Creativity as a Global Value

[Robert Alan Black]

I want to personally apologize to our global colleagues for the mess America's badly managed economy has caused you. My own family net worth has plummeted by 40%. It seems that every day some new scandal emerges from our financial sector. The latest is the unbelievable story of the investment banker who bilked his clients out of $50 billion. How is that possible? I can't conceive of the level of evil, incompetence, lack of oversight and arrogance required to perpetrate and maintain such theft.
BUT - all this scandal affords a timely opportunity to address the reason why I set this community up in the first place, to provoke a conversation around elevating creativity to a global value. A value, in the sense of something that is valued, and also as a guide for policy and a trigger for civic engagement.

So - who does get to assign "value" and whose values have guided governance and economic policy so far? I argue that artists, cultural workers and creative practitioners have some values - some sets of experience that need desperately to be added to the political mix. One of those mindsets that I see operating in the creative worker is the sense of intrinsic worth. May I suggest "The Gift" by Lewis Hyde as a a way of looking creativity as part of the gift economy. Not everything we have assigned value to, it turns out, has "real" worth. Things society and government have assigned little or no value to, it turns out, may be the "real" things worth treasuring. Do you feel that artists and other creative workers have a special appreciation of intrinsic worth? Does this mindset have a place in government?

[Cathy]

I learnt in my studies last year about the Kula gift economy which was a very involved set of gifting circumstances. It was a traditional string of gifts and that seemed to go around and around in a certain way. I can't remember the whole sequence of events. It appears that many Pacific Island nations still do this sort of gifting. One can see that with Tapa and Tivaivea (?sp) quilts for many different celebrations. These gifts have no value on the regular world trade markets but within the societies they do. (the fact that these items do surface on the world markets is rare but they do!)

Putting a value on a hand crafted item has always been thwart with problems....I know as my primary trade before I decided to go to University was creating and selling textile based items. The time/time/time status makes the product extremely expensive so many people work for a pittance! I know that I could have had better 'machines' but I am not wanting to create 1000mtrs fabric per hour - I cannot possibly compete with a factory set up.

I have not read "The Gift" but I notice it's in my Uni library so I will look for it next time I'm there (hols right now!)

Our local/country economy has just had a change of leadership i.e. Labour is out; National is in. So whether the economy weather will dramatically alter I do not know. Apparently the economy has suffered but I personally have not, mostly because I didn't have anything worth$ to start with :-))))) But some of pals have suggested that as I want to move to another rental property I might find something bigger than I expect esp. as landlords try to have tenants!

not sure if anything I have put forward means anything....my brain has gone into rest-mode for the Summer!

[Nathalie]

Artists have the ability to reach-out and bring their audience on stage with them. They are not greedy, they live to touch. When in office or on special assignment, an artist needs powerful people around him to help him bring his vision to reality and not tell him he is dreaming in colors.

An artist trusts people because he sees the good in everybody, he still believes in a good world and he needs to be cherished; his followers are as important as his vocation

I cannot wait to read The Gift, I know that I will love every sentence…
Thank you,
Nathalie

[Cathy]

I did browse The Gift at the Uni library and it has much more about the gift economy to a point where I had a jolly good look at other books in a similar vein in the same shelving numbers.....including the information about cultural type symbolism associated with 'food' both the eating of the and food. Leading me away to symbolism including Japanese gift giving and the wrapping of the gifts.....the area is quite interesting to think about. :-)

I am not sure the 'government' would think this mindset was of value....when most governments are thinking $ or the equivalent currency of their country.

However, I do think that the executives in a gov't organisation expect those providing the grass root services to have the same sort of salaries......we all probably know someone who is attached to a 'helping' organisation who is not paid other than a few vouchers etc. We all probably know retirees who find themselves in voluntary positions with just a few perks that are no where near those salaries of the executives.

Yep, there are people who willingly give their time and I've been doing that sort of things for years.....I feel I am contributing to the economy by giving my time, the gift :-)

I have had much in return - words, hugs, support and sooooooo on. Nothing has been of great monetary value except to me! A $100 honarium gives me some money towards to a new pair of shoes etc. Free membership to another organisation (I have absolutely no idea how much the subs are!) and so on

Everyone take care during the silly season......I'm in NZ so it kicks off tomorrow!!!

[Robert "Alan" Black]

6 months has passed what are your thoughts about this issue now?

Alan

[Cathy]

I'm not sure that anything much has changed....the gov't still expects it's pennyworth of taxes and such like.

However, one thing that is too CHANGE on the first of November if the free ACC referral service...at this point the gov't and ACC (Accident Compensation C?) haven't decided how much each person must subsidise it at. So if you have an accident and require medical treatment or physiotherapy or whatever - the treatment is free now. The meds aren't but that is another ball game all together.

I'm actually having free treatment right now....I sprained my lower back a week or so back and the consultation to diagnose it was free. I'm having an accessment tomorrow for 'after back care' - free.

Sooooooooo that is one 'GIFT' that is about to be abandoned by the gov't. What it will do is put much more pressure on the accident/emergency dept of the public hospitals which are already fighting a neverending load of clients.

the Recession is still here I guess.......every 2nd shop is having a sale or a reduction % off....every night some chain is advertising their latest sale on TV. Seems to me that we are still have the Boxing Day Sales (in July)!

It isn't affecting me as such as I'm at the lower end of the $ scale but it will hurt anyone who has to sell their house at a lower price or sell shares....

Robert "Alan" Black said:

6 months has passed what are your thoughts about this issue now?

Alan

[Robert "Alan" Black]

Cathy

Many to most of what you described appears to be happening many places.

Perhaps the recession will teach many of us and our respective governments wiser methods and techniques.

Treating the world as if it is filled with infinite resources and thinking that nature is ours to do what we want with it may finally be seen as myths or mistakes.

Best wishes with your challenges.

Alan

[Cathy]

I watching TV news last evening to hear a story about a guy who was trying to sell his house last year...and finally took it off the market. Didn't do anything radical in refurbishing...put it back on the market about a month ago and he had 2 offers to purchase within 2wks.

So then the PM - John Keys is interviewed and tells everyone that the recession is definitely over!

ummmmmmm I don't think one rapid house sale is going to be the turning point..........but time will tell :-)