You Don’t Need Inspiration

10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki gives a glimpse into the creative process of the legendary director while working on “Ponyo.” One surprising insight in the documentary is that Miyazaki doesn’t watch other films. As a filmmaker, I assumed he was a voracious consumer of other films as a way to improve his own taste.

This contradicts common advice from other artists and my personal beliefs about fostering creativity. I previously thought that exposing oneself to top-tier work was crucial for refining one’s taste.

So, what inspires Miyazaki? In a later episode, he’s seen in a car filming with a camcorder to capture potential moments of inspiration. In another scene, feeling creatively stuck, he retreats to the countryside, spending a few days gazing at the ocean.

Other films don’t inspire Miyazaki, instead he’s inspired by nature, by people, by every day life.