HAPTICLABS Kyoto Visual Diary III

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Dear friend,

Super excited to share that HAPTICLABS Kyoto Office has finished the first draft of CREATIVE EVERYDAY, and have sent it off for a test print.

Reflections on life in Kyoto

Sadly, we only have 2 days left with our two sisters– Annette and Jennifer.

I’m so freaking proud of them. Annette has been making great designs for CREATIVE EVERYDAY, and I’m amazed by how she is able to really get ‘into the zone’ and put her heart and soul into her creative work, with Adobe Illustrator. She went to OTIS 1 year for art school, dropped out– but thank God she didn’t get $200k into debt. And now, that she is working with HAPTIC, Cindy has really helped cultivate her creative wings– and fly.

ETERNAL RETURN TO THE CREATIVE EVERYDAY PROTOTYPE by HAPTIC

ETERNAL RETURN TO THE CREATIVE EVERYDAY PROTOTYPE by HAPTIC x ANNETTE KIM

Cover for upcoming CREATIVE EVERYDAY book by HAPTICPRESS

CREATIVE EVERYDAY FULL COVER by ANNETTE KIM

Jennifer (Cindy’s sister) has been editor and InDesign Pro — guided (also) with the loving wing of Cindy.

Fun working at an AirBnB

It has been so fun just hanging out at the AirBnb and working here– instead of coffee shops. Why? Free, unlimited coffee (Jennifer brought a bag of beans from SIGHTGLASS Coffee), Jennifer has been cooking good home-made food for us, and (of course) air conditioning and wifi.

Photocubist ANNETTE KIM by ERIC KIM

Also, there is something zen about us all working together. Us working together as a team, focusing, encouraging one another, and building this book together. Even if end up selling no copies– to me, it was worth the experience of bringing the family together, for us to have a more fulfilling and meaningful time together in Kyoto (working on a creative project, instead of just sightseeing). Not only that, but eating delicious ramen, fried chicken, and meals in Kyoto are SOOO much more worth it after the exertion of work.

Photocubist JENNIFER NGUYEN by ERIC KIM

What does it mean for me to be ‘creative everyday’?

HAPTIC EYE by ANNETTE KIM

I’ve really been personally meditating on this concept of ‘CREATIVE EVERYDAY’ — and wondering– how can I be creative everyday?

For myself, it really goes back to being a kid again. Being like a grown-ass kid, and having the same curious eye I did as a child, with no restrictions, rules, dogma, or bullshit to hold me back. The pure, innocent eye of the child, with no boundaries– only opportunities.

PHOTOCUBIST ERIC KIM by ERIC KIM x JOSH WHITE

This has inspired me to start shooting a lot with a phone again. Because that is what a child would shoot with.

I’ve also started to study computational photography, and also test out HDR+ on my sister’s Google Nexus 6P, and having SOOO much fun. Also being blown away by how good Jennifer’s OnePlus 5 camera phone is.

ANNETTE KIM 1 LINE DRAWING for CREATIVE EVERYDAY

My realization is that now all camera phones are very good– and the only thing holding us back is our own curiosity, and our own belief in ourselves.

Therefore, it is our duty to UNLEARN the rules of photography, and UNLEARN all this dogmatic ‘photography rule’ crap we’ve been indoctrinated with. Honestly, I blame (mostly) Henri Cartier-Bresson, and also all these random folks on the internet, who are photo tyrants– thinking that we should shoot like them, and that their way is the only and the ‘right’ way to shoot photography.