This is a bit late, meant to share earlier, but the Friday newsletter reminded me: if you are interested in exploring ideas re: networks of creativity, academic sociologists have been churning out countless studies of this sort for decades. One of the OGs in this area is Randall Collins, who has looked a lot at philosophy and classical music. One of his classic works is "The Sociology of Philosophies" (1979), with interesting diagrams mapping out lineages of thought and relations between thinkers in Greece, China, Spain (Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics in dialogue), etc. Some (low-res) examples of his network diagrams can be found here: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Sociology-of-Philosophies-Collins/f11a6ff7062b2fd2f6240ea89af4a76fbfb15a88
One thing work like Collins' offers is the possibility that "scenes" can stretch across space and time more than we might initially assume. Of course there is something distinct to people all being close together and upping each other's game in real time; but that can also happen across generations, through text and other media.
There is such a wealth of academic research that tries to trace out various scenes through network mapping. Go to scholar.google.com, search for "punk scenes networks," and you'll see what I mean.
Now that I’ve had a chance to read this rather than a quick skim, I love that there’s a word for the places I’ve found that swirl of collective creativity, that wonderful sense of interconnectedness, the feeling of home that enables me to go off into the margins and explore without feeling totally lonely. Then I come back, as you said, to share. I think of some of my earlier writing and see this theme in them.
I also see how much play is a part of a scenius, as I think others have articulated here. Not sure that’s really been in the front of my brain until now.
This scenius is becoming very instrumental for me.
In the movie Transatlantic, some now famous artists gather in Marseille where the Nazi occupation is minimal . They have a surreal birthday event for Max Ernst. Good movie with some artist scenius. Speaking of surreal there is going to be a surreal ball in Austin related to the gallery ArtUs Co. (located where the recent shooting happened! )
I'd love more thoughts on the formal/informal nature of the scenius. Some of these you mentioned were a product of natural relationships or happenstance of geography, others mentioned here are driven by someone (or perhaps an institution of some kind) that is bringing people together for an express purpose. I've struggled to find an informal scenius in my small town. Online has me better connected, but it's more challenging for both depth and breadth. I have aspirations to gather people under into a more formal scenius, but don't feel like I have a handle on how balance organizing with my own creative work.
Great post! I wonder how this idea evolves in the age of the Internet. More specifically, I wonder how to balance between online (one-way) relationships and offline (two-way) relationships.
I would definitely make the case that the value of the online scenius is becoming more important relative to the offline scenius.
Here's my reasoning on the benefits of online:
1. The world's smartest and creative people are sharing their work online, and we can see what resonates and what doesn't (likes, shares, comments, reviews, leaderboards). The Internet allows us to find, rapidly sample, deconstruct, and analyze the best work in our field.
2. The world's smartest and creative people are sharing their ideas via books, podcasts, speeches, articles, and so on that are all online. This way we can learn their inner-most thoughts that would've normally been reserved for their friend circle.
3. We access more diverse people and thoughts, because we leave our networks.
The good news about the online scenius is that it's democratic. We can learn from the top performers in the world no matter where we live or how much money we have.
Bottom line: Having deep, in-person relationships are still valuable—just not as much as it used to be relative to the online scenius.
This post made me realize that I have multiple little scenius scenes. Each group comes out of a different interest. My favorite is that my three nieces love to draw and sketch as much as I do, so during family events, you can find us huddled over each other's sketchbooks. Now I'm thinking that I could nurture that connection a bit more and we could really have something.
This substack group is definitely scenius for me. I get some of my best ideas from reading the posts here. Thank you, everyone.
Also, I have to share about the ukulele scenius that meets at our library. It is just a fun group of people who jam to the best of their ability once a month. I can't imagine life without this silliness.
This thread has prompted me to re-start (or just start) a dinner gang I participated in for years (which covid and other natural disasters destroyed). We gathered casually for a drink and an eat and chatted about the week or the month. We were part therapy, part cheerleaders, part co-conspirators, co-commiserators and so on. Not all conversations were art based but it usually worked its way back to such. We were not a movement intent on changing the world or starting a trend, just supports in each others system of growth. So very valuable that I have a hole where it once existed. I will now start out to fill that hole, gently at first (people these days are shy of commitment so they must first experience value) and perhaps it will take on a force of its own. Room for all as long as they are respectful, participatory, positive and dont hog the sharing time. Organic growth is what I’m looking for....and a few buddies I can run ideas by or share a small victory with.
Curious how much the size of the city or insular nature (or not) of a neighborhood makes a difference in scenius. Music always has a lot of cross pollination - art often practiced together--but regardless a lot of music 'scenes' feel very location-based too. Here in Seattle in the 90s, the smallish nature of the city, with lots of people moving here from other places seemed to contribute to the scenius - people were open to meeting new folks, didn't necessarily have deep roots, and you ran into people organically a lot. Check out the old but still wonderful Seattle Band Map https://www.seattlebandmap.com/
I’ve always had a theory that any one person has an average # of “others” they can keep up with at any given time. SO, it didn’t matter if I was at a large university or a small one I would still Know and interact with a similar number of friends. That said, I have found cities slightly different in trying to “get into.” It can appear overwhelming, but break it down and find a niche. It takes longer as that thread to your tribe may be longer but the effort is worth it. There are so many volunteer opps in arts groups that giving some time here and there may reveal your scéniques.
I'm part of a burgeoning scenius in Rochester, NY called Muck Duck Studio. It's a big cozy space inside an office building of all places. But we have about ten studio spaces and artists/podcasters/musicians including myself who work there almost every day. We have a big community space with cozy couches and a stage for music/a big donated piano. The creative community in and around is starting to cross pollinate in some very exciting ways, and we're growing horizontally as well as regeneratively. It truly feels like a neural network and all the "weirdo" nodes are accepted. Kindness and openness to a brave space where we ask big questions and listen to eachothers perspectives is key, also we laugh and have fun a lot. Most of us are sober, so it helps to have a safe space to not have to be drinking but still creating.
I am the co-chair of the SCBWI-IL Illustrator’s group, we meet each month during the school year. We decided that this year we would use your book Share Your Work as our theme and starting point for the meetings. Saturday is our first meeting of the new year. We are discussing Process not Product. We meet on Zoom and that doesn't always make for the best random conversations, but it does allow a large group from a broad expanse of the state to connect. Last May we went to the Zoo for our last meeting and we all sketched at the zoo, then had lunch together and just visited and got to know each other. It was a wonderful experience.
Our library has a Ukulele Strum and Sing. It's a bit formal, but fun and there's a variety of playing abilities, and a variety of ages participating. I ran into someone I know from my gym and now we talk about ukuleles there too.
I think that some of the success to being a part of a scenius is about being open and kind as a rule, but that comes from your own willingness to be open and kind. When we go to a group setting and think of ourselves as an outcast, we will be an outcast. If we are afraid to say hello and expect others to break the ice, we are blocking the best parts of ourselves. I know that I have done this in the past, I wanted others to make me feel safe and happy, but, I needed to open myself up and be vulnerable so I could connect with my people.
I think about all of my little sceniuses and wonder how many degrees of separation there really are between me and Kevin Bacon. Wait I mean between sceniuses.
Agree with all you so beautifully say her Sarah. People usually treat me as I am first to treat them. Yes, it is hard to break into a group but worth every fear induced second of trying.
Thank you. I realize too, that we discover some groups aren't the right fit and we shouldn't feel guilt for leaving, just as we need to move through our fear of joining and being open to connections.
Right before covid, I had two doctors tell me I may have agoraphobia. The truth was that I had lost all sense of self-worth and it was easier to stay at home and pretend that this was my new normal than to find my way out. I have done a lot of work on myself since then and my saving grace was to begin working out at a fitness center. At first I didn't make any connections, but the more I went, the more I moved my body, the more I didn't care what others thought, and I started to dance and laugh and now I am friends with many other members and more people move to the music and smile. Many people come to me and tell me that my workout inspires them to do more. And I got a job there teaching Tai chi. I am not the picture perfect fitness person, I'm 60 years old, overweight (not as much as when I started) with osteoarthritis.
Congrats for working thru this - not easy I know and it seems even more difficult as we age (I’m 70!) but what the hell, while we have more to gain we also have less to lose. Good for you!!
Many years ago I belonged to a dream group. We met once a week and shared our night time dreams using Jeremy Taylor's book WHERE PEOPLE FLY AND WATER RUNS UPHILL: USING DREAMS TO TAP THE WISDOM OF THE UNCONSCIOUS. It was an interesting way to tap into my imagination and find these amazing unconscious themes. It was through this group I learned a totally new language of dream interpretation that I use to this day.
In the 80s the Arts Club Theatre bar on Seymour Street in Vancouver was fantastic. Actors, technicians, theatre students, playwrights all hung out here and on weekends it was a hotspot for indie bands (I don't know who did the programming, but they did a great job). There was a back room where whoever was around would do a reading of someone's new play, and in the afternoons it was a shabby, nearly-genteel social club for oldtimers and those of us "between engagements."
Oh wow I remember this! I was working for the Vancouver Playhouse as box office manager and it brought back great memories of hanging out with the techs and actors!
I love your writing on scenius. I have a resource recommendation: Where good ideas come from by Steven Jonson. He digs deep into the conditions that lead to creativity. One of which is enabling the adjacent possible. He uses different language but describes environments similar to how you describe scenius as the most fertile environment for enabling the adjacent possible. It’s a great book.
There is quite a sense of awesome to it all for me! I am heading up to the Berkshires in North Adams, Massachusetts in the first week of October. North Adams is an old mill city that has been reborn as a cultural arts Mecca in the region. We are staying in a hotel converted from old mill space and it is across the street from MAMOCA. We are specifically going just for that reason!
I've found Substack to be a wonderful scenius for artists and poets. Even a gruff semi-hermit like me has found creative colleagues, friends, and endless inspiration.
In considering Scenius, I am reminded of a sketch group I belonged to that met every week. One night, someone suggested that we each start a sketch, work for about 10 minutes, and then rotate around the room, working on each others’ drawings. At first, it was like pulling teeth to let go of the original drawing. Of course you want to show your perfect self on the page! But it became a fun and amazing experience as drawings were transformed, information shared, and we got to know each other on a deeper level.
This is a bit late, meant to share earlier, but the Friday newsletter reminded me: if you are interested in exploring ideas re: networks of creativity, academic sociologists have been churning out countless studies of this sort for decades. One of the OGs in this area is Randall Collins, who has looked a lot at philosophy and classical music. One of his classic works is "The Sociology of Philosophies" (1979), with interesting diagrams mapping out lineages of thought and relations between thinkers in Greece, China, Spain (Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics in dialogue), etc. Some (low-res) examples of his network diagrams can be found here: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Sociology-of-Philosophies-Collins/f11a6ff7062b2fd2f6240ea89af4a76fbfb15a88
One thing work like Collins' offers is the possibility that "scenes" can stretch across space and time more than we might initially assume. Of course there is something distinct to people all being close together and upping each other's game in real time; but that can also happen across generations, through text and other media.
There is such a wealth of academic research that tries to trace out various scenes through network mapping. Go to scholar.google.com, search for "punk scenes networks," and you'll see what I mean.
Now that I’ve had a chance to read this rather than a quick skim, I love that there’s a word for the places I’ve found that swirl of collective creativity, that wonderful sense of interconnectedness, the feeling of home that enables me to go off into the margins and explore without feeling totally lonely. Then I come back, as you said, to share. I think of some of my earlier writing and see this theme in them.
I also see how much play is a part of a scenius, as I think others have articulated here. Not sure that’s really been in the front of my brain until now.
This scenius is becoming very instrumental for me.
Thank you.
In the movie Transatlantic, some now famous artists gather in Marseille where the Nazi occupation is minimal . They have a surreal birthday event for Max Ernst. Good movie with some artist scenius. Speaking of surreal there is going to be a surreal ball in Austin related to the gallery ArtUs Co. (located where the recent shooting happened! )
I'd love more thoughts on the formal/informal nature of the scenius. Some of these you mentioned were a product of natural relationships or happenstance of geography, others mentioned here are driven by someone (or perhaps an institution of some kind) that is bringing people together for an express purpose. I've struggled to find an informal scenius in my small town. Online has me better connected, but it's more challenging for both depth and breadth. I have aspirations to gather people under into a more formal scenius, but don't feel like I have a handle on how balance organizing with my own creative work.
Great post! I wonder how this idea evolves in the age of the Internet. More specifically, I wonder how to balance between online (one-way) relationships and offline (two-way) relationships.
I would definitely make the case that the value of the online scenius is becoming more important relative to the offline scenius.
Here's my reasoning on the benefits of online:
1. The world's smartest and creative people are sharing their work online, and we can see what resonates and what doesn't (likes, shares, comments, reviews, leaderboards). The Internet allows us to find, rapidly sample, deconstruct, and analyze the best work in our field.
2. The world's smartest and creative people are sharing their ideas via books, podcasts, speeches, articles, and so on that are all online. This way we can learn their inner-most thoughts that would've normally been reserved for their friend circle.
3. We access more diverse people and thoughts, because we leave our networks.
The good news about the online scenius is that it's democratic. We can learn from the top performers in the world no matter where we live or how much money we have.
Bottom line: Having deep, in-person relationships are still valuable—just not as much as it used to be relative to the online scenius.
What do you think?
This post made me realize that I have multiple little scenius scenes. Each group comes out of a different interest. My favorite is that my three nieces love to draw and sketch as much as I do, so during family events, you can find us huddled over each other's sketchbooks. Now I'm thinking that I could nurture that connection a bit more and we could really have something.
This substack group is definitely scenius for me. I get some of my best ideas from reading the posts here. Thank you, everyone.
Also, I have to share about the ukulele scenius that meets at our library. It is just a fun group of people who jam to the best of their ability once a month. I can't imagine life without this silliness.
This thread has prompted me to re-start (or just start) a dinner gang I participated in for years (which covid and other natural disasters destroyed). We gathered casually for a drink and an eat and chatted about the week or the month. We were part therapy, part cheerleaders, part co-conspirators, co-commiserators and so on. Not all conversations were art based but it usually worked its way back to such. We were not a movement intent on changing the world or starting a trend, just supports in each others system of growth. So very valuable that I have a hole where it once existed. I will now start out to fill that hole, gently at first (people these days are shy of commitment so they must first experience value) and perhaps it will take on a force of its own. Room for all as long as they are respectful, participatory, positive and dont hog the sharing time. Organic growth is what I’m looking for....and a few buddies I can run ideas by or share a small victory with.
Curious how much the size of the city or insular nature (or not) of a neighborhood makes a difference in scenius. Music always has a lot of cross pollination - art often practiced together--but regardless a lot of music 'scenes' feel very location-based too. Here in Seattle in the 90s, the smallish nature of the city, with lots of people moving here from other places seemed to contribute to the scenius - people were open to meeting new folks, didn't necessarily have deep roots, and you ran into people organically a lot. Check out the old but still wonderful Seattle Band Map https://www.seattlebandmap.com/
I’ve always had a theory that any one person has an average # of “others” they can keep up with at any given time. SO, it didn’t matter if I was at a large university or a small one I would still Know and interact with a similar number of friends. That said, I have found cities slightly different in trying to “get into.” It can appear overwhelming, but break it down and find a niche. It takes longer as that thread to your tribe may be longer but the effort is worth it. There are so many volunteer opps in arts groups that giving some time here and there may reveal your scéniques.
I'm part of a burgeoning scenius in Rochester, NY called Muck Duck Studio. It's a big cozy space inside an office building of all places. But we have about ten studio spaces and artists/podcasters/musicians including myself who work there almost every day. We have a big community space with cozy couches and a stage for music/a big donated piano. The creative community in and around is starting to cross pollinate in some very exciting ways, and we're growing horizontally as well as regeneratively. It truly feels like a neural network and all the "weirdo" nodes are accepted. Kindness and openness to a brave space where we ask big questions and listen to eachothers perspectives is key, also we laugh and have fun a lot. Most of us are sober, so it helps to have a safe space to not have to be drinking but still creating.
I am the co-chair of the SCBWI-IL Illustrator’s group, we meet each month during the school year. We decided that this year we would use your book Share Your Work as our theme and starting point for the meetings. Saturday is our first meeting of the new year. We are discussing Process not Product. We meet on Zoom and that doesn't always make for the best random conversations, but it does allow a large group from a broad expanse of the state to connect. Last May we went to the Zoo for our last meeting and we all sketched at the zoo, then had lunch together and just visited and got to know each other. It was a wonderful experience.
Our library has a Ukulele Strum and Sing. It's a bit formal, but fun and there's a variety of playing abilities, and a variety of ages participating. I ran into someone I know from my gym and now we talk about ukuleles there too.
I think that some of the success to being a part of a scenius is about being open and kind as a rule, but that comes from your own willingness to be open and kind. When we go to a group setting and think of ourselves as an outcast, we will be an outcast. If we are afraid to say hello and expect others to break the ice, we are blocking the best parts of ourselves. I know that I have done this in the past, I wanted others to make me feel safe and happy, but, I needed to open myself up and be vulnerable so I could connect with my people.
I think about all of my little sceniuses and wonder how many degrees of separation there really are between me and Kevin Bacon. Wait I mean between sceniuses.
Loved the third paragraph, Sarah.
Agree with all you so beautifully say her Sarah. People usually treat me as I am first to treat them. Yes, it is hard to break into a group but worth every fear induced second of trying.
Thank you. I realize too, that we discover some groups aren't the right fit and we shouldn't feel guilt for leaving, just as we need to move through our fear of joining and being open to connections.
Right before covid, I had two doctors tell me I may have agoraphobia. The truth was that I had lost all sense of self-worth and it was easier to stay at home and pretend that this was my new normal than to find my way out. I have done a lot of work on myself since then and my saving grace was to begin working out at a fitness center. At first I didn't make any connections, but the more I went, the more I moved my body, the more I didn't care what others thought, and I started to dance and laugh and now I am friends with many other members and more people move to the music and smile. Many people come to me and tell me that my workout inspires them to do more. And I got a job there teaching Tai chi. I am not the picture perfect fitness person, I'm 60 years old, overweight (not as much as when I started) with osteoarthritis.
Congrats for working thru this - not easy I know and it seems even more difficult as we age (I’m 70!) but what the hell, while we have more to gain we also have less to lose. Good for you!!
Many years ago I belonged to a dream group. We met once a week and shared our night time dreams using Jeremy Taylor's book WHERE PEOPLE FLY AND WATER RUNS UPHILL: USING DREAMS TO TAP THE WISDOM OF THE UNCONSCIOUS. It was an interesting way to tap into my imagination and find these amazing unconscious themes. It was through this group I learned a totally new language of dream interpretation that I use to this day.
In the 80s the Arts Club Theatre bar on Seymour Street in Vancouver was fantastic. Actors, technicians, theatre students, playwrights all hung out here and on weekends it was a hotspot for indie bands (I don't know who did the programming, but they did a great job). There was a back room where whoever was around would do a reading of someone's new play, and in the afternoons it was a shabby, nearly-genteel social club for oldtimers and those of us "between engagements."
Oh wow I remember this! I was working for the Vancouver Playhouse as box office manager and it brought back great memories of hanging out with the techs and actors!
I love your writing on scenius. I have a resource recommendation: Where good ideas come from by Steven Jonson. He digs deep into the conditions that lead to creativity. One of which is enabling the adjacent possible. He uses different language but describes environments similar to how you describe scenius as the most fertile environment for enabling the adjacent possible. It’s a great book.
There is quite a sense of awesome to it all for me! I am heading up to the Berkshires in North Adams, Massachusetts in the first week of October. North Adams is an old mill city that has been reborn as a cultural arts Mecca in the region. We are staying in a hotel converted from old mill space and it is across the street from MAMOCA. We are specifically going just for that reason!
Thanks again Austin!
I've found Substack to be a wonderful scenius for artists and poets. Even a gruff semi-hermit like me has found creative colleagues, friends, and endless inspiration.
In considering Scenius, I am reminded of a sketch group I belonged to that met every week. One night, someone suggested that we each start a sketch, work for about 10 minutes, and then rotate around the room, working on each others’ drawings. At first, it was like pulling teeth to let go of the original drawing. Of course you want to show your perfect self on the page! But it became a fun and amazing experience as drawings were transformed, information shared, and we got to know each other on a deeper level.
This makes me think of the exquisite corpse game. It's exquisitely surreal. LOL