I just attended the Arts Alliance Convergence 2009 Conference at Eastern Michigan University, where a dazzling variety of artists, dancers, performers, musicians, and art advocates from Washtenaw County, Michigan gathered together to promote and discuss the importance of the arts and creativity in the revival of our local and global economy.  Did you know that the “creative economy” is responsible for bringing in a staggering amount of revenue as well as  many new jobs?  Not only that, but people generally want to live where there is music, dance, theater, art, and delicious culinary creations.  I know I do.

Where would we be without the arts?  The arts give us a chance to express ourselves, to make sense of our world, to create beauty and release pain.  They bring us plenty of pure pleasure, too.  The Arts Alliance recognizes that this is the perfect time to start thinking and acting creatively in order to transform our lives and our world.  So create art, enjoy art, and make art a central part of your life.   It’s important, and so are you.