EDITH K. ACKERMANN Visiting Scientist, MIT School of Architecture and Senior Research Associate, Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, MA, USA Cultures of creativity and modes of appropriation: FROM DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) TO BIIT (BE IN IT TOGETHER) Cultures of creativity and modes of appropriation: From DIY (Do It Yourself) to BIIT (Be In It Together) Edith K. Ackermann “The key to creativity is to be prepared to accept the unexpected” Robert Austin (Harvard Business School) One of the particularities of today’s “cultures of creativity” place at the same time: On the one hand, culture is becoming is that they are neither local (typical of a region) nor global global as individuals are able to reach out to the entire planet. (common among citizens of the world). Instead, they cut On the other side, culture becomes customized, personalized, across generations, social groups, and territorial borders (geo­ user­generated and local (Castells, 1998). Said otherwise, the graphic, national, ethnic), resembling what some refer to as digitalization of the world exacerbates the sentiment of being “glocal” (Robertson, 1995). This neologism was first introduced at once a part of a global village and a lone wanderer in need in the late 1980s to describe the emergence of new forms of of affiliations and anchoring points. Indeed, in recent years, particularisms, made possible through the globalization of communities and neighborhoods as we know them are dis­ resources, the displacements of people, goods, and activity solving fast, thus forcing the “new migrants” we’ve become to centers, as well as the shifting of personal and societal re­ reinvent themselves, to redefine home and family, and to seek ferences and value systems, or ethos. Examples of glocalizati­ their own ways through the jungle (stake their territory, carve on include the blending of local cuisines (global slow­food, lo­ their niches). Digital is a key driver of this transformation as it cal­fast food), the hybridization of styles and genres (fashion, enables individuals to express themselves in novel ways, and to status symbols), and the creolization in music (remix culture, connect and share their thoughts and creations with commu­ word music). In addition, we are also witnessing deep shifts nities of interest around the globe. Audiences turn into active in today’s populations’ own sense of who they are (identity), participants and consumers into “prosumers”, (i.e. producer what they wish for themselves and loved ones (dreams) and and consumer at the same time). In Cultures and Globalizati- where they feel they belong (home). This comes as no surprise on: the Cultural Economy, Helmut Anheier and Yudhishthir Raj at a time when more and more people are living their lives Isar point out that “the technological products made available in-between, feel part of multiple tribes, and yet stick to no to individuals can turn many into creators themselves: from one in particular. This essay addresses three related aspects of the personal computer and digital camera to the cell phone, creative engagement in today’s “glocal” economy, all of which humankind inhabits an increasingly networked world in which contribute to the emergence new forms of expression, ways of communication and personal expression and development sharing and trading, and modes of appropriation. reign supreme.”(Anheier & Raj Isar, 2008) GLOCALIZATION AND DIGITAL MEDIA - CONSUME Media are a powerful means of making connections on an TO PRODUCE (TAKE IT TO MAKE IT) international scale; nonetheless they are capable of having an According to Manuel Castells, the generalized use of digital impact on a more local stage. Keith Hampton offers a nice technologies has set free two opposing processes, which take example of this in a study of Internet use by disadvantaged Cultures of Creativity 2 urban communities (Hampton, 2010). Through his naturalistic generated” (crowd sourced) media productions (digital, experiments, Hampton was able to identify the impact of In­ physical, virtual) by individuals engaged in do­it­yourself (DIY) ternet use in boosting local social cohesion and community communities: a culture of hobbyists, hackers, and “proams” engagement. According to his studies, when a critical mass (professional amateurs); and 2) deep shifts in the ways today’s of individuals within a shared local environment adopts the “makers and creators” proceed, team up, and learn from one Internet, they cultivate an increased awareness that the tool another. At the risk of caricature, it is fair to say that today’s affords communication and joint participation locally as much hackers, hobbyists, and “proams” attach more importance to as it does across distant space, allowing even disadvantaged sharing than to competing (open source mindset) and to ex­ communities to creatively appropriate information and com­ perience than to product. Thus ironically, just as an increasing munication technology for local purposes by shifting usual con­ number of for-profits are ever more focused on commodify­ textual constraints or social protocols that hinder collective ing human experience, we are seeing the parallel rise of what action and dialogue within a community (Hampton, 2010). might be coined as a resilient yet highly creative grass­root “economy of sharing” ­ creative because today’s participatory CREATIVITY, INNOVATION, AND “SHARISM” cultures won’t usually blend in the masses or follow beaten - DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) TO BIIT (BE IN IT TOGETHER) paths. Instead they make do with what they have (bricolage) in Today’s globalized market economies need innovation to keep order to make theirs what they care for (appropriation)! afloat. This is why educators and business leaders are increa­ singly promoting “creativity” (and “soft skills”) in addition to Today’s emerging cultures of “sharism” differs from commer­ technical and cognitive competences. Innovation has become cial enterprises in that money or price is not the central aim a key competitiveness indicator and a buzzword used by 21st of exchange (Lessig, 2008). Wikis, such as Wikipedia, provide century proponents as the latest promise of success both at a good example. A wiki is a platform that lets anyone write school and in the workplace. Especially in the West, creativity or edit in a common space. Thousands of people throughout and innovation are seen as one and the same. Referred to as the world volunteer to write original articles. Contributo­ “disruptive” strategies or thinking out­of­the­box, they are rs are motivated by a genuine interest in what they do and promoted in the pursuit of homo economicus’s self­interests the sentiment of belonging to a wider creative community. and productivity. While controversial, Wikipedia set up new standards for jointly developing valuable resources for everybody to access freely. At the same time, over the last decade, we are also witnes­ Economist and futurologist Jeremy Rifkin goes as far as to sing two other trends: 1) an unprecedented explosion of “user­ predict a shift from what he calls a property-based regime to Cultures of Creativity 3 an access regime, claiming that in an economy where owners­ over time are largely disregarded. Rogers in particular suggests hip is no longer central, local cultural resources become the that the infusion of innovations is usually “S­shaped”: starting new commodity (Rifkin, 2000). It is hard to predict how the slowly, accelerating as more users enter in the game, and values and ethos behind such different economies will evolve. plateauing as the number of adopters exhausts (Rogers, 1995). Yet, as things stand now, the gap seems to be growing between “I” vs. “we”­driven modes of appropriation, friendship vs. PRO­SOCIAL THEORIES and in particular DeSanctis and Poole’s interest­driven endeavors, and sharing vs. trading economies. adaptive structuration model (DeSanctis & Poole, 1994), are useful in highlighting the processes whereby people actively According to Lubart, Westerners mostly consider creativity select uses from a larger set of possibilities. Four aspects of as product­oriented, originality­driven, and aimed at solving appropriation are identified: 1) Appropriation moves (how problems by “breaking grounds” (Lubart, 1999). The Western a technology is being used or negated); 2) Faithfulness (the view also stresses individual gains (self­promotion, personal degree to which it is used in accordance with the intent of the benefits) over greater social good (societal and environmen­ designer); 3) Instrumental uses; and 4) Attitudes. The adoption tal considerations (air quality, collective welfare), and favors of electronic emailing in Africa provides a good example of a work ethic based on competition and a belief in progress. appropriation through adaptive structuration. CheNeau­Loquay The prevailing view in Eastern philosophies, by contrast, emp­ found that, due to high costs of access, postmasters in Ghana hasizes the “emotional, personal and intra­psychic elements” used the Internet to meet the needs of a burgeoning commu­ of creativity. The purpose is less to innovate, or be original, nication economy (CheNeau­Loquay, 2000). In essence, the than it is about getting at the essence of things, revealing the postmasters bought accounts from Africa Online, an Internet “true” nature of the self, of an object or of an event. service provider, and charged a rate substantially lower than letter­post to send hand written letters via email. The initia­ MODES OF APPROPRIATION IN EMERGING COUN- tive was an instant success, generating 3000 letters at a single TRIES - TAKE IT AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN! post-office in 2 months: a winner for everyone involved! Appropriation is the process by which a person or group becomes acquainted with, and gains interest in, things by DEVELOPERS’ THEORIES focus on instances of innovative making them their own. It is an eminently creative process, tech­appropriation beyond the scope of the original design and often resulting in unexpected uses, clever détournements, and away from users’ adoption or assimilation to “users” as desig­ surprising outcomes.