Brewed Fresh Daily

I'm pulling out MaryBeth Matthew's comment and taking her to task. I feel like she's defending Jim Harris for throwing out the creativity baby with the creative class bathwater. Hopefully, her and James won't gang up on me at the next Ryze mixer. She says:

An advocate for the arts, and a fan of coffee shops, cell phones, "Sex in the City" and martinis, I must certainly fall into that classification of "creatives" Jim referred to. It is true...we do think, we are hip, yes we are sexy, and Jim is absolutely right, we won't save the city. Read carefully what Jim has to say. He is not attacking what we do, simply offering a reality check. The arts are essential to the quality of life. They add the flavor, the spice. Jobs, education, and safety are the meat, the potatoes, and the vegetables. Although I am an art teacher, I am fully aware that if Johnny can't draw, or paint, or sing, he might still be successful. Without reading, writing or math skills, he will certainly fail. Jim is reminding us that as a city in crisis, we cannot afford to lose sight of what our priorities should be.

Who's lost sight of what the city should be? Not me. Not the creative people I know. We're the ones holding forth the vision of what we should become. Yeah, great, a kid can read, write, and do math. That will ensure that they'll be able to get a job at WalMart for minimum wage. Teaching a child to draw, paint, or sing is giving them the opportunity to learn how to be creative. Just as a reminder, check out this google definition of creative. You'll see phrases like "having the ability or power to create", "having the power to bring into being", "Characterized by originality and expressiveness; imagination", " Having unusual ideas and innovative thoughts. Able to put things together in new and imaginative ways." If the chips are down (like they are here in Cleveland), who do you want working on the problem? Someone who can read, write, and do math or someone having unusual ideas and innovative thoughts who has the power to bring new things into being characterized by originality? Frankly, it's a long line of people without creativity who've gotten us into this mess. I agree with Jim that it won't be the "creative class" (or any other demographic including more blue collar, meat and potatoes types), it will be (I repeat) creative, innovative thinking throughout the region that will save the city. Part of the fallacy of the "creative class" (or any other economic development strategy that lures specific targets) is that if we just have some more of this or that, our problems will be solved. Let me reiterate: Creative, innovate thinking will save the city.