CREA-Zine Vol.1 - Yesterday’s Farewell, Tomorrow’s New Beginning
Tomorrow arrives
And a new beginning arises.
Let us say farewell,
to the yesterdays left bygone.
CREA-Zine. Volume 1
January 2025
(For the best viewing experience, we recommend reading the article in "desktop view")
I. Hello! 👋
You may be asking yourself, what is this page? 🤔
Well, its a good time for us in CREABA to formally introduce our newsletter: CREA-Zine!
Our CREA-Zine is CREABA’s monthly digital newsletter/magazine. 📑 It aims to stay connected to CREABA community activities, as well as showcase and archive creative individual’s work in a tangible form.
This Zine has been in the works for a few months, 🗓️ and after some (gentle) pushing from our little team, we’ve finally took it upon ourselves to launch the first edition.
Expect some mishaps, experimentation and perhaps even a few embarrassing flops as we launch this new project. We’re always hoping to improve and develop, and we hope that this Zine will be able to bring some joy and insight to our community members and beyond. 🌱
Thank you for sticking with us, and we hope you’ll have a wonderful year ahead!
II. 2024 Year Recap
2024 was a year full of new beginnings for CREABA! 🌟 After our launch in January, we hosted 13 events—9 online and 4 offline—connecting with creative minds from all over, including Japan (Tokyo, Oita, Okayama, Kobe, Fukuoka, Shiga) and beyond (Vietnam, Indonesia, France, Germany, the US). 🌏
We were so lucky to partner with 23 amazing organizations and speakers, who shared their expertise to make each event engaging and inspiring. 🙌 Also, our Discord community grew to 211 members! 🎉
All of our events were part of the CREA-Build series, where we focused on hands-on workshops to help creative minds discover their superpowers, build skills, and grow their creative confidence for a brighter future. 🚀
As we say goodbye to an unforgettable year, here’s a brief recap of each event we organized:
March 2024
How I Landed my first Creative Internship in Japan (Online): As CREABA’s first event, this engaging panel discussion featured four inspiring speakers sharing their journeys into Japan's creative industries, covering advertising, media, videography, graphic, and UX/UI design. Participants gained practical insights, tips, and the motivation to kickstart their creative dreams in Japan.
Exploring UI/UX Career in Japan (Online): This event featured Emory Takagi, a seasoned Lead Product Designer, who shared her journey and practical tips for breaking into Japan's UI/UX industry. Participants left inspired by her mentorship, creative projects, and actionable advice for navigating the design field.
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
III. CREA-Core Reflections
To celebrate the end of 2024 and the arrival of 2025, the CREA-Core Team reflected upon their year. Take a peak at what the team thinks of their year! (And get a song recommendation along the way).
Mika - Social Media Marketing Manager
Mika's Message to the CREABA Community: “Thank you everyone for always supporting CREABA and our endeavors! Stay cozy during the break and I’ll be looking forward to seeing everyone in our future events!”
Leah - Outreach Coordinator
Leah's Message to the CREABA Community: "Thank you for your unwavering support throughout the year. Your patience, passion, and support have strengthened our connections. Wishing you a wonderful year filled with new adventures and growth."
Annie - Founder
Annie's Message to the CREABA Community: "Creativity is intelligence having fun. Let’s have fun with CREABA."
Han - Learning Designer
Han's Message to the CREABA Community: “2024 has been an eventful and amazing year, thanks to everyone’s continuous support for CREABA and for each other. Next year, let’s co-create an even more connected, supportive, curious community at CREABA!”
Debora - Content Designer
Debora's Message to the CREABA Community: "Thank you so much for being a part of CREABA’s journey so far. We have a bunch of exciting things planned and I hope you all will continue to co-create with us! In the meantime, rest well and happy holidays!!!🥳"
IV. Community Showcase
As per business as usual, we will showcase all our community submissions in this section ✨ This edition, we feature the work of two wonderful creators; be sure to give their work some love 💕
Japanese Sakura
By Khanh Toan Nguyen
Medium: Digital Photography
Description/Author's Comments:
I took this photo at Yufuin, Oita, Japan during the peak season of sakura blossom. With a film camera and a roll of Fujifilm Xtra 400, I tried to replicate the look of classic Japanese paintings (though I quite failed with that haha). I love the photo so much, it brings me the beauty of Japan I have missed for so long. And this particular photo contrasts so much with my other photos. This one is calm, soothing, and aesthetically pleasing, while my other ones are grudge B&W photos of the street.
All in
By Mika Datyana
Medium: Short Story with Illustration
“Dean, we can’t just skip class.”
“Why not?”
It was infuriating how nonchalant he can be sometimes.
When it came to Dean, I often found myself wondering which annoyed me more; his nonchalance, or his uncanny ability to never break character. Then again, I suppose his nonchalance is a part of his character.
“Because we pay tuition for school.” I reasoned. “And we’ll be graduating in a few months. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be held back because of attendance.”
“It’s just one class.” Dean retorted, his tone as plain and dry as my own. “You’re acting like we’re not the top contenders for valedictorian for our year.”
I forgot how difficult he is to reason with sometimes.
Truth be told, there are a lot of things about Dean that I forget. Sometimes, I forget that he holds himself up to high standards, and that his achievements are a direct product of that mindset. I forget that despite his infuriating personality, he’s a reasonable person who doesn’t force his way through things.
Sometimes, I forget that we go to the same school together, even after all these years. I forget that we were once close as children, and that we experienced the same loss while growing up.
“Risa.”
Upon Dean’s voice, I looked up from my feet. He was still wearing the same flat expression, the same pair of hazel eyes that remains unchanging after all these years.
“Are you coming or not?”
He’s distracting. Even now, while he was leaning against his motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket over his rumpled uniform, all I could think about was how much taller he is now compared to when we were both seven years old.
“... Fine.” I finally relented. I didn’t know if it was because I’ve secretly made up my mind even before I talked to him, or if it was because something compelled me to agree. “But just for the record, I’m not all in.”
“You don’t have to be.”
He passed me the helmet in his hand before he moved to open the trunk to fetch another one. I stared at his back for a bit before I moved my gaze to the helmet in hand. It was larger than the one he just pulled out. This must be the one he usually wears.
It's been a long time since I put on a helmet, an even longer time since I rode a two-wheeled vehicle. In the back of my mind, I recalled a memory from my childhood. Of how I used to walk home from grade school, and how Dean would offer me the passenger seat of his worn down bicycle.
It's been a long time since then. A long time since I’ve been this close in proximity with him.
“Your helmet is crooked.” Dean says suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“It's a bit big.” I reply plainly, still fiddling with the oversized helmet. “I don’t know how to fasten it.”
He stared at me before he carefully reached out for the fastener dangling by the side.
For a moment, my thoughts drew blank, my eyes widening slightly at the sudden proximity. Dean’s movements are quick and efficient, his eyes narrowed as he concentrates on securing the helmet around my head. Once he was done, he pulled back, before either of his hands carefully adjusted the helmet from the outside; his movements slow and careful - as though he was handling something precious.
“There.” His voice startles me. “Better?”
I stared at him through the visors of the helmet; my vision of him as clear as the morning sky.
“Yes.” I replied.
“Good.” He turns around, saddling his motorcycle before he turns to me. “Do you need a jacket?”
I blinked before I shook my head. “It’s fine. I always carry one in my bag.”
He nodded and looked away. It was a simple gesture, but I still felt a tad flustered either way. I quickly adjusted the length fo my skirt before wrapping the jacket around my waist. After making sure it was secure, I carefully hopped on the back seat of his motorbike.
Dean usually goes home with his brother, so it made sense that the motorbike was able to fit two people. It wasn’t too cramped, nor was it scary or uncomfortable.
“Ready?” He asked.
“Mhm.” I nodded. “Drive safely.”
He snorted. “You don’t have to ask.”
The ride is quiet and for some reason, all I could think of was how different this felt compared to all those years ago. Its the same scene, with a different vehicle. It's the same people, but with different experiences.
I suppose we’re not the same children we used to be.
(788 words)
Description/Authors Comments:
A deleted excerpt of a scene from my novel. A conversation between Dean and Risa, as the former persuades her to skip class with him. The latter agrees and finds herself thinking back to their childhood memories that feel so distant from their current situation.
Want to become a contributor to our community showcase?
Be sure to read our submission guidelines before submitting to our next edition!
V. Upcoming Events
As we greet the wonderful year of 2025, CREABA is proud to share with everyone a preview of our regular programs this year!
We'll be launching our first career-design event in these coming months. We're still in the process of designing a program that would best suit our audiences, so please help us out and let us know your preferences as well!
Other than that, we'll be having our first event of 2025 this Month!
Join us for a (Drip) Manifestation Jam 🪩 on Jan 29th, 8:00–9:30 PM JST (online via Butter) and kickstart your year with purpose! 🎨
🌟 What You’ll Do:
Define Your Vision: Discover and outline goals for your career, relationships, and personal growth.
Craft Your 2025 Canvas: Create a vibrant visual representation of your dream year.
Plan Your Path: Turn dreams into reality with actionable strategies and habits.
Harness Manifestation Techniques: Use visualization, affirmations, and gratitude to attract positive change.
💻 Details:
Fee: 500 JPY | 90,000 VND | 55,000 IDR
Language: English
Thank you for reading!
See you in our next edition
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