of the best definitions of the indie movement comes from author and indie-culture
authority Kaya Oakes. (Read the quote). Is it just a trend? We can’t talk about trendiness without
introducing…

[Slide 18] The Hipster….Here are two contrasting definitions I pulled from Urban Dictionary.
(Give audience time to read the definitions). Now, a couple things are interesting about these
definitions. The first was obviously written by a Hipster. The second was obviously written by
(insert clever quip about whoever would be the opposite of a Hipster; maybe “a Taylor Swift
fan” or something). But let’s turn to the first definition: Hipsters may “reject the culturally
ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers,” but it is important to understand that they are
themselves very much consumers.

[Slide 19] They have developed a style, inspired by thrift stores…a style which stores that are
definitely not thrift stores have cashed in on. Why buy a vintage t-shirt at the Salvation Army,
like the Hipsters of Yore did, when you could buy one just like it at Urban Outfitters—except it
was made in India and costs $50?

[Slide 20] These composite images of the New Cool combine into something highly palatable
and very marketable.

[Slide 21] Now, not everyone who shops at Urban Outfitters is a Hipster…Some are just taking a
break from their Hollywood lifestyle to spend some money on that fashionable vintage look.

[Slide 22] But one thing is for certain…Hipsters too have money. And they’re very willing to
spend it.
[Slide 23] This brings us to what we might describe as the “parasitic” relationship between…
business… and art…

[Slide 24] Where artists become “part of the scenery.” Let’s return to the idea of neighborhoods
and what makes them desirable places to live. Richard Florida has developed what he calls the…
Bohemian Index. The more “writers, designers, musicians, actors, directors, painters, sculptors,
and dancers” there are in a neighborhood, the more attractive that neighborhood is! The Creative
Class loves the idea of having artists around.

[Slide 25] We must remember that the vast majority of the Creative Class are not artists in the
“Bohemian” sense. They tend to work in high-tech industries, where they make a fair to large
amount of money.

[Slide 26] This leads to an interesting phenomenon: “artsy” neighborhoods attract young people.
To give an example from Denver, take the Washington Park neighborhood. Wash Park was THE
place to live for young artistic types a number of years ago. But the presence of these artistic
types made the neighborhood SO cool, and it became such a commodity to live there, that real
estate values rose dramatically—if you were wondering, Wash Park is NOT a cheap place to
live. Artists, as a rule, don’t make that much money—hence “starving artist”…so, there was a
general migration of these artistic types to other neighborhoods in Denver, such as the Highlands
—now a trendy, up and coming area. The artists make a neighborhood into The Place to Be, and
then can’t afford to pay the rent on their studio apartments.

[Slide 27] The same thing happened in New York. Greenwich Village used to be the ultimate
Bohemia—a fact which made it very attractive. Now, the artists can’t afford to live in
Manhattan…which is why they’ve relocated across the river, into Brooklyn—giving us the
“Brooklyn Sound” and a very hip culture associated with the area. But Brooklyn’s hardly cheap
anymore, being the attractive, up-and-coming area that it is. When they’re forced out by real
estate prices… where will the artists go next?

[Slide 28] I faced an interesting dilemma in creating a presentation on this topic. The facts are
very much real; the fate of the artist is real; and there is, I believe, a certain essential phoniness
that characterizes “Hipsterdom.” However, the ultimate fact is this: the lifestyle of the Creative
Class is incredibly appealing to me, as to many others. Of course it would require a good job and
a certain amount of luck, but I would love to be able to live that lifestyle myself at some point. It
would be a privilege that I would gladly accept, as would many other college students to enter
the workforce within the next several years.
Also, I should mention by way of confession that, if we consider certain traits such as
music taste, I myself am something of a fledgling Hipster. I have spent plenty of money on CDs
(and yes, sometimes vinyl) of indie bands, and I am a frequent patron of coffee shops and
independent bookstores. I am living proof that you can sell the Indie lifestyle.
If there’s one thing I’m absolutely convinced of, it’s that targeting the Creative Class is
one of the most ingenious marketing endeavors of recent years. After all, here’s a demographic
that knows what it wants, has money, and considers itself on the cutting edge of everything cool.
Marketers everywhere have grabbed a hold of this remarkably profitable group of young
people…Who wouldn’t?

Here’s the link to the PowerPoint on SlideShare:

http://www.slideshare.net/erbroadwell/creativity-as-commodity?from=share_email_login2
Unfortunately, the formatting of the presentation is completely messed up as it appears when viewed on
the SlideShare website. For example, whole words have gone missing, and it won’t allow pictures to
come in individually...so I guess you might want to download it and view it in PowerPoint.