“Get a hobby. It might change your life.”
Although many people who know me would agree that I’ve always been curious, shown genuine interest in things, and always have been excited to learn something new, I’ve never been able to connect the dots on why I think the way I do. Until recently that is, or really within the last few years of following my creative passion in building a business. As a creative starting a business, I always think about vision, mission, value proposition, brand voice, and all the other buzzwords that I inform my clients on. So when it came to thinking of my own, it really forced me to stop and reflect, about who I am now, and how I came to be the creative everyone sees today.
Now let’s take a few steps back and follow the journey of a much younger me, a boy who grew up in one of the most beautiful places in the world: Honolulu, Hawaii. Both of my parents are architects (my dad also chose to become a general contractor and start his own business, which my mom later joined). With a successful business and two kids, babysitting duties often fell to my grandparents (on my dad’s side). Without giving an entire biography of their lives my grandparents both loved multiple creative endeavors like sewing, cooking, baking, ceramics, literature, art, gardening, agriculture, music, international cinema/film, etc. (essentially everything creative you could possibly think of). This led to a childhood full of curiosity and enrichment. Cooking or baking in the kitchen, strolling through contemporary art museums, and listening to Yo-Yo Ma on the way home from school. For most, that would be considered a highly unusual childhood but for me, that was a typical week. As you can imagine, this upbringing fostered a huge amount of curiosity in me at a young age. What could an 8 year old do with all of this fascinating information besides ask questions? So questions were asked, new discoveries were made and exciting passions developed.
As I’ve reflected on everything my grandparents shared with me and exposed me to, I’ve found the tagline that I’ve used to represent my business “Live Curiously”. In a broad sense, living curiously is exactly that, living with a sense of curiosity or wonderment, much like the younger version of myself, learning about new, exciting things from my grandparents.
Live Curiously
Circling back to what it means to us at Nobuo Creative, “Live Curiously” is all about embracing the excitement of discovery, taking inspiration from anywhere, and always being eager to learn something new. Each client is an opportunity for us to learn more, discover new things, and encourage them to think differently. We listen more attentively, ask better questions, and show genuine interest in a client’s brand. My clients often talk about how involved I am as a creative director and owner. I’m not just here to pitch you, provide guidance to my team and then check out until the final presentation of assets. Part of what I enjoy most about owning my own business is that I get to choose who my clients are and therefore I can fully involve myself with the intricacies and nuances of their industry.
“Live Curiously” is more than just a tagline to us. It’s something that shaped my upbringing and set the foundation for my creative career. It’s my motivation and inspiration. It’s why we care so much about our clients and brands we work with. And lastly, why we encourage all of our clients to embrace their creative spirit, continue to explore, and never stop asking “what if?”.
To Vic + Cleo. I hope you’re watching and I hope you’re proud.
Learn more about the importance of “Living Curiously” and how it influences creativity here.
