Generative Processes by Writers

Most may imagine computer simulation when considering the word: “simulation.” Of course, computer simulation is an effective method in order to perceive complex systems by constructive understanding. But we believe that simulation is not limited to heavy coding with object-oriented programming. It seems like writers like Haruki Murakami, Hayao Miyazaki, and Michael Ende are also familiar with the “Constructive Way of Understanding.”

This week we read the following 4 books:

Souzousei Toha Nanika [The Essences of Creativity], by Jiro Kawakita

I Wake Up Every Morning to Dream, by Haruki Murakami

Starting Point: 1979-1996, by Hayao Miyazaki

MICAEL ENDE’S LAST CONVERSATION, by Toshio Tamura

The first part of the discussion was about Souzousei Toha Nanika [The Essences of Creativity] by Jiro Kawakita, followed by a discussion about the other 3 combined.

Souzousei Toha Nanika [The Essences of Creativity]

Preservation

Although a system is dynamic and complex, its “preservation” is important. A system does not only dynamically create, but also may even “creatively destroys” itself, without losing its essence. The system may technically be “destroyed,” but it is preserved by maintaining its true essence. For instance, ideas in a person’s mind are continuously dynamic, changing from one idea to another. However, each idea is affected by the previous idea, or ideas, preserving the ideas’ essence.

How are you Motivated?

Although it is clear that personal ambition drives motivation, we are also motivated by the situation. Creation is rather difficult with ambition alone; social necessity is also significant. However, the social necessity is not necessarily requested; it is sometimes discovered by the creator himself as a gap in society.

Society vs Creativity

Society is created by its people, yet each person is created by the society simultaneously. Like so, while a creation is created by the creator, the creator is also created by the creation as well. Thus creation is also the process of being created. However, creation never starts with a definite plan; it rather starts in the midst of complexity. In such environment, the creator must repeatedly give significance to the creation, often times even changing the essence. 

 

I Wake Up Every Morning to Dream, Starting Point, MICHAEL ENDE’S LAST CONVERSATION

How Creators create, and are created

According to writers such as Haruki Murakami, Hayao Miyazaki, and Michael Ende, all of them seem to agree that the characters, the plot, the scene, and all other aspects of their stories are constructive as well. And even some students taking this class have also experienced this constructive way of understanding. Students who use programing languages understand each language while creating with it simultaneously, and writers create their story as they write. 

 

For example, Hayao Miyazaki had a character cry in one scene of My Neighbor Totoro, which was not planned initially. As Hayao constructed the scene, he discovered that the character would want to cry when given the situation. It is this deep, repetitive constructiveness which brings substantial quality into creativity. Some(including students in this class) may feel that the writers may be egotistic in doing so, ignoring subjects outside of the constructive process(such as the reader). However, part of the essence of a creation is how the creator attracts what is outside of the constructive process, which sometimes requires peculiar originality.

Simulation

For the second part of the class, we started our second session of experiencing simulation: video filming and editing. Through filming and editing videos, we hoped to understand simulation other than computer simulation through a constructive way, in this case creating a story like the 3 writers mentioned above.

For this class, we edited few short videos of miscellaneous scenes of the class, in order to first understand how cameras and video editing software work. For the next class, students will be using what we have learned and edit their own videos.

This week there will be no class(due to holidays), so be sure to tune in next week to see videos created through the constructive way of understanding!

References

Jiro Kawakita, Souzousei Toha Nanika [The Essences of Creativity], SHODENSHA Publishing Co., Ltd., 2010

Haruki Murakami, I Wake Up Every Morning to Dream, Bungeishunju Ltd., 2010

Hayao Miyazaki, translated by Beth Cary and Frederik L. Schodt, Starting Point:1979-1996, VIZ Media, 2009

Toshio Tamura, MICAEL ENDE’S LAST CONVERSATION, Iwanami Shoten, 2000