Monday, July 01, 2013

The Promised Land


I remember Mr. Pitzer, my AP History teacher, telling us about speculative history, where people would hypothesize on how things could have gone differently. One suggestion was that if American settlement had started on the Pacific side, there would not have been an eastward push similar to the push westward, because the soil and growing seasons were so much more favorable here. As it was, they did start in the East, so the dense populations are there, with bigger lots available for less money here.
Many Portland-based comic book artists mentioned being able to afford a house here. Low housing prices are a big part of livability, but they are only part of it. We are also lucky to have power locally, via dams, wind farms, and natural gas deposits. The utilities in Italy are really high because everything is imported from other countries. I had never thought about it before until talking with my cousins. We take it for granted.
We are also lucky from a food point of view. I'm not really big on beef, but when I want to find some grass fed, instead of factory lot corn fed, it's easy. There are local grown fruits and vegetables of every kind. If it's not tropical, it grows here. That reduces transportation costs, thus reducing the overall cost. If you get back East sometimes, take a look in the produce section of a grocery store, and see how lucky we are.
This is not just a benefit in that someone who is willing to prioritize creativity or social consciousness over money can still have some quality of life here. In addition, there are more options available. If someone wants to experiment with organic farming or beekeeping, there is the space for it. All of those factors work together to make Portland a place where the earnest and creative can thrive.
I think there is also something to be said for the landscape itself. I know that you don't have to go that far to find ocean, mountains, or desert, but I spend most of my time in the tree-covered hills, and they probably play a role too. I feel like it is easy to connect with nature here, and maybe that helps us connect to other people better, or to have a better sense of our roots in the earth.
I can see how getting out in the woods or mountains could make you feel small, but that might be good. I lean more towards the ecstatic. Breathing fresh air and hearing bird calls cheers me. I like the energy of downtown Portland, which has its fair share of trees anyway, but getting a little bit away from buildings and cars is important for me to thrive.
I have never thought about rainy days making it easy to work. It probably does help some people. However, it may be more to the point that the rain is often light, or only sporadic, and rarely so severe that you can't go out in it. We don't tend to have the bitter cold or the oppressive heat that keeps people indoors. It does not matter when I go outside for a walk; there will be other people out.
So, I think these are some of the factors that have made it possible for Portland to foster a strong creative community, but the raw materials are not enough. Remember, Dark Horse brought artists out here, getting it started. Leadership is important.
Therefore, laws keeping beaches open to the public were important. Turning the waterfront into a park was important. The Bottle Bill was important. We can protect what we are given, and build on it, or crush it. I saw this article recently:
Freelancers, entrepreneurs, visionaries and creative types - you can build an environment that will suit them better. This is frequently better for the general population, because a lot of it is grounded in quality of life. Typically, it does not happen by accident. Someone needs to have good ideas, and implement them.
It also stands to reason that these things could be lost. Tomorrow will be more about that.

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