From Pasadena Weekly-From esteemed establishments like the Huntington Library and Norton Simon Museum to a bounty of rising creatives, Pasadena has long been a home for the arts.
In a new report conducted by project management software Workamaji that analyzed the state of different cities’ creative economy and atmosphere, Pasadena was named the fourth most creative city in the country.
The report ranked 175 cities based on population size alongside metrics such as access to creative talent and industries like music and film. The metrics were used to create an index that took into account social and environmental factors that could foster creativity in a city’s residents.
“It’s important to understand how extrinsic factors can stimulate our creativity,” said Esther Cohen, director of marketing at Workamaji. “While we often think of creativity as a trait, studies have shown that specific environments and emotions can make you more or less creative.
“Everything we experience can be a stimulus for innovation. From a play to a city’s street art scene – these kinds of experiences promote a greater sense of well-being, encourage team collaboration, increase productivity, and enable creativity in countless ways.”
The full analysis also accounted for each city’s number of museums, Cannes Lions Winners in 2022, artists and musicians, and film and music festivals per capita.
With theatres like the Pasadena Playhouse, A Noise Within and Boston Court, institutions like JPL, Caltech and ArtCenter, and yearly events like the biannual ArtNight and New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses, Pasadena ranked above the likes of Los Angeles and Chicago.
Glendale also placed within the top 10 as the eighth most creative city in the country. Atlanta topped the list in first place due to its street art scene, musical heritage and high number of art galleries and art schools per capita.
The report explained that “extrinsic factors” like color, space, lighting and sounds can stimulate creativity, citing a recent shift from cubicle-packed offices warmer and more welcoming work environments in many organizations as an example.
It also stated that joyful experiences, such as watching a play or visiting an art show, can improve an individual’s productivity and quality of life, citing a study that found that the sensation of pleasure caused by pleasant environments is directly related to the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
While improving residents’ quality of life outside of work, creative environments can also benefit companies and their employees. Extrinsic factors promoting creativity can help encourage collaboration and prevent burnout, which one survey said increased by 10% during the pandemic.
“We know creativity is crucial for organizations to survive in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace,” Cohen explained. “While essential in industries like arts, design and marketing, any professional in any industry can surely benefit from a creative boost.”