The future is creative

We always talk about smart cities and how technology can help change our lives. We imagine a bright future where green cities prosper, where technology and infrastructure make urban life convenient and efficient. We all want a smart and beautiful city to live in. But what makes cities smart? What makes our cities and lifestyles delightful and charming?

The single greatest factor that can affect our future is the training and nurturing of smart and creative people. These are the people who bring ideas to life, who create opportunities for growth and development. Creatives are the people who add value to the products of mass production. They make our lives better with the fruits of their knowledge and skills.

Learn more about The Philippine Creative Industries Bill and check out Creative Industries Philippines on Facebook.

It is the creative industry that provides substance to our daily lives. Each song, each book, each city, each concert or event, each and every building or meal—these are all the fruits of our creative passions.

As the future comes to pass, the creative industry will increasingly be vital to how we shape our future. It extends to our farmers and builders, weavers and artists. Each one of us is, in one way or another, a part of this industry. We create with our everyday actions and decisions, we are all part of this vast web that embraces our society and culture.

The Filipino spirit has always been full of passion and vigor. The talents and skills of our creatives are second to none. It is a ready potential that only needs support to grow into an engine for development.

The Philippines needs to define its focus and support for the creative industry.

The Philippines needs to define its focus and support for the creative industry. The institutionalization of a body to help cultivate and guide the growth of our creatives can greatly affect the lives of so many. The government’s investment in our creatives will be a strong indicator for business and industry to also participate in the growth of this sector.

So who are our creatives and what do they need? They are artists and designers, performers and organizers, directors and producers, writers and media developers—they are everyone who ever drew out an idea or performed.

Our creatives need protection from exploitation. They need financial support and facilities for training and research. The industry needs representation to better coordinate synergistic endeavors and champion its goals to connect with the wider global community. We need to invest in our creatives to enable not just talent, but also productivity. We must take advantage of our demographic dividend by cultivating the creative spirit of this next generation of Filipinos.

The cities of both yesterday and tomorrow are not about roads and buildings. It is not about the concrete and steel of the industrial age but about people and communities. The soft infrastructure that makes our cities livable and attractive lies in the hands of our creatives. Smart cities have smart people. Nothing else matters more.Design exploration requires the input of everyone in our community. We invite everyone to come join our explorations on the human environment. Join us on Instagram @wtadesignstudio and @entrari.