ABSTRACT
In Chapter 6, we center individual artists and creatives in the community clusters and global networks of the creative economy. We explore the role of artists and creatives in economic development by overturning detrimental myths about artists and creatives; and we provide examples of institutions, artistic spaces, and artistic experiences that are designed to advance careers and creative ambitions, which are highlighted through stories and illustrations. We highlight the ways they work as entrepreneurs, community organizers, and economic developers. We identify some of the primary challenges in centering artists in the creative economy; and we explain how these are policy and planning issues. This chapter presents a nuanced and richly developed story of the ways that this sector impacts our world today.
