Kalin Law: On Creativity
Marianna
What creative projects are you most proud of?
Kalin
I am most proud of the art event, Tokyo Lovehotels we created. I and my friend Robin Rastenberger created this event because we both are artists (I make t-shirts and he is a singer), and we understand the struggle. You have your passion for art, but it 's hard to be recognized or make money, so we continue with our day jobs and constantly unsure if you should even continue pursuing art.
Often, when you have a popup for your brand, we have to pay for space or give back a percentage of the profit to the venue. As an artist making t-shirts, I hated that idea and just decided to host a pop-up event on my own, and asked Robin to sing during the event. We did the event and continued with these events gradually adding more artists while offering a free space to do their popups, or exhibit their works or whatever.
Now, Tokyo Lovehotels has become a full-blown event with many artists, DJs, food, and hundreds of people coming to enjoy a night of art. We are able to encourage artists to keep doing their thing, and even encourage people to start doing art or learn to DJ because at Tokyo Lovehotels we will welcome and share a platform with you. The love and support we have gotten through these events, and the motivation we have given artists, make me very proud.
Marianna
How would you describe your creative process?
Kalin
I think about my ideas for a long time. I want to be more spontaneous and that's something I'm working on. But naturally, I give a good amount of time to plan out what I want to create. But somehow during the middle of creating, things change and I start to get spontaneous.
Marianna
What does creativity mean to you?
Kalin
Creativity means not having fear.
Marianna
Do you have a routine for entering into a creative headspace?
Kalin
I try to be involved in the culture and make it a routine to stay in touch by listening to music, reading books, and watching documentaries. I tend to get ideas from words and phrases. Sometimes a word or a lyric will stand out to me and give me a visual idea of what I want to create. For example, I get an attraction to a certain word and incorporate the exact word with an image. I mainly do airbrush t-shirts, and there was a time I used the word "Paradise" a lot with different visuals. I even ended up tattooing the word on my arm lol.
Marianna
Do you have habits you've built for yourself to foster creativity?
Kalin
I don't think I have a habit, art is a part of my life constantly. But I do make sure I have time alone with no distractions where my thoughts can wander and come together. My best ideas often came while taking a shower lol.
Marianna
Where do you think ideas come from?
Kalin
Ideas come when we can be honest with our creative self and there is no fear.
Marianna
When do your best ideas hit you?
Kalin
In the shower. I'm not really sure why, but I think when in the shower I can reflect on the thoughts and my mind wanders everywhere. I zone out in the shower. And I can feel like I'm getting closer and closer to a good idea. I like water a lot -I grew up by the beach, and feel the most at peace by water.
So maybe that plays a part with why I can feel free to let my mind wander then reach a solution. All in like 15 minutes. That's how I first came up with the idea of the name "Tokyo Lovehotels", which is the art event we have created, that has now established into a full-time job for us.
Marianna
So many creatives are pivoting and finding ways to adjust their creative process during the quarantine.
1) How have you been channeling your creativity during this time?
2) Discover anything new or surprising about yourself?
Kalin
1.) If anything, the quarantine gave me more time to work on my art. My art is mostly sold online, so there was more of a positive outcome regarding my art. More people were online searching for art, so I was able to reach a few more people during the time. As with the art events, that was all on hold for months so it was negatively impacted. We tried to find alternative ways to keep going, like designing and selling new merch, doing podcasts, and creating brand gifs. It wasn't easy, but at least we were able to have content and keep our brand going.
2.) I discovered and was able to reassure myself that I do art regardless if business is good or bad. Art is a part of my life, and helped me stay focused, in touch with the world, and pass time during quarantine! It also gave me a reality check of how important it is to keep innovating because things can go down at any time.
Marianna
Art and creativity reflect the current culture.
How an artist wields the power to tell stories can be an effective act of rebellion.
How have you been creating in the current cultural climate?
Kalin
Art is a silent expression we can use to rebel. And it is so relieving to be able to do this. Sometimes I feel an objection toward creating something because of the culture because it feels like hype. But when there is a message that needs to be expressed and supported, I definitely use art to show where I stand.
I like to use double meanings, contradictions, or subtle messages, so maybe some won't understand what I'm portraying, but to me and some others, it will make sense. I'm currently working on an airbrush piece supporting the black lives matter protest, without using the term "black lives matter."
Marianna
What unexpected turns did your life take to lead you to become who you are today?
Kalin
Lots of heartbreak, lots of feeling getting fired from jobs, lots of feeling out of place, lots of frustration, and lots of hard work.
Marianna
What sources of inspiration do you use to foster creativity in your work?
Kalin
I have favourite artists and a favourite period in art, which is the DADA movement, but I keep that more as a definition of who I am rather than inspiration.
I get inspiration from seeing my friends and people online doing their thing. There are so many young kids that are so talented and I am always amazed.
Organizing our Tokyo Lovehotels event where we have artists doing pop-ups and exhibits, DJing, and such, I get inspired every time. Everybody is following their passions, and really putting in time and energy to creating things, and seeing that keeps me going as well.
Marianna
How do you make sense of chaos in your life?
Kalin
Reading books, meditation, and art. Reading helps me understand how to face chaos, meditation helps me forgive and let go of chaos, and art helps me express and distract my emotions.
Marianna
Why do you think people get stuck on problems?
Kalin
People get stuck on problems because of fear. Fear makes us expect things, and it takes time to forgive yourself and let go. It's not an easy thing to do, it takes practice to align your emotions positively to receive positive outcomes.
Marianna
What advice would you offer those struggling with creative blocks?
Kalin
Get in touch with the outside world! Go take a walk, go talk to friends, or just try listening to music you don't usually listen to, watch a random documentary. Get exposed to something different. If it doesn't help at that moment, it will help unexpectedly on a different day. Take your time and don't be scared.
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About Kalin Law:
Kalin Law is an Event Organizer, an Airbrush Artist, a DJ, and Co-Founder of Tokyo LoveHotels, an art event organization based in Tokyo, Japan. They gather local and international talents to share a night of art, music, experiences, and love. They support artists by providing a free space for them to sell or exhibit their works. Learn more about Tokyo LoveHotels on Instagram.