1. Acknowledge Your Emotional Core, Plan Your Creative Path Rationally
As one of today’s most influential composers, Joe Hisaishi’s creative philosophy is highly inspiring, especially his emphasis on balancing rationality and emotion in work. Many people see artistic creation as a free expression of feelings, but Hisaishi reminds us to recognize our emotions while approaching creation with an extremely rational and rigorous attitude. Only then can one go farther and steadier on the path of art.
In his view, emotion is not just mood swings but a deep foundation formed by personal past experiences, accumulation, and knowledge. In other words, inspiration and feelings are actually the crystallization of long-term wisdom and experience.
2. What Is Top-Level Professionalism? — Continuous and Stable Creative Output
Hisaishi offers insightful definitions of what it means to be “top-level” and “professional.” He does not endorse relying on occasional bursts of inspiration to produce isolated excellent works. Instead, true professionalism lies in “continuous creation.” As he says:
“What is the composer’s number one priority? I would say without hesitation: keep creating continuously.”
Creating one or two great works is not difficult. Anyone can, with effort, occasionally produce excellent pieces. But “work” is not a point; it’s a line — an ongoing process. A true composer, writer, or director must be able to consistently produce excellent works over many years or even a lifetime. This is the essence of professionalism.
Top-tier professionals also deliver high-quality work every time, continually surpassing themselves, showing coherence, stability, and growth.
3. Creators Should Not Over-Rely on Emotional Fluctuations
Many mistakenly believe that artistic creation must depend on intense emotional ups and downs, even viewing “emotional turbulence” as the driving force. Hisaishi warns creators that relying on emotions is extremely risky.
Human emotions fluctuate due to health or environment. If creation is fully subject to this, a low emotional phase can halt the process. Especially for jazz musicians doing live improvisations, if they rely entirely on emotion, they cannot guarantee consistent performance quality and risk falling into vicious cycles of emotional stimulation or even substance dependence.
Music creation requires steady and sustained output, not emotional volatility. Artists should establish a “mental foundation” beyond emotional influence to maintain stable work states.
4. A Regular Life — The Foundation for a Stable Creative Environment
To maintain efficient and continuous creation, Hisaishi emphasizes the importance of a “regular lifestyle.” For example, when composing for the movie Howl’s Moving Castle, he strictly scheduled his day:
- Wake up at 9:45 AM
- Drink coffee, take a one-hour walk
- Have brunch at 11:30 AM
- Work in the studio from afternoon until 6 PM
- After dinner, continue working until midnight or 1 AM
- Then relax, stretch, read before sleeping
Such a rhythmic life keeps his mind and body at an optimal state, avoiding emotional disturbance and ensuring daily production of high-quality work.
Creation is like a marathon — you must keep a steady pace and endurance to finish.
5. The Original Intention of Composition: Create for the Work Itself, Not to Please Others
Hisaishi never deliberately tries to please anyone, including directors or audiences, when composing. He believes film music’s mission is to serve the film itself, aligning perfectly with its visuals and story rather than chasing external approval.
This focus and self-discipline represent true professionalism. Creators should respect the work’s needs and maintain their original intention rather than follow the crowd.
6. The Dialectic Between Conventional Art and Individuality
In the art world, being unique and eccentric is often seen as a symbol of creativity. But Hisaishi, referencing Professor Youji Yano’s ideas, points out that any excellent work must have logical structure — whether music, literature, or film, all are composed of continuous and coherent elements.
In contrast, painting, which expresses images instantaneously, leans more on emotion and intuition. This explains why many painters are eccentric, careless about norms, with extreme cases like Van Gogh’s ear incident.
As a music creator, Hisaishi sees “conventional” as a double-edged sword — it stands for professionalism and stability but can also limit explosive creativity and innovation.
7. 95% Rationality, 5% Emotion: Rationality Is the Foundation, Emotion Is the Spark
Hisaishi summarizes the ratio of rationality to emotion in creation as about 95% to 5%. Most of the creative process depends on past experience, accumulated knowledge, and logical thinking — the framework of creation. Only with a solid foundation can a work be understood and accepted.
The final 5% of inspiration is the soul of creation, the unique seasoning that gives originality. This part comes from the creator’s intuition and cannot be forced by conscious thought.
Creation is a fusion of rationality and emotion, both indispensable. Rationality provides structure and rules; emotion brings vitality and freshness.
8. Cherish the First Impression, Capture Fleeting Inspiration
Hisaishi values the first impression in the creative process. When encountering a script or material, he quickly writes down the melody that first comes to mind on the staff paper to prevent losing the inspiration.
These initial, unrefined inspirations are the most precious.
He also emphasizes that inspiration cannot be forced by intense focus. Many ideas come unexpectedly in unconscious states — while showering, walking, before sleep, or during commuting. Rather than desperately searching, it’s better to relax and let the subconscious flow freely.
9. Truly Great Works Come from Intuition Deep in the Soul, Not Pure Rational Calculation
Although rationality is an important foundation, Hisaishi firmly believes that works that truly move people come from inner intuition and inspiration — the crystallization of emotion and experience.
He continuously sharpens his intuition, striving for the best balance of rationality and emotion in his creation, resulting in classic music that is both logical and emotionally powerful.
Joe Hisaishi’s work philosophy sends a clear message: artistic creation is not just emotional release, but a rigorous, continuous, rational, and passionate endeavor. His experience teaches us that to become a top professional, one must persist in day-to-day creation and self-discipline.
His regular lifestyle, work attitude, deep understanding of rationality and emotion, and appreciation of first impressions and inspiration all set a model for outstanding creators.
Whether you are an artist or striving to excel in any field, Hisaishi’s work philosophy is worth reflecting on and learning from. Only by meticulously polishing details and working steadily can you create works and lives that truly touch people’s hearts.