Chase Jarvis, “Seattle 100,” and the Pursuit of Creativity

Coffee table books, especially ones on photography, are one of my favorite things. So when I heard that Seattle photographer and social artist, Chase Jarvis was due to publish his latest labor of love SEATTLE 100: Portrait of a City, (published by Peachpit, a division of Pearson) it prompted me to get in touch and arrange some time to talk about his passion for democratizing creativity. The book is available now through Amazon, Borders and Barnes & Noble.

The two-hundred-plus page body of work is “a curated collection of leading artists, musicians, writers, scientists, restaurateurs, DJs, developers, activists, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, and more, all of whom are defining and driving culture in Seattle.” As Jarvis points out, the list is not the definitive list, but a list and one that he hopes will be expanded through future contributions on the related website.

If you have a similar interest, you’ll agree that it’s a rarity to find a book by a photographer of Jarvis’s caliber for such a reasonable price. Then when you learn that Jarvis specifically negotiated the price and committed to donate his proceeds to www.4CULTURE.org , a local non-profit which provides public support of cultural programs, you just feel good about the purchase.

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Jarvis’s philosophy is broadly appealing. Local businesses Theo Chocolate and Small Lot wine distributors jumped on board with contributions to the project in the form of a special edition chocolate bar and custom blend red and white wines. Darin Williams of Small Lot commented, “It was an easy decision. We signed up for the project because of where the proceeds were going. Generally, people pay attention to where they spend their money to support local businesses that’s why I love this community.”

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I spoke with Jarvis at his launch party, and he expressed his passion for encouraging everyone to find their own inner artist. “My sixty-four-year-old mother believed she was not creatively inclined. But, after showing her how to use her iPhone camera I now regularly receive amazing images from my mom, many of which blow me away. We all have a creative sensibility.”

Perhaps tapping into the creative “flow” sounds ethereal and intangible. Jarvis explained that, “Having creative genius is one thing, but to actually implement it is another. You have to have a daily regimen.  I’m quite disciplined in that way.” Before the Best Camera App and book coalesced into full blown project Jarvis emphasized that, “I was creating a photographic journal taking photos everyday with my iPhone, anything that caught my attention, whatever inspired me in relation to my daily experience. The practice of pushing the button everyday is essential.”

Besides the doing, Jarvis emphasized a essential ingredient which helps him break through to creative inspiration–QUIET. Even though it can be hard to come by with his frenetic schedule, “Finding quiet is key. Carving out just a little quiet time to reconnect is when my best ideas show up.”

The idea for SEATTLE 100 hit his consciousness while laying in a hammock at his Seattle home. Jarvis experiences inspired ideas as, “raw human emotion; the hair on the back of your neck tingles, goose bumps… I will drop anything I’m doing to scribble down the idea. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, no time to turn the light on, and scribble down notes and then try to decipher them in the morning.” You can read more about Jarvis’s take on creative habits in a recent blog post.

A successful commercial photographer, director, producer, social media guru, author and developer of the Best Camera App, one of 2009′s most popular iPhone apps, Jarvis continues to leap from one strength to the next. I asked him whether there are any secrets to this success.

He responded:

I’m a ditch-digger–it’s a success story built on ten years of continual work. But I’m not coasting and if anything I need to dig deeper. In terms of secrets though, for me, there are two. First, parting with fear. Often there’s a barrier between creatives and their best work which holds so many people back. I think I was able to park the fear after almost dying a couple times early in my career while shooting adventure photo assignments. Nothing like an avalanche to gain some clarity and evaluate what I really wanted to do.

Second, thing is actually doing the work. Few people are willing to throw their soul at a job and doing everything it requires to get the job done. You have to take the swing to get the homerun. A great example of this is Andy Warhol. He was an artist who bridged gaps across a variety of creative outlets. From photography, to painting to film making–he was doing it all.

Jarvis’s invitation to get engaged and participate in your community underscores the grander impact he envisioned for the book. It’s clear that much consideration has been given to the book’s broader value and meaning. 

However, owning the book is perhaps not the most valuable element to SEATTLE 100. What’s even more important is the quality of the conversation the book has with each of us. Two years of hard work and dedication to publish the book gets us to the starting line to revisit an important dialogue. To ask the question again, are we being as creative as we can to address our biggest challenges?

Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, points to the growing influence that creative thinkers (or right-brained individuals) will have as the business landscape continues to shift from the “Information Age” to the “Conceptual Age.” The book details the six “senses” Pink identifies as crucial to success in the new economy: design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning–all of which are present in SEATTLE 100.

But are we as a society prioritizing the development of creative thinking and artistic expression in our kids, our future leaders? Schools regularly cut art and music programs as if they are a non-essential component to nurturing a well rounded individual. Jarvis believes “There’s a creative crisis right now. But we need to remember we’re not in a permission-based system anymore. By pushing the democratization of creativity we can get the ball rolling and improve interest in arts programs for schools.”

Community and culturally minded? Passionate about drawing out your own creative genius? Sounds like it’s time to find a quiet spot to reflect and discover an inspired project. Also, be sure to contribute suggestions for others to be added to the SEATTLE 100 Community to help further define contemporary culture in the Pacific Northwest.

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Curious to learn more about Chase Jarvis? Click through to my blog to see a video clip of my best James Lipton style interview.

In addition, you can catch Jarvis later this week at PDN’s Photoplus Expo in New York via a live online feed of his keynote presentation titled “chasejarvisLIVE: Creativity and the New Social Art of Photography.” The talk will take place Thursday, October 28, at 8:30 a.m. (PT) at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. Online viewers can tune in to Jarvis’s show at www.chasejarvis.com/live.

To continue to hear more about Chase Jarvis and his adventures, definitely read his blog, follow his Twitter feed @chasejarvis and friend him on Facebook.