Being Creative and Being a Cultural Creative Are Not the Same Thing

This article seems to stop short in explaining the difference. I'm trying to see if I am one or the other… and trying to understand because these blogs seem to “reach” me in some way.. I'm new here so I guess I need to dig alittle deeper.

Hi Laura,

You are right, I did stop short of explaining the difference. The
reason being, I don't have the answer. I was looking to my readers to
provide their insights into what the difference is.

I think to answer the question one must first understand that every
human is inherently creative. Creativity is not something that only
the few are blessed with. It is a skill we all have, it is just that
some of us are more in tune with it than others. While I could be
wrong, it is my thought that the difference is between cultural
creatives and being creative is the person's level of consciousness.
Cultural creatives have become conscious to the holism of the world,
that every action has an effect. This way of thinking has been named
by scientists and scholars as systems thinking.

Just as they see the world as a large, interconnected whole, so too
do they see themselves as a piece of it, and as a interconnected
system themselves. Creativity is just one aspect of a Cultural
Creative, it is not their distinguishing feature. Their consciousness,
about the planet, society and their inner self is what makes them
different.

These are just my thoughts on the matter. I'd love to hear what you
think.

Tara

Hello, Tara and Laura — Hello, All!

When I read the words (paraphrased, I think?), “I took a deep breath… it felt good to belong somewhere”, the words resonated so deeply within me that I came straight here to share and to learn, myself.

I feel that well-defining any new sign-of-the-times concept is very important — with these hands of ours, we forge the future, for better and for worse. After all, you never know just who your words will “reach” (like the first replier to the original post), just where it will take them (and where they, in turn, will take the world)… or, just maybe, if that idea might be one that comes to be gratefully used by our own great-grandchildren.

Wouldn't it be lovely to start a community just for “innerpreneurs”, all helping and supporting each other, to these noble aims? I think that's just what you're up to — great, inspired job, Tara! So, here — let me share an outline of my story, and we can see where I am a “cultural creative”, and where I am not. (Gotta start somewhere — ;-) !)

—
For a few years, now, I've cared for (in action, and from the heart) a large online fan fiction archive. It isn't a website I founded; in fact, I was not even on the Internet when it was born. But, now, I feel it to be my life's calling.

It originally had been thrown together; designed to be just a small, intimate “hobby-site”. As such, it had been operated only by a smattering of Internet-anonymized, strictly-volunteering “moderators”, for the majority of its existence. This (lack of, proper) arrangement frequently caused great, site-wide confusion, and resulted in a high — nearly complete — turnover rate, on every last level of site management.

Even so, just as soon as the original founder posted “site news” with a plea for community help, I leapt to volunteer. I had faithfully read there several hours at a time (several days a week!), and had even been working up the nerve to post there, myself — was it possible that I could be a part of protecting and supporting this thing I adored? Oh, I hoped — I felt completely “in sync” with the site's stance, and had always found joy in the fiction itself. Being me, I also (quietly) relished this thing's potential to change the world, one smile at a time… and wondered if the others quite saw the import of what they were doing.

Somehow, I was chosen! So, soon, I began to help with site moderation and policy, myself. I felt entirely on top of the world just to be a little, seldom seen, part of this internationally-loved virtual place… and, the size of my current role notwithstanding, I still do.

I came to find that this “high turnover rate” seemed to apply to the actual owners of the site, as well. After about six months of my helping out, the then-owner (who was actually the third one) chose me to be her “front-woman”! Oh, joy — I'd make the site news announcements, help supervise the staff, write “official-sounding” emails, and the like. But, within six months of that, the third owner — also — vanished! I was left holding the keys, facing a very downtrodden staff (to whom I was still “the new girl”), without an iota of formal business or management training.

No one was talking; no one was answering my questions; but, all I could think was, “There is a whole community people, out there, who would be just devastated if we just went away!” By that time, we already were hosting three and a half years' worth of their treasured stories… oh, my, the archive!

I decided (and not for the last time!) that the site had to live. After a whole lot of anxious — but supportive — soliloquy, I finally managed to joggle a few people into motivation. We were live again!

Yet, over the two-plus following years, the staff's inner discord only seemed to escalate and escalate. Finally, one prominent, anonymous (but insider) “takeover attempt” (!!) begat the greatest number of turnovers, to date. That's when I stopped it.

The people I “hired”, after the storms, were only two — a far cry from the twenty-five, or so, we'd had before. One person I'd long known, and the other, a good friend had long known. This time, we made sure to know each others' real names and addresses — real relationships, between real, like-hearted women, in real and mutual respect. After nearly five years' terrible in-fighting, we were finally working as a team, towards an openly common goal — what a blessing! That's when I knew-knew-KNEW we were on the right track.

Now, here I am, realizing more fully that the nature of this fiction archive (we employ no content control, and allow adults-only to publish and read with us) is quite controversial. In fact, it's more than a little risky for me in particular, as its sole owner, in particular. And you know what? Overall, I'm inspired by this — too honored that little old me, from behind my computer screen, might get to make a real difference in the world, if I just stick by my guns (which I know, in my soul, to be needed by the whole ever-lovin' world).

Besides, I couldn't quit now — our monthly usership has quintupled in two years! A “hobby-site” no more — our users, they love (and believe in!) the place; the people who volunteer for the site feel the same, and I am, amidst the pressure (and, sometimes, yes, nervousness! but the cause is so dear) positively elated to have the opportunity to aid these people's bliss.

(On my website, fiction lovers' imaginations are lovingly welcome to fly free; creative writers are all but completely unrestricted, and, while enjoying, people can meet others just like them. Often, our members will come to co-write tales, with their new, kindred-spirit friends, which millions of people adore, and could never forget. I can't imagine not loving that, or not feeling spiritually obligated to keep the spirit alive.)

I think they know, too, that this website — just in celebrating every last person's freedom to share what they have created — is setting a very important precedent for human rights. On (what a lot of people consider to be) the final frontier — the Internet! What else could I hope for, but to be so instrumental in something like this?

Well, there is the one thing I would ask. I am seeking the right way in which to incorporate the website — it's too big to do otherwise, by now, and it is my duty to safely secure all of these stories, all of these memories, all of this joy. If I can make us financially safe, the whole community will finally be secure that I can cover, without fear, the ever-heftier operating costs.

And, I'd get to finally pay these terribly hard-working administrators and technical girls we've finally, so luckily, found.

In my humble opinion, these women are unsung geniuses who shouldn't have to work the additional exhausting, unfulfilling jobs they must keep, as long as this job is volunteer-only. I must – I must – I must! make it so they have more time to invest in doing what they love to do; to be where they are respected, truly contributing, and know that they are, just as they are, indispensable.

The team we have now (including myself) possesses an all but undying passion for, and puts Herculean effort into, managing this very large, very loved, archive. It's very much living the dream — all that remains is to make the people that work there also safe.

I feel that you have put words to that which I have long been unable; I have actually long been on-point to make that final step. Every day for a number of months, now, I can be found working to move from “creative volunteer” to “culturally creative innerpreneur”.

Tara (et al), I thank you for listening (my story, “short outline” or no, was far longer than intended!). Thank you, even more, for granting me the awareness of these very special words — at the least, I am a “cultural creative” (though my hopes are ever higher, in all realms). Even if you were not the very first to coin them, your inspiration to create this blog, and spread the word, is the same act that let me discover a way in which I can finally explain what it is that I do, even if only to myself.

Keep the Bliss!,
“Jaxxy” =)

Jaxxy,

Thank you for sharing your story so completely. It is growing to clear
to me that the demand for an actual community to unite us is strong.
We all want to share our stories and hear each others. We all want to
work together and help each other to grow.

I need to spend some time figuring out how we can connect and in a way
that will be helpful and sustaining. If you have any thoughts, please
share them. It is obvious from your story that you know a thing or too
about creating an online community.

I actually posted a survey on Tuesday asking for feedback on how this
blog could help innerpreneurs better, perhaps you would like to
participate. http://www.elasticmind.ca/innerpreneur/index.ph...

I look forward to reading more of your thoughts.

Tara