In times of change, return to your roots. A copywriter's approach to interpreting "your own work."

Hello, I'm copywriter Hirotaro Abe.

This might be sudden, but let me ask you something.

What kind of work are you doing right now?

I imagine many readers of Web Dentsu Inc. are currently engaged in some kind of work. While I wrote "work," I'm referring to activities you dedicate your time to. For students, I believe academics can also be considered work.

From morning till night. Think about what you pour your time into daily, what you do habitually. As days pile up, that vivid sense of new beginnings inevitably fades.

Getting used to your work is good, but it also means the excitement gradually diminishes. Even though you chose it yourself, sometimes you get worn down by relationships or the tasks at hand and lose sight of why you're doing this now. I'd like to use the opening question as an exercise to help you remember why you're doing this work again.

First, take a deep breath, straighten your posture, and ask yourself:

How do I, myself, perceive my work?

When I dig deep into my heart's well with this question, I believe it overflows with feelings.

The initial feelings, a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
The goals I secretly held.
And then, ambition and aspiration.

Gather those feelings, gaze upon them, touch them, embrace them, and give them names that feel right to you. Doing so allows you to return to your roots and gain a sense of inner order. Furthermore, I believe it will make it easier to introduce your work to others.

Copywriter → Merchant of Words

I'll take the lead in sharing my interpretation of my job. My job is copywriter. What image comes to mind when you hear "copywriter"?

Someone who writes stylish words?
Someone who delivers clever lines like a comedian?
Someone who writes the words in ads?

That's exactly what I used to think. I want to call out my past self for asking "What's so stylish about that?", but before becoming a copywriter, I only had a super vague, superficial image.

Working in the field, I came to realize this: Copywriters handle the words everyone uses every day without thinking. They choose words, polish words, and gift words. As a result, they connect people, create business, and drive the economy. And so I gave it this name:

A copywriter is a "merchant of words."

I believe a little romance is necessary when talking about work. The drama lies in how you interpret it. It's okay to feel proud of the sweat on your brow.

Naming your own work brings out a hundred different interpretations.

Here, I present 100 interpretations of "naming one's own work" from workshops I've conducted at universities and companies. I hope you'll feel the diversity of these hundred unique perspectives, and I'd be delighted if you viewed them through the lens of "How would I name it?"

Quoted from 'That Might Be an Arbitrary Assumption? Practicing "Interpretation" Unbound by Someone Else's Right Answer' P.88,89

Quoted from 'That Might Be an Arbitrary Assumption? Practicing "Interpretation" Unbound by Someone Else's Correct Answer' P.90,91

I find myself repeatedly looking at the 100 "interpretations of work" lined up in a row. My imagination keeps expanding toward jobs I didn't know about. Just from their names, I can feel the passion they have for their work, and it gets me excited.

"Life is better with variety than with everything rosy."

A friend wrote that on a New Year's card they sent me when I was in college. It reminded me of how they taught me that a life full of variety is more fun than one painted in a single color.

Even if it's the same job, people perceive it differently. I think that's precisely what makes it interesting. Just as everyone has a unique outlook on life, there are truly diverse perspectives on work, and there's a happiness in being able to sense that.

The product of you and the work before you creates a word unique in the world. A word earned through your own physical experience, beyond society's "this is how it should be" image. To gather the material for naming, we ask questions repeatedly, collecting memories.

From the reason you started the job, to the joys and hardships, the motivations that sustain you, and what you aim for beyond that? You interview yourself, from the beginning to the end. For example, I think it's good to ask yourself questions like these:

Why did you start this work? 
What joyful moments have you experienced?
What difficult moments have you faced?
What motivates you? 
What are you aiming for through your work?

Then, rephrase it. Search for imagery. Play an association game. Think of wordplay.

I believe thinking and creating are fundamentally about asking questions of yourself. It's enough just to ask yourself questions and write down whatever comes to mind. Little by little, your own unique perspective on work will surely emerge.

Then, what happens? Through each name you decide on, even while hesitating, your familiar work might start to look a little fresh. Naming things fosters affection. For some, it might even become a trigger to realize not just their current job, but the work they truly want to do.

"Hey, That Might Just Be Your Own Assumption! Practicing 'Interpretation' Unbound by Someone Else's Answers"
Discover Twenty-One, 288 pages, ¥1,650 (tax incl.) ISBN 978-4799327371

The work you chose yourself. Your feelings toward that work change day by day. Now, choose your words carefully for the work you consciously selected. In your busy daily life, make time to turn your attention to your own feelings. By building on this, I believe you can create days you can live with satisfaction.

I've written about methods for interpreting your present, past, and future in my book, 'Hey, That Might Just Be Your Own Assumption! '. Please take a look. I truly believe you'll find hints that lighten your heart and make you look forward to tomorrow.

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