What is a creative Jordan? شو يعني أردن مبدع؟

[Nadine Toukan]

أردن مبدع؟ Isn't that an oxymoron? Jordanians are not creative.

Given our lack of so many other things, I believe creative is the one thing that Jordan can be, and it's natural to us.

In a country where the indigenous asset through and through is people and their intellectual capabilities, it is paramount to acknowledge the vitality of creativity.

And creativity is really about everybody, isn’t it? It’s not exclusive to a group. It’s not dependent on wealth, or age, or sex, or place, or time. It’s not specific to a sector of society or the economy.

The beauty of embracing and working with the ingredient of creativity is that it is omnipresent. We just need to understand how to tap into it, allow it to step in, and do it well.

People who are labeled creative are not only workers in the arts of some form, as generalization has it. The image of creative is not a paintbrush and color palette, but that is one of the top mind definitions in general.

Many people are fast to say, “oh but I’m not creative”, or, “how can she be creative, she’s a banker”, or “they can’t be creative, they’re farmers”.

The one word I like to replace creativity with sometimes is resourcefulness.

Creative people are resourceful.

So what is a creative Jordan? Simply, it’s a resourceful Jordan.

Doesn’t that sound achievable and for everybody?

Resourcefulness tends to begin as soon as we ask, “what if?”

And when we ask "what if?", we begin to find new possibilities.

And with acting on possibility comes transformation.

So on one end that is truly all inclusive, a creative Jordan is about a population acting on a tireless slew of "what ifs?".

Can every Jordanian ask, "what if?" on issues that matter to him/her? Yes! Therefore, the Jordanian tribe is a creative tribe.

What else is going for Jordan on the creative end?

A creative economy. There is no unique definition for 'creative economy' and it is still being shaped, and I believe that's the beauty of the opportunity Jordan can embrace right away as the world at large collaborates on developing this definition towards shaping an economy for the world.

Globally we are collectively identifying the creative economy to include: R&D, folk art, festivals, curating, music, books, newspapers, magazines, comic art, painting, sculpture, performing arts, film, TV/radio/multiplatform broadcasting, animation, video games, electronic publishing, architecture, interior design, advertising, design, jewelry, fashion, programming.

What is the one thing the above areas have in common?

Stories.

Stories that are fact, fiction, old, new, short, long, visual, environmental, experience, space, scientific, etc. People who are able to find stories within them and the world around them can chose to tell these stories in some form or another using tools and collaborative creations.

Think about who we are as a people. Think about the infinite stories in every person, community, time and space. Think about how little we're doing with them. Think about the amazing intellectual capital that is already within us all and how we are able to create and share it in different forms - research, movies, ad campaigns, jewelry, public space, games, buildings, parks, song, dance, painting, school books, comics, concerts, programming, medicine, science breakthroughs, environmental solutions, construction materials. Think about the different skills and types of people it takes to make these happen. Think about the local impact and export capacity of such outputs.

They are infinite aren't they? They are also able to include anyone in their making.

It seems that a positive economic explosion for Jordan could be to embrace the creative industries and to realign our planning, education, development and investment goals to include them as a priority. These forms of cooperation and collaboration are in our self-interest, and can be achieved through our collective abilities where the key asset is people in all their diversity.

I think today's Jordanian tribe can revolutionize it's socio-economic and political existence by embracing, committing to and working in the creative industries, with a country-wide attitude of resourcefulness which anyone can be part of, no matter where you are, who you are and what you're doing.

A creative Jordan is a Jordan for everybody.

[Tanya Kasim]

Creativity can also be found in writing high-interest/low vocabulary children's books. That's a market that has yet to be tapped here.

[Deena Dajani]

i really like the notion of creativity as resourcefulness. It shifts the focus to what we can do with what we already have. so it's not about how many resources we have, or how much money, but it's all about how we spend our resources and money. Batir's discussions on green technology are a good example. Green technology should not be treated as an extravagance. we need to shift the way our budget is spent chronically in order to make green technology work for us - resourcefulness!
The only thing i would add is that a creative Jordan needs to be resourceful as well as diverse. You mentioned it needs to be for everyone. it also needs to allow everything. it needs to embrace difference, and not play politics with identity.
I guess it is something you feel the need to address too (‘tribes not based on bloodlines’)... but identity continues to be played with for political purposes. Certain accents, modes of address, and forms of expression are used to ascertain privilege. And while creativity can be thought of as thriving on the sidelines, there is a risk that too much sidelining, too much exclusion, leads to frustration. not creativity.
So a creative Jordan, to me, is one that facilitates paths for empowerment. A Jordan that provides a means for those on the sideline to perform in the mainstream; not to become dominant themselves, but in order to be recognised. A Jordan that cares less for ‘the way things are and are supposed to be’. And cares more about what can be. A Jordan where the very notion of identity is fluid.

[Nadine Toukan]

Ruwwad is a good example to look at.

[Mohanned]

If you are really passionate about doing something I suggest looking into the works of saul linsky, it might offer some ideas that can help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky

[Nadine Toukan]

"How can we influence decision making in the country?"
By building a strong civil society with strong individuals and groups that put their commitment and weight behind issues. A civil society that:
- gets mobilized to rebuild an entire neighborhood that's been neglected
- creates a learning environment among itself for its own, irrespective of the low standard edu system the state offers
- refuses to show up at the ballots next time round, if the elections charade continues
- creates a financial system that works for its people in spite of the official banking system
- takes it's athletes to the Olympics and comes back a winner because we spent our own money on training these talented athletes with the best resources and trainers, outside of the public system that allegedly oversees them
- creates a model for representation that works - an example of a serious parliament with real representatives
- communicates its great stories to itself and the world through real dialog and not sterile and delusional press releases and fearful journalism
- respects it's own
- believes in the Jordanian tribe - a tribe for everybody that is not about bloodlines - a tribe that welcomes all sorts and is willing to be all inclusive for those who choose and want to participate

A civil society that stands for something.

[Mohanned]

It is a country that challenges the long held assumptions. And I also think that we should move beyond cliches-they are a good read but they mean nothing on the ground because they are so detached from reality. Here is my suggestion: How can we influence decision making in the country?