The City Creative: How Creators and Innovators are Transforming Orlando

If you were to ask a random person on the street what comes to mind when they think of Orlando, the city’s cultural aspects probably wouldn’t be their initial thought. A family-friendly pit stop that is equal parts traffic, tourists, and thrill rides is probably what they picture. 

The citizens of Orlando know the reputation that precedes their city all too well. Orlando’s creative community is tirelessly working to combat this perception in the hopes of enticing like-minded creators to see the City Beautiful as more than just a place to ride roller coasters and spend too much money on giant turkey legs.

Orlando’s creatives understand that for most other creatives (and probably even themselves at one point) a city like New York would be the ideal destination to obtain both inspirational fulfilment and career advancement. 

Orlando’s residents know that their city, with its tourist trap reputation preceding it, doesn’t even get the chance to shake the hands of most creatives to introduce itself. It doesn’t match up against a place like New York.

These creatives are determined to change outsiders’ outlook on their city; believing that by lifting the city’s theme park cloak they will be prompted to take a look around and wonder why they never noticed an area that is surprisingly teeming with artistic prowess. 

The City Creative

Orlando is home to several arts districts, each brimming with an abundance of culture. They go by the names of the Milk District, Audobon District, Thornton Park, Mills 50 District, and Ivanhoe Village.

These districts are home to an eclectic intersection of culture that offers everything from book readings and listening parties to vintage stores, foodie hotspots, art exhibits, and more. For creatives, these districts act as beloved mini-hubs where they can meet up to hang out, create, and share ideas. 

Orlando also happens to have access to some of the most talented young creatives in the nation. In addition to housing the University of Central Florida, the nation’s largest university, Orlando is also home to Full Sail University, which is known for grooming students into bona fide designers, videographers, photographers, and so much more. 

Graduates from these local universities are starting to realise that their city is transforming into a place where art, music, and fashion thrive and perhaps they don’t need to uproot their lives to see their careers in the creative field flourish. 

The creatives that have graduated and chosen to start their lives in Orlando now play a key role in elevating the city’s artistic reputation. By starting projects and businesses such as the Creative City Project, the Mills 50 Art Box Project, Secret Society Goods, Burrow Press, and Park Ave CDs they are heading Orlando’s journey to finding its artistic voice. 

These Orlando-based artists are doing what they do best and are creating the city that they want to live in – a city that isn’t just a layover to the next big thing. 

What the Future Holds for Orlando’s Creatives

Contingent with the area’s growing artistic talent pool and 3.2 percent projected job growth through 2019, digital media agencies, tech startups, and entrepreneurs have started to look to Orlando as a promising spot to plant their flag.

In response to this, the city is in the works of adding to their growing creative infrastructure scene by transforming a once-empty 68-acre lot in the heart of downtown into the city’s Creative Village. 

The Creative Village will combine the new University of Central Florida and Valencia College Downtown Campuses, with office spaces for creative digital companies, urban living, various shops, bars, and restaurants. 

This area is set to be the next step in the evolution of Orlando’s digital media, art, and technology conglomeration. 

The city of Orlando is discovering that maybe it doesn’t need to fill the Mickey-Mouse-shaped mould that confines it. There is an entire multifaceted community being built by young creatives that has been bubbling throughout the city’s nooks–it’s just been waiting to be nurtured.