DAY1 Drawing a Compass

ETIC. (NPO) and ASIBA have launched a three-month Creative-LAB. program in collaboration with Tokyo Startup Gateway as an inquiry- and practice-based initiative. Creative-LAB. is a three-month program designed for young people aspiring to careers in creative fields such as architecture, design, and art, helping them explore their “way of life” through the act of “creating.”

“Creating is living.” Even though they share the same classroom, are in the same grade, and speak the same language, for some reason their eyes never meet. Deep down, they feel that “this isn’t where I belong.” For people like this, “creating” on their own is a desperate expression of their thoughts and feelings—and should be a genuine expression of their “way of life.” TSG Creative-LAB. is a place where you can explore your “way of life” through “making.” Here, we engage not only with your artwork but also with the creation that lies beneath it—your “way of life.”

In this recruitment round, 30 young people aged 15 to 25—who are considering entrepreneurship through their creative work—gathered to kick off the program.

On August 24, during the commemorative first kickoff event, we held an open lecture. The day began with participant self-introductions and the creation of life graphs, followed by a workshop designed to refine ideas for the products, services, and creative projects they plan to bring to life. Finally, we held a “gallery walk” as a space for participants to share their work with one another.

#1 LIFE GRAPH & GOAL SETTING

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As a first step toward self-reflection, participants created a life graph tracing their journey from birth to the present. This exercise involved looking back on their past and looking ahead to the future, prompting them to reexamine the relationship between “creating” and “living.”

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In addition, participants set goals for the duration of the Creative-LAB. program. Using their life graphs as a foundation, they specifically outlined their objectives for the three-month program: what they aimed to achieve, what kind of creative work they would undertake, and their ideal state upon completion.

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#2 IDEA SKETCH

To wrap things up, we created idea sketches. We gradually began to outline the “things we want to create” that we hope to bring to life through the program. We started by jotting down our ideas on a single sheet of paper, adding simple sketches along with intended uses, reference ideas, and problem statements.

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We posted the rough sketches across an entire wall and attached sticky notes with feedback to other participants’ sheets. This allowed us to objectively assess the ideas, interpret others’ concepts in our own way to incorporate their perspectives into our thinking, and gain insights for determining next steps through the exchange of comments.

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The participants repeatedly practiced introspection and idea generation over the course of just four hours. Having identified their current position and acquired a compass to guide their own “creative process,” they will now take experimental steps toward bringing their ideas to life.

“Creating is living.” Even though they share the same classroom, are in the same grade, and speak the same language, for some reason their eyes never meet. Deep down, they feel that “this isn’t where I belong.” For people like this, “creating” on their own is a desperate expression of their thoughts and feelings—and should be a genuine expression of their “way of life.” TSG Creative-LAB. is a place where you can explore your “way of life” through “making.” Here, we engage not only with your artwork but also with the creation that lies beneath it—your “way of life.”