According to author and public speaker Marianne Williamson, “When an idea reaches critical mass there is no stopping the shift its presence will induce.” The concept of a critical mass of creativity addressed in chapters four and five of “The Warhol Economy” by Elizabeth Currid parallels Williamson’s statement but in the realm of the creative economy. This overarching idea of a critical mass encompasses two major themes which are the environment and the social networking that thrives in these spaces.

Environment and place matter within the creative economy as it houses and attracts skilled human capital and creative producers through city infrastructure, amenities, and cost of living. In her academic article “Bohemia as Subculture,” Currid mentions how artists seek inexpensive neighborhoods to produce their cultural and creative goods. This supports the idea that when urban environments are affordable, it attracts artists and the arts as well as other talent that values these amenities as boosting their quality of life. As a byproduct, the region will attract a variety of other industries since businesses seek to also be where the talent is. A geographical density is then formed alongside informal spaces such as lounges and bars for nodes of creative exchange to flourish. If we look at Weber, Harris, and Isard’s Location Theory, it further supports how firms and industries choose locations based on criteria like amenities, presence of culture, and human capital. 

Thus, talent is drawn toward cultural amenities and these cause “scenes” to emerge. Scenes, according to Currid are popularized social gathering spaces where everyone wants to go, be seen, and connect with top talent and innovators. It’s where a convergence of amenity and entertainment blend to drive the growth of the creative economy. This is why Terry Clark refers to New York as a “city entertainment machine.” Creative producers leverage scenes to advance their careers and weak ties in not only gallery openings, bars, clubs, and live music venues but within the context of entire neighborhoods dedicated to specific scenes.

The nexus of the environmental component is social dynamics that human capital engages in within these scenes. Granovetter’s Social Network Theory illustrates the idea of weak ties as an effective strategy for information to travel through people one has a distant connection with rather than a close tie. Per this theory, this would result in a broader diffusion of innovation as well as economic and social opportunities. In informal environments, creative producers can grow their weak ties, meeting other fellow artists as well as the tastemakers and gatekeepers that define the value of their cultural products. This makes the creative economy subjective and difficult to determine product performance or, as Richard Caves puts it, “nobody knows.” Social dynamics thus appear just as important, if not more, than the environment in which it takes place. It’s reputation, how individuals hire who they know, and somehow magically materialize the elusive cultural products into something that is “real, seen, and heard.”

As the environment and social dynamics engage in a symbiotic dance, the shift of presence of culture and the art in a region becomes palpable. The density of a region vibrates with creative producers, tastemakers, gatekeepers, and other supporting industries to birth a successful creative economy. Without this motley crew, the culture of a region such as New York would fall short in its rich diversity and ability to attract lucrative investments, tourism, and talent. Motley crews, the people themselves, are the critical mass of creativity that induce economic growth and the spaces that drive it.

Sources

Currid-Halkett, Elizabeth. The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City - New Edition. Princeton University Press, 2020. 

Currid, E. (2009). Bohemia as subculture; “Bohemia” as industry. Journal of Planning Literature, 23(4), 368-382.