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Video screenshot via NHK

If you feel like there’s a mental hurdle in front of you that seems impossible to lift, don’t let that defeat you, as it happens to the best of everyone. Even the creative genius that is Hayao Miyazaki has his moments too.

In 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki, a four-part documentary by Japanese broadcaster NHK that’s been released for free online, viewers are given an intimate look at the workings of the esteemed Studio Ghibli, most particularly the creative process of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki during production for Tales from Earthsea, Ponyo, From Up on Poppy Hill, and The Wind Rises.

Miyazaki approved of being featured in a documentary that would be a decade in the making—on the condition that only one person, Kaku Arakawa, could film and interview him.

Not only does the series showcase his brilliance, but it also brings to light his more difficult moments, such as work clashes with his son Gorō, and the times he had an art block and struggled to piece his ideas together.

“I just can’t pin it down,” Miyazaki can be heard lamenting on one occasion.“I feel like I’m drifting.”

In other instances, he mentions that he can “feel it every day, the limit of my ability,” and likens himself to “a comb with teeth missing.”

Such moments are heartbreaking to watch, but they’re part of a very real journey that creatives face all too regularly.

Some stills of the relatable occurrences have been shared on Facebook, stirring artists in a similar plight. View a selection of them below, and watch 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki for free with English subtitles here.


















































[via TheGhibliFamily, cover image via NHK]

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