“It’s about the journey, not the destination.” These words circulate our society, encouraging people that the process is more important than the outcome. This is especially important in realms of creativity, because focusing too much on the finished creative product (which is often a result of extrinsic motivation) and not enough on the joy being creative brings us — our intrinsic motivation — can not only inhibit our creativity but also cause us to fall out of love with our creative outlets.
What happens, then, when the creative product IS the journey? Austin Kino can tell you. A Hawai`i boy born and raised, Kino is the founder of Holokino Hawai`i and a crewmember and apprentice navigator on the Hōkūleʻa, a Hawaiian wayfinding canoe. If you’ve seen the movie Moana, you’ll have a very basic understanding of what wayfinding is. Essentially, it is non-instrument celestial navigation. In other words, it is using only the sun, moon, stars, elements, and other natural forces to traverse the ocean — no modern devices, not even a map or GPS. It is how the first Hawaiians arrived in the islands from other Pacific islands.
Up until relatively recently, wayfinding was almost an entirely lost art, abandoned by a rapidly changing technological world. I cannot go into detail about the history of wayfinding and its revival, or this would become an entire book, but if you are interested, the Polynesian Voyaging Society has some great resources to learn more! Instead, I will focus on Kino himself.
Austin Kino used his love of the ocean and water-related activities to guide his life and career path. He turned this love and passion for wayfinding into a lifestyle by founding Holokino Hawai`i, a Hawaiian canoe sailing experience for visitors and kanaka alike. Guest voyagers are guided by the Hawaiian crew and learn the basic skills needed for wayfinding. Through this company, not only is he keeping the art of wayfinding alive but also sharing it with others and expanding their appreciation for the ocean and the creative genius of our ancestors. It is an authentic experience, not one that has been appropriated and mutilated for the sake of profit, as most tourist experiences in Hawai`i are. Moreover, the company in itself is an example of creativity — Kino takes a practice which, 50 years ago, was almost entirely extinct from the world, and turns it into an engaging and completely new experience to share with others. In my opinion, a middle/pro-C, Kino championed the culture-product relationship of the creative triangle we’ve discussed time and time again in class. He learned from the field, from the wayfinders who came before him, particularly navigator Nainoa Thompson, and went forth to expand wayfinding so that it was not simply limited to the field.
I would argue that wayfinding requires immense creativity — particularly in terms of problem solving, learning from failure, collaboration, and adapting to an ever-changing environment. Kino himself emphasizes the importance of collaboration, citing “the ability to get along and work with other people” as the most critical skill needed onboard the Hōkūleʻa. Teamwork, understanding, forgiveness, humility, and more are all essential to a successful voyage. It seems to me, then, that Kino and the rest of the crewmembers are better at managing these necessities than some of our other Big-C creatives. Perhaps because they are forced to create together, whereas the Big-C's often stood alone, they are better able to collaborate.
And so, while it is often a universal given that a product must come out of creativity, Austin Kino is evidence to the contrary. Sometimes, it IS about the journey, not the destination.
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Great job Kahiau! I could only imagine the genius and creativity it takes to do wayfinding, and I love how you connect it to culture and tradition. You brilliantly incorporated class material as well.
ReplyDeleteI really like this perspective on creativity as something to be experienced in collaboration with others, rather than a way to create something that can be bought or sold. Kino's intrinsic motivation is very evident here, and I love that he was able to revive the art of wayfinding and preserve this piece of culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Meghan said! I feel like too often in this day and age we get caught up with the utility of everything we create... any creative product becomes a mechanism of economy, taking away from the intrinsic value of the experience making it. I am inspired by Kino's ability to use the world around him in his own creativity.
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