Fanworks and PYD Section Up

Ever since I took Michigan State University’s HDFS 470, “Youth and Technology”, in Summer 2012, I’ve decided that my final capstone project for my master’s degree will be technology-related. Around Fall 2012, I decided that to focus on fanworks and how it can be used as a tool to promote positive youth development. So since then, I’ve studied fanworks from an academic perspective, which I find a bit funny, since fanwork is considered to be one of my biggest online hobbies! Regardless, I focused on that, and I’ve now added a new section to this website called Fanworks and PYD.

On that page, I’ve compiled my class assignments and projects relating to the topic of fanworks and Net Generation. My capstone project, a narrated PowerPoint presentation, is also embedded for those who’d like to see how I applied fanworks to PYD.

Feel free to check out my projects!

How Do I Love Thee: A Synthesis in Three Parts

Twitter Message

Use fanworks to promote creative and social development while utilising the seven tools of creativity! http://j.mp/18nRu35

Elevator Pitch

White Paper

In 1999, when I was fourteen, I was introduced to something called online fanfictions, which was discovered when I was surfing for webpages on animes, a newfound hobby my friends introduced to me. In one particular anime, Slayers, I discovered that I preferred the alternative pairing of Lina and Zelgadiss as opposed to Lina and Gourry, and I wasn’t the only one who thought that way. Thanks to the interwebs, I found other fans who supported that pairing, and I started to read and write fanfictions featuring that pairing. This was my first foray into the world of online fanworks, a hobby that forever changed my life to where it affected my creative and social development.

Some people may not consider fanworks to be “creative” since they are all based on media that already exist, so basically fanworks are reproduction created by fans. So some may argue that fanworks doesn’t promote creativity due to its “copying nature”, but I say it does. In fact, I want to promote fanworks as a tool to enhance creative and social development in adolescents (and even with people of all ages). It is commonly known that when children mature into teenagers, their cognitive thinking matures, they are able to think abstractly, and they began to see that the world is not simply black and white. They start thinking out of the box, and fanworks will allow them to do all that and more.

Fanworks opened a lot of new doors for me. I was introduced to a lot of writings by fellow fans — some of poor quality and some of excellent quality to where my mind would be blown away by the creator’s creativity. This exposure encouraged me to write my own fanfictions, and I also began to learn how to make and code webpages and teach myself to use graphic design programmes like PhotoShop. These activities allowed me to also communicate with other fans online where distance was a thing of the past. It was quite normal for me to have online friends in New York to Argentina to Germany to Australia, and we’d all squeal about the fandom that has brought us together. For me, Harry Potter fandom was the most influential. It was the fandom where I wrote a lot of fanfictions, participated in various online events like a writing festival (also known as “fests”), ran my own fests, helped others with their own writings by being “beta readers” (as in “proofreaders”), and befriended many like-minded fans who were there for me through my life challenges in the form of work and school. Fanworks taught me to be net savvy, to know how to be social online in ways that were very rewarding.

The world of Harry Potter allowed me to be creative through many approaches. When I think about the seven tools of creativity and how they apply to the world of fanworks, it all comes together in the end. Through CEP 818, I was given the chance to see how I could break down fanworks through these seven tools, and for the past several weeks, I’ve come to these conclusions.

Perceiving
Perceiving is the ability to use our five senses to “study” an idea or a concept that can be re-imaged or re-changed through our individual perspective. Creators who make their own fanworks are already doing that. They are taking something that already exists and are re-making and re-interpreting it into something of their own. For example, I believe that Luna Lovegood is a much better love interest for Harry Potter, but J.K. Rowling paired Harry up with Ginny Weasley. Being sorely unhappy about that outcome, I wrote fanfics that paired Luna and Harry together because in my mind, I perceived that these two are better suited for each other. That was what I came to believe in my interpretation of the original work, and that belief stimulated me to feature that pairing in my own fanworks.

Patterning and Abstracting
Patterning and abstracting are two tools that interrelate with each other — at least they do for me. When it comes to fanworks, tropes and clichés appear in works fans love. Whether it’s a movie or a book or a video game, they all have familiar tropes and clichés like the typical wise, old mentor such as Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings or Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter. Recognising these tropes help fans better understand the work, and understanding it allows abstracting to occur. Abstracting, for me, is to find the “essence” of the work, and once we find the essence in a particular movie or book or game, it will help us discern the “patterns” in the works in the forms of tropes and clichés. And from there we can create our own fanworks by deconstructing the original tropes and clichés and then change and re-pattern them into something different and familiar at the same time.

Embodied Thinking, Modelling, and Playing
Like patterning and abstracting, these tools also interrelate with one another. Fanworks in itself is a form of play. For many of us, fanworks are meant to be fun, a way for us to escape reality. As us fans imagine about alternate scenarios in fanworks, we can then model some of these concepts (through mediums like cosplaying), and modelling then allows us to use embodied thinking — meaning, as we model (cosplay), we combine our physical and emotional senses to bring abstract concepts to be more concrete. An example would be when I wore my Harry Potter costume on Halloween, a fun activity that allowed me to sense and feel to be a magical person, all the while wearing a robe and holding a wand. That experience is something that can then be translated into the fanwork I create, and by doing all that, I am having a terrific time.

Synthesising
Once we understand the six tools, we can then combine all of them into the final tool of creativity — synthesising. With fanworks, the finished product has gone through a synthesis. From the very first moment a creator perceive a particular work to finding the pattern and then abstracting them through embodied thinking, modelling, and playing — the finished story, art, costume, video, music, or any other medium of their choice are the synthesised product. Creativity itself is a complex journey, and thus a completed fanwork also goes on a long, fulfilling passage.

Breaking down fanworks through these seven tools of creativity has allowed me to see fanworks in a different light. Prior to doing these assignments, I’ve always been a proponent of fanworks as a way to encourage young people to be creative, but now I’ve come to appreciate fanworks even more after deconstructing them and applying the seven tools to further understand the concept.

Creativity is said to be trans-disciplinary in nature, where understanding arts, sciences, and maths is crucial to encouraging a well-rounded creative mindset. Fanworks itself is also well-rounded, too. Think about how many fanworks activity are done online. In order to participate in online fandoms, we’d have to be technologically savvy with computers and Internet, or at the least know how to use them to do minimal tasks. If we want to write fanfics, then we’d have to learn how to write and understand grammar and other literary devices to deliver a good piece of work. Same thing with fanarts, fanmixes, fanvideos, and cosplaying — one would have to learn the skills of drawing, song writing, video making, or sewing to create in these forms.

Creators are not just limited to being in a single medium. Many fans do multiple mediums of their choice. Some may write fanfics and also draw fanarts, and others may do cosplaying and video making. Like myself, I primarily write fanfics because writing is something I do best. I cannot draw at all, but I enjoy graphic manipulation through PhotoShop, so I can also create icons and other graphics in the fandom of my choice, and I use that skills to create graphics for my webpages that can then be a showcase of my fanworks.

Fanworks encompass many other positive attributes that contributes to one’s creative development. Online fanworks promote global and cultural exchanges. I mentioned before that I made friends all over the world, and I thank fanworks for that. My interest in animes, mangas, and video games influenced me to love Japanese culture and language, and same thing with me liking Harry Potter, which led me to adore British culture. These exposure has allowed me to experience diversity, and whatever I learn about food, the language, the culture — I can then share them in my own fanworks. Even my own location (that being Seoul, South Korea), my own experience of living in a different culture can be brought over into fanfics that takes place in South Korea, and by doing that, I share Korean life and culture with other fans who read my work.

Sharing what I know through fanworks and consuming through fanworks have been an enriching experience for me since 1999. I have seen this in many fans online, and all of these can also be done offline, too, amongst friends who share fanworks and create fanworks together in a face-to-face environment. Understandably, fanworks will not be for everyone, but it still can be something we can allow people to try. And if they do like it, then why prohibit them from expanding their creativity? Let them explore the endless boundaries of creativity. Let them discover the infinite possibilities of what fanworks and technology can offer as they use the seven tools of creativity in their own ways. And let them break down physical barriers such as distance as they “meet” fans from all over the world and become worldly in their own self-development. And lastly, fanworks is great for people of all ages. Whether they are twelve or forty, anybody can create their own works if they want!

Playing Reflection

Word Cloud

In my previous post, I blogged about how I’d introduce the concept of fanworks/fanfictions by using an online drabble generator because it would be a fun way to “play” with this concept, since playing with creativity allows room for expansive thoughts that may not occur when we’re “serious” about it. In other words, sometimes creative ideas only come to us when we’re least expecting it, and when we’re having fun playing with something, it allows our brain to “take a break” and think on something else. That is why I figured that the drabble generator would be a playful way to introduce fanfics to people who are not familiar with it, rather than do it lecture-style. Another reason I chose the drabble generator was to not daunt or overwhelm newcomers to fanworks. A 100-500 words drabble will be more doable than telling someone to write a story that’s 5,000 words long! Granted the generator writes one for the user, but the results are ridiculously humorous to the point where it is bound to leave some sort of a memorable impact on a person.

In actuality, creating and consuming fanworks are essentially playing. Many of us fans create and consume because we want to have fun, and to many of us, fanworks are our “playthings”. We take established characters and universe, and manipulate them into our own creative works, and then we share our finished products with other fans because we want to share our interpretations, our vision of the fandom we all play in together. It’s not different from a group of children playing with Legos, builds something, and then share it with each other.

I think fanworks are another way to get those who are not interested in reading, writing, and drawing to get them interested in it. I use myself as an example. I’m an avid reader, but I do not enjoy reading the classics like Wuthering Heights or A Tales of Two Cities. However, fanfictions are something I can read for fun, and I enjoy reading the ones that are beautifully written. Because I started reading fanfictions, that encouraged me to write my own. Prior to that, I did have an interest in writing, but that urge to write didn’t grow until I started reading fanfictions. Therefore, if I knew someone who saw reading and writing as a chore, I’d introduce them to fanfictions, or to fanarts and cosplaying if they are into drawing and sewing. The way I see it is that if they can have the option of creating something with their favourite characters from their favourite medium, then why not let them? After all, it is meant to be fun.

Fun and quick, that’s what drabbles are for. Fans write drabbles because it’s meant to be quick, and it is also a challenge to some to see if they can write in a concise way that presents just as much emotion in a longer piece of work. That’s why, I view drabbles as a good way to introduce fanfictions. Whether it’s in an English class or through a writing workshop, I see it as a good ice-breaking activity that allows us to play and have fun.

Playing with Fanfiction

TypewriterIf I were to introduce the concept of fanworks, more specifically the concept of fanfics, in a playful way, I’d start off with this online drabble generator. A drabble is fanfics that are usually no more than 100-words long, but some people may up the maximum word count to 500-1000. This drabble generator allows someone to input characters of their choices along with the adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs, and other elements. Once that’s all done, just like mad libs, the user’s word choices are then assembled into a drabble. After the drabble’s generated, each of us would share our drabble out loud and laugh at the results. Here is one I did for fun:

Draco and Neville
by William Shakespeare

Enter Draco

Neville appears above at a window

Draco:
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the computer, and Neville is the dog.
Arise, bright dog, and hug the shiny watch.
See, how he leans his shoulder upon his hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that shoulder!

Neville:
O Draco, Draco! wherefore art thou Draco?
What’s in a name? That which we call an arm
By any other name would smell as happy
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say “like a lullaby that lulls you to an eternal slumber.”
And I will take thy word; yet if thou swear’st,
Thou mayst prove handsome.

Draco:
Swain, by yonder shiny watch I swear
That tips on a table the small chocolate–

Neville:
O, swear not by the watch, the large watch,
That eagerly changes in its strong orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise strong.
Sweet, expensive night! A thousand times expensive night!
Parting is such intelligent sorrow,
That I shall say expensive night till it be morrow.

Exit above

Draco:
Sleep dwell upon thy shoulder, peace in thy hand!
Would I were sleep and peace, so quickly to rest!
sleepily will I to my bright arm’s cell,
Its help to hug, and my happy arm to tell.

I admit, when I got this, I burst out laughing because this generated drabble is now a spoof on Romeo and Juliet, with two guys from Harry Potter, mixed in with words Shakespeare himself would not have used. Doing this activity with someone who wasn’t familiar with fanworks or fanfictions would be a fun and unique way to introduce them to these concepts.

The Creative “I” ~ Architecture of Space

Room (View from Door) Room (Computer View)

Room (Junk View) Room (Slam Dunk View)

This room is where my computer is at, a room that is also a storage/closet area that my parents and I share. I spend 50% of my time at home in this room, and the other 50% in my bedroom. This room is where I work on my fanworks and other computer-related tasks. Last month, I bought a new custom computer, which I named “Kazama”, and I now have to keep a stepladder nearby to access the USB ports on the top. The stuff behind my computer chair is my junk pile. By nature, I’m a huge pack-rat and a lover of piles. From office supplies to textbooks to jigsaw puzzles to my friend’s Magic the Gathering cards . . . yes, I not a very neat person, but I try to keep my computer desk cleaner, and I think that little statue of Mitsui Hisashi from Slam Dunk encourages me to keep the area clean. After all, if the desk gets messy, then I won’t be able to see him!

Regardless, though, the mess behind my chair stimulates me. The way I see it is that as long as I have a good computer, then that’s all it matters! The junk pile is a secondary feature of the room, so I am able to overlook it and do my thing on the computer. This room is my sanctuary — even my parents know that once I am in here, doing whatever tasks I need to do, I am to be left alone. Since I was young, my parents were good about giving me my own space to do my hobbies, and I thank them for that.

Room (Desktop Wallpaper View)

The final photo of my “office” is my “digital space”. I took a screenshot of my computer desktop. That is not a physical space, per se, but it is the most important space for me. It’s a space I can easily change the image of to whatever fancies me at the moment (which features Saitou Hajime from Hakuouki). It’s the space that acts like a portal to everything I do on the computer, where I can access what I want with a simple click on a mouse or by pushing a key. And it’s also an area I try not to clutter up with too much icons, which is the opposite to the physical clutter in my life!

Space, both physically and digitally, is very important to me. I like the fact that I can turn my work area into something that makes me comfortable. I admit that my physical space tends to be cluttered and chaotic at times, but this space also gives me the solace I seek, which pleases the introvert in me. My mum’s space is the entire living room, which has a lot of traffic and noise, but that suits her extroverted nature. If we have guests over, they all linger in the living room — hardly anybody comes in my computer room, and that suits me just fine! And if it gets too noisy out there, I can close the door and continue my tasks. I find it ironic that I don’t mind the clutters in my physical surroundings, but auditory clutter is not welcomed by me.

I understand that space is really important for everyone, and it is something that I see even in my workplace. The after school centre I work at is a chaotic place. The main area is one giant room divided into multiple areas by glass partitions, and it is a loud, stimulating area. Luckily, there are few closed off areas in the centre, and I operate one of them — a computer/homework lab, one of the few areas that’s “quiet” by the main area standards. For an introvert like me, the overstimulation of the main area is very off-putting, and some of the kids I work with are just like me. In fact, we just had a dance the other day, and a couple of the kids found the music to be so loud that they escaped the dance room and came out to the quieter area. Ergo, I brought up to my manager that the next time we have a loud event like that, we should offer an alternative activity for those who do not like the activities that may over-excite someone.

But understandably enough, there are people who will thrive in a stimulating environment. Then there are people who thrive in a quieter space. Some people think better in a loud coffee shop, others think better when they are in the middle of a forest, or some people just need to be alone in their house. Wherever it is, we all need our “happy space”, especially when we need to be creative since happy people, people who are at ease, will be more creatively-inclined than being put in a space that puts them in opposite moods! My happy space is my computer room, and I like seeing the “digital space” on my monitor; with my mind at ease, I can do whatever I want!

Modelling and Dimensional Thinking Reflection

CosplayIn my previous post, I introduced the concept of cosplaying as a way to incorporate modelling and dimensional thinking, which is to bring 3-D thinking and action in a creative medium. Cosplaying falls under the fanworks genre in a way that brings an old adage to mind: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Fans who are fans of a certain character, pay homage to them by becoming them. They take a 2-D or 3-D character and bring him/her/it to life.

Ergo, cosplay is a way to model and bring dimensional thinking together. When cosplayers make or put their costumes together, they study the character’s outfit and design. They look at every known drawings and photographs of their characters, and they note the most minute details of the outfit such as the colour, the doodads like buttons and buckles, the materials, the pattern — all of these are important to the cosplayers because they want their outfits to be just right. Even hair becomes important. Many characters from animes, mangas, or video games sport unusual hair colour and/or style. Some cosplayers dye their hair, but many hunt down a wig they can model after their character. Once their costumes put together, cosplayers then act like their characters. They meet at conventions to cosplay with other fans, or they come together to do their own rendition of what they are cosplaying. In fact, see how fans decided to cosplay and re-enact this Alvin and the Chipmunks video scene! As someone who’ve seen the original film, I have to say that this real-life rendition is brilliant!

Now, in my own Hogwarts Student cosplay, I didn’t go into that much details like some cosplayers do. I just had to gather five items to complete my costume. But once I got in my costume, I felt like I had become a Hogwarts Student. My experience led me to see how it feels to wear a robe, to see how a wand feel in my hand as I pretended to cast spells, and wearing a scarf and tie at the same time made me feel claustrophobic, and I wondered how anybody could stand that. As brief as this cosplaying was (I only wore it for that Halloween since I cannot find that robe anymore!!!), it has allowed me to experience what a typical Hogwarts Student may experience, and I was able to translate that experience when I am writing Harry Potter fanfics. After all, I write what I know, and if I’ve lived through something, then it’s easier to write them out!

Therefore, modelling and dimensional thinking are two cognitive tools that should be encouraged in everyone. Even people who have form-blindness like me can use these tools. As a child and an adult, I hate building things with Lego and other building materials. I think part of my dislike stems from my poor fine-motor skills and the fact that I just cannot see 3-D in games and films that support them. Instead, I’m a very 2-D person. Even with animations, I prefer 2-D designs over 3-D. However, that doesn’t stop me from dimensional thinking and modelling through words when I write. Still, though, not everyone will be like me, and those who do not suffer from form blindness, I’d encourage to use Lego and building materials to enhance their creative development. After all, why should people limit their thinking to one dimension, when they can be capable of more?

Modelling and Dimensional Thinking Graphical Depiction

Modelling and Dimensional Thinking Graphical Depiction

I am a Hogwarts student, hear me roar! These two photos show my Halloween costume from 2006, and this right here is a form of cosplay. Cosplay is where fans put together costumes of their favourite characters (or create a character within that fandom’s universe) and they wear their costumes in public (like at a convention) to show their love of that particular fandom. Cosplaying is not limited to Halloween, and it can occur anytime of the year. I chose to cosplay a Hogwarts student that year, and this took months of preparation. I bought the robe, the tie, the wand, and the patch separately online, and my awesome friend knitted me that scarf. I chose my Hogwarts House to be Slytherin because I identified myself as as that back then.

Some cosplayers are real professionals who take the time to sew their costumes from scratch, and they even purchase wigs and style them! See below a group cosplaying characters from Persona 4, a video game, compared to the original character designs. Such attention to details are commonplace for cosplayers.

persona4 Persona 4 Cosplayers

Original cosplay photo found via Platinumukatsuku’s Tumblr and character design photo found here.

Embodied Thinking Reflection

Jumping in the AirFor me, the way I see embodied thinking is that it’s a combination of using our physical and emotional senses to bring abstract concepts to something more concrete. The physical aspect of embodied thinking is also known as kinesthetic thinking, and the emotional part is known as empathising. In my previous post, I created a graphical depiction of the way I use embodied thinking. This method didn’t fully capture the kinesthetic thinking on my part (ie: it didn’t show me walking), but with the thought bubble, I was able to show how I use empathising in my writings. I chose to do digital art as my creative modality because digital art is something I’ve dabbled with in years (and because I didn’t have the right tools and skills to do other mediums . . . )

When it comes to creating fanworks, embodied thinking is a great tool to use. It’s a tool everyone should at least understand the basics of and use when they need to be creative. For an example, if I were to write a fanfic about a character having a knee injury that last a lifetime, I can think about the time when I injured my own knee, think about that moment of extreme pain and the lingering pain long after the incident, and then translate those physical and emotional pain in an artistic way. Another example can be writing about a character who hoards food in their house despite being well off. This is something my mother does, and she does it because she grew up in a poverty-stricken environment. To her, food is a precious commodity, and because she remembers those times of being hungry due to lack of food, she stocks up now. I look at our full pantry, and I imagine the extreme hunger she must have gone through as a child, and thus she didn’t want me and my dad to feel the same way, so she stocks up.

Embodied thinking isn’t limited to just fanfic writers, though. Artists can use this tool to figure out body positions and facial expressions in their art. If they want to capture an expression full of love, they can try to emulate that by looking in a mirror or by studying other people’s expression. Or maybe just study the body language of people, too, which is another aspect they can try and draw or paint — traditionally or digitally — in their work. Even in music, we can bring embodied thinking to create songs that will fit the mood. When we’re happy, how does our body move, as opposed to when we’re feeling sad, anger, and exhaustion? If a story showcases some kind of a major breakthrough, would the music be depressing or energetic?

As a species, humans are physical like other animals (we move, we eat, we sleep, we feel pain . . . ), but we’re also capable of being emotional — emotions we can put into words. Embodied thinking is just something that allows us to both, and when we bring that tool to expand on our creativity, we then add feelings and depths to what we’re trying to create.

Embodied Thinking Graphical Depiction

embodiedthinkingart

This graphic was made with PowerPoint and PhotoShop 7. The original art is by a dear friend, H. This picture shows how I think and empathise when I write fanfics. A lot of my embodied thinking occurs when I am on my computer, but when I am walking, I also enter what I call the “daydream mode”. It’s like when I am at my computer, I am consciously aware of what I want to think and imagine about. But when I am walking, I am unconsciously daydreaming of random scenarios that I can explore while absorbing the environment and the happenings around me. My thinking’s more orderly in front of a computer, but less orderly and more surreal-like when I am walking.

The above shows a cartoon version of me sitting on top of a pile of books I like. It shows me multi-tasking, and the state I am in while I am in front of a computer. I write fanfics when I am at my computer, and depending on what I am writing, I start thinking about concepts like the ones I’ve listed in the thought bubble. Things like how would I feel if I were . . . what would this be like if . . . we don’t have magic in our world, but what if magic existed . . .

I am empathising the characters in the story, and all of these also occur when I am walking, though more in a fragmented way since I get distracted by my surroundings. Yet, I discover that when I am walking, some of my best ideas come to me then. Something about being in auto-pilot mode seem to trigger the part of my brain that comes up with all the good ideas. Whether I’m at the computer or whether I’m walking, embodied thinking helps me be a better writer and a better person.

The Creative “I” ~ Variations on a Theme

For this second Creative “I” assignment, I chose to rewrite “Danny Boy”.

My revised lyrics are below:

Oh, Mrs Lee, the notes, the notes are playing.
From sea to sea, your love has touched us all.
But now you’re gone, and many hearts are crying.
But your name will be left on a wall.

Because it’s you, who gave us everything you had
We learned from you the music of the heart
So that is why your passing made us very sad.
Oh, Mrs. Lee, your soul’s a work of art.

“Danny Boy” is a ballad that is usually set to the tune called “Londonderry Air”. I chose this song to revise because my beloved high school band teacher, mentor, and friend passed away on October 16, 2013, four months after retiring. One of the last songs she had conducted prior to her retirement is “Irish Tune from County Derry” at the Far East Music Conference in April 2013.

After her untimely passing, I spent two days listening to songs I associated with her. “Irish Tune from County Derry” and “Danny Boy” began to stick in my head, and I was suddenly “inspired” to re-write its lyrics, instead of finishing up a different song I had already started. Doing this re-writing ended up being a very cathartic experience for me, and something I am glad I did as a mini-tribute to Mrs. Lee.

This entire exercise shows how a single song came from multiple sources. “Danny Boy” was written by Frederic Weatherly, and it was combined with an Irish folk tune from County Derry, a song that was later picked up by composer Percy Grainger, who arranged it into the song, “Irish Tune from County Derry”. Meanwhile, “Danny Boy” has been recorded multiple times, with one version being the 1955 Judy Garland version posted above. One song churned out multiple versions and renditions, and even conductors like Mrs. Lee interpreted the song in her own way.

Throughout history, many themes in creative works are shown to be repeated, but with a twist from the creator. Look at Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. Look at how a melody from Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity” was turned into the song, “I Vow to Thee, My Country” and to a Japanese pop song called “Jupiter“. These works are similar with each other, but at the same time are still different because the creator, the artist themselves, put some of their own knowledge and experience in the creative process.

One quote from Henriksen, Mishra, and the Deep-Play Research Group (n.d.) that has struck me is this:

People with a wider range of knowledge and experience have richer concepts to build on, and hence the potential to see more knobs or possibilities than those with narrower foundations.

Tara and her many interests!  Drawn by a dear friend, H.

Tara and her many interests! Drawn by a dear friend, H.

That makes complete sense to me. As a writer, I try to write what I know. What I know are: English literature, classical music, Japanese animes, video games, technology, and many other things that all come into my fanworks creation. When I write about sadness and depression, I think of my own sad memories and put myself into that state, which helps me find the appropriate words. Same thing for happiness — I think of the happiest times of my life, and bring those abstract concepts into words. To me, knowledge and experience are power, and that is why I read and watch what I can because the plot and characters I see in books, video games, and other medium gives me new ideas. I partake in doing new experiences like trying new cuisine and going to new places because what I do only empowers my creative process, and like a tool, it helps me create new stories and ideas mixed with what I know and feel and my perceptions. That’s what my fanfics do, it tells a familiar story using familiar characters, but with a twist of my own contributions.

And I will continue to read new things and go on new adventure. I want to always expand on what I know since there are infinite number of things out in the world I can learn and consume to my own pleasure. Japan is my happy place, but I’ve only been to Tokyo, so I will remedy that one day by visiting other parts of Japan like Osaka and Kyoto. There are plenty of food I’ve been wanting to try and will do so when the opportunity comes. There are always new books, games, movies, and shows for me to consume, and there will always be new stories for me to try and tell. All of this is a neverending cycle, a cycle I will encourage with the children and youth I work with. I enjoy introducing them to new things and encouraging them to try new skills. And as an adult mentor, I will continue to encourage ways to expand on their creativity and will always work on expanding my own creative process, too.

Reference: Henriksen, D., Mishra, P., & The Deep-Play Research Group. (n.d.) Twisting knobs and connecting things: Rethinking technology & creativity in the 21st century. Retrieved from http://punya.educ.msu.edu/cep818/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/TechTrends.Mishra.7.26.2013.pdf