＊BOOK TITLE:
Let's Creativity! A Cross Cultural Comparison of Japanese and Canadian Creative Processes- WRITTEN BY: Yoko Kawabata
- PUBLISHER: Exceet, Inc., Fukui, Japan. (28 November, 2005)
- 142 pages, all in English
- PRICE: $10.00 Australian dollars + Postage
- ON-LINE STORE: will come soon. Meanwhile, you can email me for inquiries and purchase through the 'CONTACT FORM' on the left.
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＊SNIPPETS OF MY BOOK....
I was born and grew up in a small country town called, Fukui in Japan. My initial dream was to become a professional baker in a big city Osaka in Japan......but I meserably failed....
Feeling defeated, I went back to my hometown, and there I met my old high school friend, Masayo Kawaguchi who just came back from the U.S. with her American husband, Dan. Dan was a talented drummer and a vocalist and held live shows at an American-style bar called, CHOP. As Masayo and Dan didn't have a car, I was often asked to take them out to CHOP.
.....It was a magic space that I had never seen before..... The pink neon signs and red lightings from the ceiling, a jukebox, a billiard table, the bare concrete walls and floor interior... Loud sound of live drumming, guitar sounds, heavy metal songs shouted in English.... A lot of English speaking foreigners were dancing, almost hitting each other as they jump up and down while screaming and drinking... Everything was exotic, dazzlingly beautiful and cool, but except me who couldn't speak any word in English. I would say 'hello' to people around me, but they all suddenly get 'busy' so quickly. They suddenly have to go to the bathroom, or to talk to other friends who have been waiting over there..... No one was interested in or had the patience to talk to this Japanese girl who could hardly introduce herself in English.
I felt bitter about it, and decided to study English by myself. I bought 6 different levels of textbooks for 'radio English conversation programs' every month. I recorded all 6 radio programs every morning, and listened whenever I could snatch some time everyday. I listened all the programs and did the shadow-speaking every day. I was mad about learning English. I was hungry to learn more English, like a dried out sponge to absorb water. It was very intense 2 years of self-learning, but I never felt teaching myself English was hard--it was always fun and joyful. I became capable to communicate in English after this vigorous self teaching. As my English got better, I started to make some acquaintances, friends, close-friends, and even boyfriends. This became a big motivation for me to study English! :)
Then I started to often hung out at the Fukui Prefectural International Centre. There, I met a staff member, Shinsuke Funaki. Shinsuke studied at a university in Australia, and had some drama background. He was looking for members for his new English musical performing group called, Fukui Theatre Company. I had no theatrical background that time, but it sounded fun and I joined. The theatre group was consisted with 1 American man and a dozen Japanese people who have been studying English.
I was late for the first meeting and all the popular parts were already taken by other members. There was little choice left for the role I could pick for The Sound of Music. It was either Elsa (beautiful but a snobby and mean mother-in-law) or Maria (charming lead actress who are loveable). Everyone was against me to pick Maria. But I also thought that Elsa's character would be more interesting to do anyway. The show went well and it was absolutely amazing experience--I felt the sense of achievement and joy. It was nice feeling to celebrate our triumph with our trusted members.
On our second production, a Canadian JET (Japan English Teacher), Ron Dick joined the group as a director. He had studied English and drama at the University of Edmonton in Canada. Ron introduced impro-based 'theatre sports' during our rehearsals. They were often fun games that made us laugh a lot, but the game also made us to focus and build trust among members. I fell in love with this amazing drama techniques.
I was already 27 at that time. Some high school friends were already married and having a few kids by that time. But I wanted to go to a university in Canada and study drama. I had some saved up money but not that much. and I wasn't sure if it would be good idea to spend all my saving to study drama....I mean, DRAMA!! Not accounting or business or law, but drama! Will I get any job after I study drama? Is it really wise to spend all my saving for studying drama at 27? Am I insane? Am I crazy? But to make the matter worse, I only had enough money to study at an ESL school for a year--about 1,000,000 yen ($10,000). No money to continue my drama education at a university afterward.....
I asked for an advise to my mentor Sakiko Kawase. I expressed my numerous concerns and worries about my money, future job, my age, etc.... Sakiko said with a big smile, "Yoko, you are still young! You have no husband, kids or old parents to look after yet. You may not have a lot of money when you are younger. But you have all the freedom and time to use for yourself! As you get older, you may have more money, but more responsibility as well. You will not be as free as you are now. Just go to Canada, and don't worry about money. Money will follow once you commit to your dream!"
.....and it did.... My mentor Sakiko was right...
.....Money always magically appeared from somewhere when I needed. I didn't have a lot of money to live luxuriously, but always enough money to continue my drama education in Canada....for 10 years. It was just amazing how universe was supporting my dream.....
In Canada, I started to study at an ESL school, which was attached to the 2 years college called, Grande Prairie Regional College. After a month of my arrival, I saw a drama audition notice on campus. I really wanted to try, but at the same time, I was very scared. I had never taken any drama audition before. I was also worried to be laughed at my English. But anyhow, I wrote the audition date down on my day-timer....
On the audition day, I nervously hover about near the audition space.... I stayed there for long time, but I just could't gather my courage to entre the room. I eventually left home, feeling relieved...but regretted and felt defeated at the same time. "I came all the way to Canada to study drama, but I'm such a looser! I was so coward... I couldn't even enter the audition space...stupid stupid me!" Tears came down from my eyes....
2 months later, I saw another drama audition notice on campus. It was for a play called, Alias. This time, I declared everyone that I would take a drama audition. I told that to all my host parents, classmates and teacher in my ESL school. I did this so that I couldn't run away from the drama audition even if I would get really scared again.
On the audition day, I was still scared and nervous, but I managed to entre the audition room. I saw all Canadians, but no one like me, a Japanese person who spoke English as a second language.
My turn came, and I was given a script. I was asked to perform 'Amy' while someone else was doing another part. Without having any time to study the script beforehand, I really had no idea how I was supposed to act this role. If English were my mother tongue, I would be able to quickly grasp my character as I read the script, I suppose. But for the me who just arrived Canada 3 months ago, it was beyond my ability to comprehend the meaning of all the sentences as I read.
I did my best to talk laud and clear so that my voice would be audible at least. I didn't understand the relationship between the characters, personality, or anything at all really.... but I just kept reading the script as loudly as possible. Without knowing what I was really reading, I kept walking around, moving my hand, a bit meaninglessly, I must say...just because I din't wanna just stand straight....
I still remember how I felt after I finished this audition! I was soooooooo HAPPY!!! It didn't matter whether I would get any role, or if I acted well. I just felt the sense of big achievement. I was really proud of myself. I was skipping with joy as I was heading home. I had a beaming smile on my face.
A week later, I received a call from the director Joe Amon. He said, "Congratulation, Yoko! You got Amy's part, the saloon prostitute. This role would require possible nudity or underwear to be shown on stage. Would you be able to do it?"
I couldn't believe my ears... I mean, I didn't understand a word on the script during my audition, but I got a part anyway!!! The show was a big success.
I eventually finished my ESL study after a year, and continued my drama education in the Grande Prairie Regional College.
Then, I transferred to The University of Lethbridge where I met amazing dance/theatre teachers like, Betty Poulsen and Lisa Doolittle.
I continued my Master's in Drama at The University of Calgary, and met my unforgettable mentor, Kathleen Foreman. Kathleen recently passed away due to her cancer, but this book was not possible to born without her support and love. I dedicate this book to Kathleen Foreman in token of gratitude. Thank you Kathleen!! :)
You can read my original dissertation 'Creativity and Performance Creation' on-line. It's free. Visit at: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/41652
I edited the original dissertation later, and self-published this book 'Let's creativity! A cross cultural comparison of Japanese and Canadian creative processes'. On-line store will come soon. But meanwhile, you can email me for inquiries and/or purchase the copies by filling out the 'CONTACT FORM' on the left.
＊PRICE: $10.00 Australian dollars + Postage.
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＊BOOK SUMMARY
This book is based on my Master of Fine Arts (Theatre Studies) thesis, written for the University of Calgary, Canada. I researched in the theme "Creativity and Performance Creation" for my Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Studies degree. My main interest was to examine how creativity would play an important role in the creation process for artists, including performance artists. The following are the questions I explored in my MFA research:- What is creativity?
- What is a creative process like?
- How can an artist come up with more ideas for the project?
- What is an original idea?
- What is writer's block and why it happens?
- How to prevent or get out of the writer's block?
- There are different learning styles in Japan and Canada. Do they influence on the people's creativeity and originality?
- Besides my scholarly research, I also created an original performance art piece. I recorded my own creative process and examined how I came up with the ideas.
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＊TABLE OF CONTENT
Learning English—Mainstream Learning in Japanese Schools
Learning English—By JET Teachers in Japan
Learning to Bake—A Way of Learning in Japan
Re-learning English in Japan—In My Own Way
Learning to Act in English—Staging a Musical in Japan
Learning English and Drama in Canada: Creative Influences
Learning to Act in a One-Act Play—As an ESL Student in Grande Prairie
Learning to Act for a Main Stage Show—At the Grande Prairie Regional College
Learning to Dance for a Choreographer—University of Lethbridge
Learning to Create my Original Dance and Performance—University of Lethbridge
CHAPTER TWO: THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY
Mt. Fuji, Passion, and Dedication
What is Creativity?
Right Brain and Left Brain: Non-Verbal Mind and Verbal Mind
Right Brain and Left Brain: Imaginative Mind and Critic Mind
Right Brain and Left Brain: Inventive Mind and Computer Mind
Collaboration between the Spheres
What is an Idea?
Objective of the Creative Process Course
Ten-Minutes Solo Performance
Preparation Stage
---A. Generating Ideas through the Class Exercise
---B. Generating Ideas through my Own Exploration
Incubation / Frustration Stage
Inspiration Stage
Verification / Hypothesis Testing Stage
Group Performance Creation Process
Conclusion
APPENDIX: The Script of Er(l)ection Girl
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＊BOOK REVIEWS
"Your analysis of the differences between Japanese and Canadian society are very perceptive. For one, there is your perception of differences in scale, size, and space. It may be hard to believe, but people in Grande Prairie are more obsessed with size than ever. Vehicles are so big most won't fit in a single parking spot. I call it an obesity epidemic; it applies to people, to vehicles, to just about everything. Just huge. I think you've succeeded in making sense of the training to conformity in Japanese culture and the contrasting training to individuality in Canadian culture. Canadian society is at its most oppressive when it attempt to impose uniformity on its residents, in language, education, etc., so we try to make a virtue of necessity through the multiculturalism idea. Of course, there is really nowhere near as much individuality or freedom of choice as we pretend, just as there is nowhere near the conformity you might expect in Japanese society. Look at yourself, for example!I know that it's your life in these two very different societies that has helped you learn so much about yourself--with the help of a thesis to force you to think it through, of course! I hope you're finding ways of expressing yourself and making a living at the same time!"
--- Laurie. Nock. ph.D, [Anthropology professor at the Grande Prairie Regional College / Canada]
"I really enjoyed your book. It was SO interesting to read about your experience and to think about my own (in reverse!). Your thoughts about the creativity in general were really interesting and your comparison between Japanese and Canadian approaches to artmaking were insightful and extremely informative for me. AND your performance script is witty and a beautiful expression on being "in-between." Thanks for sharing your ideas and personal experiences."
--- Sarah Cunningham [Former JET teacher in Japan / New York, U.S.A]
--- Hudson Hamilton [Former JET teacher in Japan / U.S.A]
"I read your book/thesis and I really, really like it !"
--- Mireille Merza [New York, U.S.A.]
