Article for Guardian Online on Creativity in Edinburgh

Original article

With all the doom and gloom around the trams and budget cutbacks, it's easy to forget just how fortunate we are to live in a city like Edinburgh, especially for those who are creatively inclined.

 Of course I'm fully aware of how difficult life is for many people, especially with lay-offs and rising prices, and I don't mean to belittle those very real problems. But there are some amazing creative things going on here which I think we need to celebrate more.

 A recent study named Edinburgh one of the UK's leading creative cities, due to the number of people working in the creative industries here, but there are countless others who can justifiably be described as creative across the city too. These include musicians, filmmakers, writers, artists/designers, crafty types or the promoters who work tirelessly to get the word out (and are usually artists of some kind themselves).

 And whilst much of what's happening exists independently or in little social pockets rather than as one big 'creative community', it's still great to know we live in the midst of all this artistic activity. Whether the artists themselves feel supported by the wider community is another matter – it does seem like success in terms of audiences and attention is still very hard won here.

 I do however feel that the internet is helping to change things and bring creative Edinburgh people together like never before, whether through social networks like Twitter and Facebook, or the many excellent local blogs that are often mentioned on this very site. In fact, being one of only three cities in the UK to have a Guardian local blog is a big advantage and one that creative folk with something to say should definitely make the most of.

 I've had my ups and downs, both creatively and personally, since moving to Edinburgh almost 17 years ago at the age of 16. But although my ideal job has proved elusive, so far I've resisted the lure of moving to London where one could still be forgiven for thinking that 'the streets are paved with gold' when it comes to making a living in the creative industries.

 Such is the stronghold Auld Reekie has over me, I'm always reminded of something Franz Kafka said about Prague: "this little mother has claws." The creativity of my fellow residents definitely has a large part to do with that - and when coupled with its natural and architectural beauty, I find the capital a truly inspiring place to live.

 What do you think? Is Edinburgh an unusually creative city? Do you find it an inspiring place to live? Let us know if there's something creative going on that we should know about.