DAY7 PROJECTS FAIR / TSG Creative-LAB. | ASIBA

One particularly striking point discussed was the notion that “there are strong preconceptions about what a startup should look like.”

• The larger the funding raised, the better
• Scaling up as quickly as possible is the only way to succeed
• It’s taken for granted that products should be finished as quickly as possible and launched onto the market

It is certainly true that aiming for a large-scale business is important. However, such a one-dimensional set of values actually limits our potential.

What really struck me in Haru’s words was the perspective that “a startup is merely one medium for conveying an idea.” It doesn’t have to be a startup. It could be a work of art, an event, a space, a community, research… anything goes, as long as it fits the question at hand.

He also shared the following insight:

“Good artists and good entrepreneurs are actually doing the same thing. They are people who create new value and convey it to the world.”

What matters isn’t choosing the “startup” model from the outset, but finding the medium that best suits the questions you’re grappling with. A startup is just one way to do that. Of course, it’s a powerful tool, and you should use it if necessary. But it could just as easily be a painting, creating a space, conducting research, or building a community.I feel that what truly matters is conveying your message to society in a “form that fits the question.”

That’s why at Creative-LAB., people from diverse backgrounds—including entrepreneurs, artists, designers, architects, and researchers—work together to advance their respective projects.

We don’t start with the form. We seek the form by starting with the question.

I realized once again that this is the fundamental stance underlying Creative-LAB.

Creative-LAB. Cohort 2 Closing Session

During the closing session, we reflected on our respective activities and achievements by answering the “Four Questions.”

Although the content—ranging from art to workshops to products—was diverse, there was a common thread running through every process. It was the flow of “Ask” → “Try” → “A new form emerges.” For example,

• Someone who, while searching for a way for people unaccustomed to creative work to express themselves comfortably, arrived at a workshop format called “Self-Reflection × Art”
• Someone who, while searching for a space where adults could enjoy creative expression, realized that “too much freedom can actually paralyze you” and pivoted toward “accessory making”—a “creative experience with just the right amount of constraints”
• Someone who, driven by questions about a modern world where people forget the very existence of materials, created a product conceived as “a tool for generating questions rather than achieving a specific goal”

With each attempt, the questions became clearer, and the process evolved into a form that better suited them.

This cycle of questioning and practice is by no means easy. Yet it was precisely that burden that transformed people the most over the course of those three months. What was on display wasn’t so much the successful outcomes as it was those three months spent grappling with questions and moving forward despite the uncertainty. I believe that raw, unfiltered process was what generated the energy in the space.

Precisely because we’re in the age of AI, I want to be someone who never gives up on going from 0 to 1

During a talk at the pre-event, Haru-san shared the following insight:

The 0→1 process arises from human sensitivity and physicality. While AI accelerates the 1→100 phase, that initial 0→1 step is still something only humans can do.

These days, you can create images, text, and apps with the click of a button. If you’re not careful, it’s faster and easier to “have something created for you” than to “think for yourself.”

However, while using AI to shape ideas is convenient, the questions themselves can only arise from our own sensibilities. The moment we let go of those questions, doesn’t our creative work or project cease to be “our own”?

That’s precisely why

• keep asking yourself, “Why do I want to do this, again?”
• Seeking feedback from new perspectives and letting it challenge you
• and rebuilding it even if the prototype doesn’t work—are what matter most.

It’s not efficient, and it may seem like a detour. But this is the “0 to 1” phase—a process only humans can achieve. At a time when spaces for stoically working through that 0 to 1 process on your own are rapidly disappearing, “Creative-LAB.” can be seen as a “Creative Gym” where you train your brain.

Startups aren’t the only answer. Three months to find the right fit for your question

Creative LAB. Cohort 3: Now Accepting Applications

Creative LAB. is currently accepting applications for its 3rd cohort. This isn’t just a space “for people who want to start a business.”

Art, community, research, events, products, services… You’re free to create whatever form you choose, and it’s okay if that form changes along the way. You can even stay in the “exploration” phase—before anything takes shape. What we’re truly looking for isn’t the type of output, but your mindset.

• People who want to engage with their own “questions” without letting go of them
• People who want to try new approaches while leveraging their expertise and interests
• People who, even if their ideas are still vague, have the determination to take the first step

These are the kinds of people we hope to meet in our third cohort. Creative-LAB. aims to be a place where you can first “try out” not only the medium of business but also the mediums of creative works, spaces, communities, and research.It doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur, an artist, a researcher, a designer, or a student. We want to work alongside people who value being “explorers” above any title.

The deadline is January 9.

In what way does your question seek to connect with the world? We’d be delighted to accompany you on that journey.