The Creative Mindset

It’s a given that respect is important in any form of communication, but brands often struggle to keep this in mind when communicating with their audience.On this week’s episode, we welcome back John C Jay, the Creative Chairman at Uniqlo, to take a deep dive into the specifics of his work in Tokyo, his experience working with Japanese CEOs during the transformative era of the 1980s, and how his humble beginnings continue to shape his career. He talks about personal battles with self-confidence and the powerful realization that propelled him to overcome his insecurities. In sharing his past work for Uniqlo, he emphasizes the importance of audience respect and how this is key to localization. He also talks about how not having money is the greatest opportunity for creativity.John C Jay serves as President of Global Creative for Uniqlo and its parent company, Fast Retailing, living and working in Tokyo, Portland, and NYC. Jay has a diverse creative career across disciplines and cultures. He started in journalism, then lifestyle/ fashion marketing as Creative Director for Bloomingdales, followed by 21 years at the iconic creative agency Wieden + Kennedy. There, Jay was a partner and Global Creative Director. During this time, Jay opened the agency's offices in Tokyo and Shanghai. Living in Tokyo, Jay launched Uniqlo's first brand campaign in 1999. Years later, Jay joined Uniqlo's Founder and Chairman, Tadashi Yanai, in 2014 to help the brand evolve into a truly global brand of leadership and influence. Jay was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame and named as one of the top ten "Most influential art directors in the past 50 Years" by Graphic Design USA magazine.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:31 Challenges as a minority00:02:26 Racism, bias, and bigotry lies underneath the surface00:03:56 Career turning points00:06:15 Relocation allows unlearning and rethinking00:10:20 Fundamentally we’re all equal00:12:02 Traveling is humbling and educational00:12:29 Not having money is a great opportunity to be more creative00:13:33 The Fleece Campaign changed Uniqlo and the way brands advertise00:15:01 Localization is respect00:17:51 Three takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How does the power of asking good questions shape one’s approach to creativity and problem-solving?On this week’s episode, we welcome John C Jay, the Creative Chairman at Uniqlo, to hear about his humble beginnings as an Asian immigrant to the United States, how he found his way to pursue creativity as his calling, and the philosophies behind his creativity in work and life. He emphasizes that all problems exist within context and how this ties in with the importance of asking good questions. He also talks about how he overcame lack of experience throughout his career, and the mentality that he has to continue to thrive to this day.John C Jay serves as President of Global Creative for Uniqlo and its parent company, Fast Retailing, living and working in Tokyo, Portland, and NYC. Jay has a diverse creative career across disciplines and cultures. He started in journalism, then lifestyle/ fashion marketing as Creative Director for Bloomingdales, followed by 21 years at the iconic creative agency Wieden + Kennedy. There, Jay was a partner and Global Creative Director. During this time, Jay opened the agency's offices in Tokyo and Shanghai. Living in Tokyo, Jay launched Uniqlo's first brand campaign in 1999. Years later, Jay joined Uniqlo's Founder and Chairman, Tadashi Yanai, in 2014 to help the brand evolve into a truly global brand of leadership and influence. Jay was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame and named as one of the top ten "Most influential art directors in the past 50 Years" by Graphic Design USA magazine.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:02:34 Is creativity nature or nurture?00:05:03 Knowing nothing drives curiosity00:06:48 Critical thinking is elusive00:07:50 Business problems exist in context00:08:40 The question is not what is the answer, but what is the question00:13:35 Remake portfolios for each life opportunity00:15:02 Unlearning and Relearning to stay relevant00:18:24 John C Jay’s secret weapon to outshine the smarter, richer, and more talented00:18:54 Three takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it mean to be creative, and is creativity a privilege reserved for the wealthy?On this episode, we welcome back Dr. John Maeda, former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and current VP of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft, to hear his definition of creativity and his candid thoughts on what it takes to be creative. He also reflects on personal experiences as an Asian American, his childhood idol, Tora-san, and the importance of resilience in building your career.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:14 Is creativity nature or nurture?00:02:55 Creativity is a privilege00:04:31 Advice from a legendary graphic designer: Money gives you the liberty to choose what to do and what not to do00:05:55 Asian American heritage and personal experiences00:11:05 Crossing boundaries to bring people together00:11:55 An actor of integrity00:15:28 Learnings crossing over from academia to business00:18:30 Three takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Working across different disciplines is no easy feat, and requires interdisciplinary knowledge, empathy, and perseverance.On this week's episode, we welcome John Maeda, former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and currently VP of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft, to hear about his experiences as a Japanese American in the US and Japan, pivot from engineer to designer, and his mission as a "bridge person" to help people transcend between disciplines and cultures.John Maeda is an American technologist and product experience leader with a passion for RESILIENCE and renewal. Currently serving as chief technology officer of Everbridge where he leads the company’s long-term technology and product vision, including innovation and IP strategy.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:05:27 John’s Beginnings: The son of a tofuya00:09:30 What was your impression of Japanese designers?00:10:02 Every culture likes to build a wall around itself00:11:15 How did you become a designer?00:14:41 Transitioning from Japan back to the US00:16:00 How would you teach creativity to a “non-creative” person?00:17:13 Artists and designers suffer more, and the root of all interesting design is a good problem.00:19:03 The advantage of being a “bridge person”, seeing all the problems around you and helping to solve these problems00:20:06 Pros and Cons of being a bridge person00:20:59 Three takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We wanted to let our listeners know that we’ll be making a small change to our podcast release schedule. Starting this week, our podcast will be moving to a brand new day of the week. Instead of releasing new episodes on Mondays, you can now look forward to hearing from us every other Thursday. So stay tuned this Thursday to welcome our next guest, John Maeda. Thanks for tuning in!◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The desire to attract people’s attention may just be your powerhouse for creativity, according to Paola Antonelli.On this week’s episode, we welcome back Paola, the Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), to hear about the specifics of her work as a curator, how curiosity can help you stay motivated, and how creativity is like “flowers becoming flagrant to attract bees”.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:14 Key shows in your career?00:02:39 What gives you a creative edge?00:04:10 Creativity is a desire to attract people’s attention, similar to how flowers become flagrant to attract bees00:05:17 Many rejections, but not failures in life00:07:11 What drives your curiosity and motivation?00:11:00 Ideas are a dollar a pound00:13:23 Three takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You could never fully know what life has in store for you. But when it comes to life opportunities, Paola Antonelli shares how being in the "right place" makes a difference.On this week’s episode, we welcome Paola, the Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), to hear about the beginnings of her career, life events that became curation opportunities, personal emotional challenges, and how she found herself overcoming these.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:47 Journey to becoming a curator00:05:40 Finding opportunities to curate a show00:06:00 “It was just being at the right place at the right time, or just being in the right place, period”00:09:21 What are key turning points in your career?00:12:30 Unwelcoming experiences in New York00:15:06 “Depression is a reality and I needed to learn to deal with it”00:17:22 Life advice: “Learn how to surf”00:18:51 Three takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happiness can sometimes feel challenging, or even impossible to attain, in the world we live in. Provided that there may be no single one-size-fits-all solution, what if you could design your own system and focus on what “you” want to make happen?On our episode this week, we welcome back Cindy Gallop, CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, to hear about how a personal midlife crisis became her very opportunity to find a refound conviction, and how she used this to launch her own business to keep herself happy.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:01 Beginnings of MakeLoveNotPorn00:03:27 When free access to porn online and reluctance to talk about sex converge00:04:50 A refound conviction00:06:21 The issue is the reluctance to talk openly about sex in the real world00:28:18 What is the single piece of advice you’d give a young person going into advertising today?00:28:37 Go into any industry to make what “you” want to make happen, happen00:28:50 Advice for youth in any industry: Take a look around to identify what you think is missing or would love to see and start it yourself00:29:36 If you want to be happy, design your own system 00:32:03 3 key takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rei speaks with Cindy Gallop, former founder of BBH New York and current founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, which launched at TED 2009 - ‘Pro-sex. Pro-porn. Pro-knowing the difference’. Today, Cindy pushes to socialize and normalize sex to make it easier to talk about and promote good sexual values and behavior.In this episode, our guest Cindy shares her work philosophy to attain key career milestones, her choices as a leader to enable creativity to flourish within a corporate team, and how a personal midlife crisis led to one of the best decisions in her life.◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we welcome back Ian Spalter, the Director of Metaverse Design at Meta, to discuss how introducing a “state of play” in the workplace is key to creativity, whether talent is nature or nurture, Japan through Ian's eyes, and challenges as a Black designer.Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:55 How do you encourage an organization to be more creative?08:30 Is creativity nurture or nature?10:58 “Play” helps reduce the fear of making mistakes and leaves space for experimentation11:54 Areas of creativity in Japan and vice versa15:12 Observations about businesses and culture in Japan?19:55 Challenges as a minority and how to overcome them23:53 Advice for the youth in Japan25:48 Rei’s Three Key Takeaways◆Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reiinamoto/◆Twitterhttps://twitter.com/reiinamotoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.