Putting the R-V-A in cReAtiVity

Sometimes when you get too close to something, it’s hard to see it for what it is. When we set out awhile back to put our finger on Richmond’s inner self, that’s a bit how we felt – that whole forest and trees kind of thing.

But as we peeled back the onion – through the layers of history, the breadth of what we do best, the essence of what makes us different – it began to emerge. What lies at the heart of Richmond…[pause here for dramatic effect]…is our creativity.

Think about it. Patrick Henry’s “give me liberty” – a bold piece of creative oratory. Richmond’s streetcars – the nation’s first and the kind of creative thinking about transportation we could use today. Arthur Ashe – changed the face of tennis forever. Downtown revitalization has seen hundreds of old buildings transformed into creative spaces to live, work, play, love and learn. Carytown – a boulevard of creative retail. Maymont – a creative embrace of nature. The Martin Agency – last year’s creative ad agency of the year. Tobacco Avenue – well, how about creativity run amok? And that’s just a start.

Richmond is home to people undertaking the whole gamut of traditionally creative pursuits. We have our fair share of artists and musicians, designers and architects. But creativity is more than that. It exists in every walk of life – in business and science, technology and government. In our backyard, there are folks launching innovative new companies, pioneering new products and discovering scientific solutions to life-threatening problems. Creativity – it’s what Richmond does best and is our most lucrative currency. It’s time, fellow Richmonders, we recognized that.

About a year ago, a group of self-described creative sorts set out to discover Richmond’s identity. Organized by Venture Richmond and harnessed by the dual engines at The Martin Agency and the VCU Brandcenter, our initiative began to take shape in the form of RVA Creates, an open-source platform that invites public participation.

The abbreviation RVA isn’t new, of course, but that’s really the point. This is merely an expression of a grassroots movement that is already afoot – online and off.

Teams from the West Cary Group, Elevation, The Hodges Partnership, J H I and the City have helped lay a foundation for this undertaking, but now it’s your turn, Richmond. Now it’s your turn to embrace your creative selves and share your creative experiences with those around you.

We hope this will be a window into Richmond’s creativity and innovation and a way to celebrate what is already happening here. We also hope that more innovation will emerge.

Watch this space to stay up to date about the creative things your friends and neighbors are doing. We’ll also have guest posts on creativity and innovation from experts and leaders near and far. And if you or someone you know is doing something interesting in or around Richmond, send it in to rvacreates@gmail.com or leave it in the comments on this blog or on the RVAcreates Facebook page.

And make sure to show your support for it all by creating your own customized RVA logo at www.RVAcreates.com.

You can read more about RVAcreates in Sunday’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.