The Karma of Creativity, Diversity and Youth in Your Community

By Kate Downen, 5-25-06

I returned a couple of days ago from a technology conference in San Jose, California. The 'silicon' element of Silicon Valley is now pretty much obsolete, but the area’s been through a boom, a bust and at least four or five economic and technological rejuvenations and reinventions that have kept it more than alive and kicking. Silicon Valley houses software and technology companies galore, along with its Bioscience Incubator and Innovation Center that will undoubtedly be a driver of future prosperity. Cisco, eBay, Adobe and Hitachi are just a few of the companies that call Silicon Valley home, but the big names and dollar signs pale in comparison to the creativity and innovation that built those companies.

That creativity and innovation sent me away from San Jose brimming with optimism and energy. I thought about the future possibilities for my home and places like it. The Flathead Valley isn’t Silicon Valley or Austin. It isn’t Portland or San Francisco, and it doesn’t aspire to be. People here are proud of the Valley’s unique characteristics, of its small town (and growing) feel, its beauty, its simplicity. What the Valley should aspire to emulate are those communities’ abilities to attract young, college-educated workers. By ‘workers,’ I don’t mean he- and she-bots plugging away in cold cubicles from nine to five; I’m talking about smart, young creative people who define communities by realizing their talents and capabilities. I’m talking about the 25 year-old software company ex-pats who start their own companies. I’m talking about artists and social workers, graphic designers, bankers and biochemists.

The presence of talented young people in a community contributes to its vitality and its economic prosperity. People in the 25 to 34 age group are the most entrepreneurial in our society. If you don’t have them in your community, you should. If you don’t want them in your community, you’re crazy.

I heard the other day that the Flathead Valley’s population is now older than Florida’s. At first I excused it as American Jackass (please see “An Appeal for Informed Public Dialogue” or thislife.org for more info on that one), but I asked a few trustworthy sources and am pretty convinced it’s true. If you live here, be scared. Or to be more positive: we’re facing quite a challenge.

Our economic and community goals should revolve around the importance of retaining and gaining more of the young creative class. Diverse, young, educated communities thrive. Young people are mobile. They choose place over occupation. We need vibrant downtowns, recreation, nightlife, arts, hiking and biking trails, and other things that attract young people. We need a forward-thinking strategy to keep our Flathead Valley moving in the right direction.

Maintaining isn’t going to cut it. If we’re not moving forward, innovating and evolving, we’re behind.
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