Whisper of the Heart
A Studio Ghibli film that shows us the emotional journey of creative pursuit
Welcome to Morning Pages, a newsletter sharing inspirations to help you cultivate creativity and fulfillment.
The pursuit of a creative dream is lots of hard work. But it’s also more emotionally challenging than people realize.
Recently, I watched a 1995 film from Studio Ghibli: Whisper of the Heart. The film is about a teenage schoolgirl Shizuku discovering her talent in writing. This heart-warming story brilliantly depicts the emotional journey of creative discovery and pursuit.
So, what was this journey like for Shizuku?
[Film Spoiler Alert]
1. The path is not always clear.
In the beginning, Shizuku didn’t know whether she has any talent. After getting to know a boy in school Seiji, she deeply admired his ambition to become a violin maker. She decided to search for her own talent. It was her friends who pointed out that she loves writing and has a talent for poetry. That acknowledgment motivated her to get started and to give writing a shot.
Most of us are like Shizuku. We don’t have a clear vision of what we truly desire. Often we need encouragement from people we trust, aim for a direction, make the first step, and figure it out as we go.
2. Dealing with self-doubt.
My favorite scene was a dialogue between Shizuku and Mr. Nishi, a friend and mentor figure for Shizuku.
Mr. Nishi: “When you first become an artist, you are like that rock. You are in a raw, natural state with hidden gems inside. You have to dig down deep and find the emeralds tucked away inside you.”
Shizuku: “I’m scared. What if there isn’t a beautiful crystal in me? What if I look inside and find out that I’m just a rock?”
We all have self-doubt. Even the most established artists experience self-doubt constantly. What makes the difference is acknowledging that self-doubt is normal and learning to embrace it so that we can keep going.
Georgia O'Keeffe once said, “I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life—and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”
3. Feeling the pressure from others.
Shizuku’s creative pursuit caught the attention of her parents. Because her mind was so occupied with writing, her grades dropped. Shizuku’s father recognized that this is the first time Shizuku has put her mind to something and is diligently working toward it. He gave Shizuku a chance to finish her project. Though he warned her gently: “It’s not easy to walk your own road. You only have yourself to blame if it doesn’t work out.”
Being an artist is difficult even in the most supportive conditions. Sometimes others might pressure you to do something else more practical. This pressure can be incredibly strong and constant, and even hurtful sometimes. This pressure can also prompt you to weigh in how much you’re willing to endure to become who you want to be.
4. Feeling dissatisfied with your work.
When Shizuku finished her first draft and handed it to Mr. Nishi to read it, there was zero excitement on her face. She was so anxious that she would rather wait outside in the cold and avoid watching him read the draft.
Mr. Nishi read her story and told her that it’s a wonderful raw gem that now needs cutting and polishing. After hearing these words, Shizuku bursts into tears, wailing that she doesn’t know if she can do it.
We are each our own worst critic. It’s normal to get frustrated when the work we produced are not meeting the standards we had in our minds. Accepting that as artists, we may never feel completely satisfied with the work.
Every now and then, look back and recognize how far we’ve made it.
5. Accepting that there’s no end to making art.
At the end of the film, Shizuku realized that studying other subjects at school could enrich her writing. She decided to finish school and to polish her writing skills along the way.
You may embrace that making art is something in your identity. It’s not about the grand dream of becoming the most successful artist. It’s about the small choices you make to keep on polishing and improving your craft.
Like Henry Moore once said, “There’s no retirement for an artist, it’s a way of living so there’s no end to it.”
This film feels relevant to me on many levels. I fell in love with Chinese classical and modern literature at a young age. Though I had no desire to become a writer, I felt compelled to express my feelings by writing Chinese essays and poems.
The details in the film also brought me back to my school years in China. There are so many mundane details that I love: the writings on the blackboard, the sailor school uniforms, the noisy cicada in the summertime. Of course, I love the cats in the film.
I recommend Whisper of the Heart to anyone interested in the creative process of writing and making art. This early film of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is often overlooked but in my opinion a true gem. The film is available for streaming on HBO Max and for purchase on YouTube.
If you’ve watched it, I’d love to hear what you think! :)
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