The Importance of What Happens Before Ideas Are Born

by Chie Morimoto

ISBN978-4-7631-3384-7

224 pages / April, 2015 / 1,500 yen (w/o tax)

Recommended by Yumi Matsutoya!
For the first time, the highly renowned art director explains her "creation methods."

Description

Chie Morimoto is an energetic art director who has produced album art and advertisements for Japanese pop groups such as Mr. Children, Yuzu, and a multi-talented musician Yumi Matsutoya. She is involved in many media outlets, having worked as art director on commercials for Suntory’s Boss Silky Black coffee and Canon’s Mirrorless EOS M camera. She also works as a radio personality. This book reveals the ways of thinking, philosophy, and method of creation that have allowed Chie Morimoto to enjoy the success she’s had in such a wide variety of activities.

From the table of contents

– Always Turn Important Things into Color and Music
– Ideas are Born After a Thorough Consultation with Oneself
– Learn to Let Go and Make Use of the Power of Others
– How to Wring Your Ideas to the Last Drop
– Avoid Strict Form and Keep Boundaries Vague
– Morimoto’s Method of Starting and Finishing the Day
– If You Turn It into Music, You’ll Never Forget the Feeling
– Crazy People Change the World and the Workplace
– Remember the Path That Brought You to Where You Are
– Cultivate the Soil and Work from the Roots
– Fail Many Times Before Knowing What’s Real
– Things Will Change if You Maintain Interest
– Find Something New Lying in the Past

From the editor

After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, when many TV commercials were pulled from the air and the music industry was refraining from putting on too many concerts, many celebrities came together to sing songs like “Walk Looking Upwards” and “Look Up at the Night’s Stars” for a TV commercial that was widely aired. There’s no doubt that many people were greatly cheered up by the commercial. Chie Morimoto produced that commercial.

Chie Morimoto was in junior high school when she decided that she wanted to make commercials. She thought, “I want to make commercials, because I could definitely make interesting ones.” From that point, where did her creative ideas come from? Morimoto says that everyone has good ideas, so it’s important to not judge yourself by calling them boring, but rather let them see the light of day. This book is essential for anyone aiming for a career in the arts, but it is also useful to everyone as it provides insight into bringing more creativity into your life and workplace.

Author

Chie Morimoto

Chie Morimoto is the supervisor of goen°, an art director, communications director, artist, and traveller born on April 26, 1976, in Misawa City of Aomori Prefecture and raised in Tokyo. After graduating from Musashino Art University, she published Make Your Encounters. Bring Your Dreams to Life and Make Connections in 2007 with the help of Hakuhodo Creative Box and became the supervisor of goen°. She then produced a commercial for Suntory’s Boss Silky Black coffee and the opening for NHK’s morning television series “Teppan.” She was also the art director on an album by Japanese pop group Mr. Children, and has done art direction for Yumi Matsutoya’s concert performances and albums. She has won many awards, including the New York ADC Award, the Tokyo ADC Award, the One Show gold prize, the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival gold prize, the 5th ACC CM Festival Best Art Direction Award ,and the 2011 Nikkei WOMAN award for Woman of the Year. She was the first female and the youngest winner of the Juzo Itami Award, previously won by the likes of Shigesato Itoi and Tamori. She also helps out behind the scenes as a member of ADC, JAGDA, and TDC and gives back to the community as an affiliate professor at Musashino Art University.