are we more creative?

bomb · Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 3

do you think being bought up in two cultures has made BBCs more creative and therefore more likely to persue a career in the arts field? compared to the straight chinese are BBCs more thought provoking when it comes to design and new ideas...im a graphic designer and wondered if BBCs are different and have this different way of working due to the mix of traditional values of being bought up at home and british society.

Guest · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 10:36 pm Post subject:

People from mix backgrounds and traditions, are generally more open to new forms of expression.

It has more to do with the exposure as a child, growing up simultaneously between two contrasting cultures. Its certainly an advantage and can be a disadvantage at the same.

You are probably good at working eclectically and laterally, but may find difficulties going through traditional design process and approaches for example?

Have a look at this website - www.connectingflights.org
It looks at the emerging and innovative ways in which diaspora communities use this as a source of inspiration to connect things, potentially creating new forms of Art, giving a different perspective to the way we envisage everyday life.

For a graphic designer it is certainly an advantage...

bomb · Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 3

you seem to be pretty certain that people from mixed backgrounds will be a certain way, more open to new ideas, expression etc...is this from purely from personal experiences and exposure as a child to these cultures or do you think that there are theorists, anthropologists or whatever that have evidence and theories that will backup some of these ideas?

Guest · Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2003 2:12 pm Post subject: Rey Chow ‘Writing Diaspora’

There have been studies taken place, have a look at the book by Rey Chow ‘Writing Diaspora’. There is much more, though I have not made a thorough search.

tenpence · Joined: 24 Feb 2003 Posts: 174

isn't it also about career paths? perhaps BBC's don't have to go so much into traditional fields?

Guest · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2003 10:30 pm Post subject:

Traditional areas of work are constantly changing, the work place is becoming more and more multicultural, which can have a profound affect on the type of work you get involved with.

But yeh BBC’s don’t tend to veer towards those traditional areas, and career paths is a certainly a major deciding factor too. Not sure exactly why BBCs don't opt for the traditional route?

Coming from a mix background, whether its Scottish and English for example, I feel wouldn’t necessarily make an individual more creative, but more to do with the way how you perceive things and that could be an advantage, to be able to see and experience things from both ends.

sp · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 218

I don't believe coming from two cultures means you automatically become more creative. I think it's more to do with your inate talent and personal desire to be creative. If you have that talent and desire, then the 'two cultures effect' come into play and gives you a different perspective. In creative fields this can be a real benefit. The mix of cultures has all sorts of benefits but I think it's a generalization to say it makes us 'more creative'.

In terms of career paths, I would say we are *less* likely, not more likely, to pursue a creative career, mainly because many Chinese kids are discouraged from doing so by their parents, who prioritize job stability and financial security over artistic or creative expression. For example, my own parents were not particularly keen for me to pursue a career in the film industry. I also think the HKChinese society many of us originate from is not one that enccourages creativity or artistry either, but instead focusses on wealth generation, imho.

Guest · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 3:12 pm Post subject:

Job stability and financial security over artistic and creative expression are pretty good points SP.

Generally the Chinese community in the UK are made up of a majority from the working class - the Takeaway Industry. It probably has something to do with this point-of-view, the experiences which influences the motivation from Chinese parents?

People or a society who tends to veer towards the creative field, are the ones who have reached a stage where they are either financially or socially stable, comfortable with themselves. The ‘insecurity’ is removed and they want to enjoy culture. Look at the Europeans for example, there has been much encouragement since the Renaissance era. The Art scene is still pretty much alive and thriving.

Chinese culture in the other hand, has been and is still ‘holding’ itself, fragmented and subverted by US/European/Japanese Imperialism for the previous 300 years+. Sliced up left, right, and centre, for example Tianamen, the former HK colony, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, the ancient city of Nanking, and the remaining Taiwan issue.

It is just a reflection of the experiences and possibly the deeper reason for Chinese parents to discourage their children from the creative field and to build on and seek greater stability, where they have very little. Sorry for delving into samples of history and politics, but I felt those things mattered.

The same here, there wasn’t so much encouragement from my Vietnamese-Chinese parents when I chose to seek the future as a Interaction Designer. I had to work very hard to ‘prove’ that there was stability.

If you look at Chinese Artist back in the 17th & early 18th century. It was a positive thing to pursue, Traditional Chinese Artist, Designers, and Architects were ground-breaking and internationally renowned.

In Chinese culture ‘Creativity’ tend to be seen as a form of ‘Entertainment & Pleasure’, and not so much for intellectual and academic purposes, unlike in Europe. Not sure why? In Switzerland a job with a regular income is highly respected, much more than a job with an irregular income.

Possibly there is less focus and not so much seen as a vital ‘process’ to resolve or propose problems, for example Designers in the electronic products field, look at how technology can help improve peoples lives, help us do things that are physically impossible, i.e. talk to another person in another country - m0bile ph0ne. Possibly certain cultures view 'creativity', in respect to how it benefits them?

I agree, creativity has more to do with your innate talent and personal desire and not so much with your background. To generalise “are we more creative?” really depends how you perceive the subject(?).

Maybe “are we more creative?” really questions “how does British-Chinese culture perceive creativity?” or “What do Chinese parents think about creativity?”

amyip · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 25 Location: London

Guest · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 7:49 pm Post subject:

Why do they dissuade you from wanting to become an actor, and their wish for you to become a lawyer?

amyip · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 25 Location: London

Guest · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 8:41 pm Post subject:

These are very interesting point you have made.

Chinese parents have to be comfortable and thoroughly understand your ambitions in their eyes. Secondly it has to be steady and has a stable path.

I have felt this too, and realised the best way is to take lots of time explaining it to them in detail until they are comfortable with your ambitions.

You are the second British-Chinese actor I have ever met, and there are not many. If you don’t mind me asking, what type of acting work have you done?

amyip · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 25 Location: London

The work I have done is mostly theatre based but I am just starting on doing some screen work at the moment to flesh out my CV.

I have explained tirelessly to my parents what my ambitions are and what they entail but they simply do not grasp what it is I do. The main bone of contention is money. In the first few years as an actor, it is like one long work experience where you get little or no pay, my parents assume that because my acting work does not yet fully support me, I must be wasting my time. They do not realise that I am getting on ok and I know what I am doing. I've been wanting to do this since I was four years old, in earnest since I was 11 and they still haven't got used to it yet. I've now decided not to spend so much time trying to explain it to them and instead just get on with what I need to do and hopefully this will win them over.

Guest · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:53 pm Post subject:

You will win them over, once you step off the stage at the Oscars, just joking!

If you had the opportunity to get involved in film, what type of role or type of film would you like to pursue?

amyip · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 25 Location: London

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