Hayao Miyazaki | What it means to be an artist

After spending the last week watching every Hayao Miyazaki documentary I could find from "The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness" to "Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki" none gave me a deeper insight into Miyazaki's creative process than "10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki" which taught me invaluable lessons on what it means to be an artist.

Every single Studio Ghibli film from My Neighbor Totoro to The Wind Rises brings something new to the table and that is all thanks to Miyazaki's innovative genius and the incredible team of animators behind him.

[KindaNeet]

New Hayao Miyazaki video! The Road to Genius:

[PeoplesRepublicOfArt]

“I would like to make a film to tell children "it's good to be alive". -Hayao Miyazaki

[bhumi]

"Just because you want to do something doesn't mean you are able to" " You have to keep working until your nose bleeds" these are simple lines yet the most powerful ones as we never stop learning. Aah!

[cosmobane]

His face in the thumbnail radiates huge cosmic-level sensei energy

[kritika]

" the master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried "

[reaganmadole]

As someone who struggles with the fear of failure, hearing: "I never want to regret not trying something. It's better to try and fail." from him, is something I don't think I'll ever forget. It's comforting to know this master of the craft is actively looking for failure instead of avoiding it, which tells me his experience led him to believe more is gained with failing. I know good things come from this perspective, because his films never neglect to take me to worlds that feel so real, I never want them to end. Thanks so much for the video Kinda Neet, it was very insightful!

[madisonauthement]

Hayo miyazaki is one of the few artist who inspires me to fight for my art dreams

[shivamuchiha]

"I never want to regret not trying something. It's better to try and fail" this made me cry, thank you for this video

[WeWillAllReturnToAllahSoon]

Another good reason to love Hayao Miyazaki and studio ghibli is that Hayao was against the invasion of Iraq and bombing of innocent people there.
He didn't go to USA to receive his reward to show that he was against wars and against bloodshed:

“The reason I wasn’t here for the Academy Award was because I didn’t want to visit a country that was bombing Iraq. At the time, my producer shut me up and did not allow me to say that, but I don’t see him around today. By the way, my producer also shared in that feeling.”

[kellyramirez]

One of the things that have stuck with me was in a behind the scenes shot for the movie Spirited Away where he was trying to get his animators to animate Haku falling with Chihiro into the boiler man's room. "Have you ever seen a snake fall from a tree? It wiggles like so and then THUMP!" No one had seen such a thing and he grumbles. Then when he is trying to describe how Chihiro feeds Haku the medicine, he asks "Do any of you have dogs? Ever tried to make them eat medicine?" Again, nope from his team. So he carts them all to the vet and has the vet demonstrate how she pulls the side of the mouth of the dog back and sticks her hand to the throat, then holds it muzzle shut so it can swallow the pill. The snake analogy and feeding a toothed animal medicine translates so well and realistically into the film. It was then that I realised that great masters, from Da Vinci to Miyazaki and David Bowie, they all were on constant observation mode and took what was mundane and turned into into something extraordinary, but keeping it grounded in reality, because as I've heard said before "reality is in truth magical"

[leftyfourguns]

My favorite Miyazaki scene is the first meeting of the dust ball creatures in Spirited Away. Giving life to such mundane inanimate things (literally dust and dirt!) is the greatest glimpse into the depth of his creativity and playfulness. I just imagine he walks around giving different personalities and stories to every object he sees

[enrovi]

"I never want to regret not trying."

I didn't expect this line to hit me so hard. Couldn't help but get teary-eyed. I feel so blessed to have been alive on this Earth at the same time that a legend such as Hayao Miyazaki is.

[epictalks]

I am gonna go and draw till my nose bleed

[skywalker__]

I like this quote from Catcher in the rye: “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
When I was a kid, both of my parents had to work most of the time. And I had to stay home alone a lot. So I watched Ghibli movies on repeat. To the point that I still remember most of the dialogues from Spirited Away, My neighbour Totoro, Kiki’ delivery service and many others. I remember wishing that Hayao Miyazaki was my friend, and that he was making all those amazing films especially for me. So that I would be less lonely. It was a childish idea. But somehow, it helped a lot.

[isabelleliu]

1. Finding inspiration 1:24
2. Confidence ("The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried") 4:26
3. Reality ("sometimes, the only way to create something special is to make attempt after attempt...") 6:13
4. You are your own worst enemy ("Miyazaki believes that talent is a finite resource that gets worn out by use, unless you continue to push yourself into unknown territories") 7:32
5. Finding your purpose ("the most important things in life are hassles") 9:01

[niloofarnavaei]

The most beautiful thing about Myazaki documentary is that Suzuki san is always besides him and supports him. Having a loyal friend and partner in your career is such a blessing.

[ariellekorakas]

i dont know why but i cried the whole time i watched this. hayao miyazaki has made a huge impact in my life and has given art a new meaning for me. he is one of my greatest roll models.

[dominicapm]

Watching his works always makes me want to try new stuff and really pulls me out of the "what if", "I can't" and the " I'm not good enough" void and reminds me why I started drawing and wanted to do animation. I pass complete days trying to analyse his choices and every time I watch his works it never cease to impress me.

[hiimyuu]

I love how he shows that love is really wide and it's not only towards human, it can be towards all living things. I always feel like I want to appreciate nature and animals more everytime I watch his movies.

[avarhinehart]

Everytine I see Miyazaki, I IMMEDIATELY cry and I have no idea why, I am just so spiritually connected to this man, he has such a place in my heart, in my soul, in my art