It's amazing how many times in the past few months I've heard people rave about Austin, Texas.

I started wonder what the sudden buzz was about. How is it that so many people can be such fanatics about a place they've only visited? On the contrary, how is it that so many people can uproot and relocate to this place just because they hear about the vibe? And then I wondered ...

What happens when people start to catch on that a particular environment welcomes, cultivates and nurtures the uniqueness of an individual or people group?

The rise of a culture begins.

Austin is known for its ability to tap into the creative energy of its people. It welcomes all types and provides opportunities for the traditional "outsiders" to offer their unique solutions to existing issues.

Is it wrong for those of us who crave innovation and demand the space for creativity to flock to these places? Or should we stay in our current environments and hope that our authenticity will generate interest and eventually form an organic subculture within an un-accepting or misunderstanding macro-culture?

Then my thought was this: What if all the people from one group only stayed in select cities across the world? Would it just be expected that those from surrounding lands would gravitate if they resonated with this idealism? And if it were expected, what good are these hubs if the only people experiencing this culture are those who are there?

Is it that, maybe, just maybe, this new group is singlehandedly creating space for people to just be themselves? To live out their creative potential? And in the meantime stopping in places like Austin after having ran for years from the doubtful mindsets of the majority?

Perhaps my questions lead to ... where do we draw the line? Is it possible to ever really have a middle ground, where creativity can flourish amidst opposition and conservative infrastructures and someday be understood and appreciated?