During the Clinton presidency democratic strategist James Carville, was fond of saying, Its the economy, stupid.

Much the same could be said today.

The stimulus and all the federal policies in the world will not help if all we do is prop up the old economy. It is rather the new economy, the creative economy begging for attention.

When John Howkins first reported on The Creative Economy in his book by the same name in 2001, he was talking mostly about the industries we knew well like publishing, theater, theatrical films, music and dance, painting, television and so on.

Even today, as Americans for the Arts released their 5th Annual Report on the creative economy, the same industries, with a few additions like video games and I phone apps, spell the fastest growing sector of the economy.

But the economy is in reality much bigger.

Think about this.