I had a friend who recommended that I watch “Your Name” a while back. So I went ahead and purchased the blu-ray not knowing whether or not I’d like it, but I trusted his recommendation nonetheless. Well, it finally came in and I just finished watching it. And I am just in absolute awe at the moment. (Don’t worry. There won’t be any spoilers in this post.)

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a moving anime. It spoke to me in so many different ways it’s honestly hard to describe this immense energy of inspiration I feel within myself at the moment. Not only was the story-telling one of the most magnificent one I’ve seen in so long, but the beauty of the art and the and emotions conveyed left such a deep impact on me it’s almost unreal.

Of course, like some of my other posts, the question becomes a matter of how this is related to coding. Well, one of the things I’ve found particularly challenging in my journey is the inspiration for new ideas or simply the desire to create beautiful things. And it’s not so much that I don’t want to do it, but more of the idea that I lose faith in my ability to do so. While perhaps more reminiscent of what most of the industry calls “burnout,” this obstacle is one that is less of a feeling of “imposter syndrome” and more of being afraid of one’s creative voice.

And yes, while coding is so often associated with math and logic, there is definitely something creative not only about the way it is written; but also the way it translates to art on the screen as well. There are countless examples out there that show this:

• Species in Pieces
• This epic skull my buddy Eli made
• Any animation Sarah Drasner makes

In the midst of all this, I often find myself afraid to try anything for fear of making something so inferior it would be ridiculed by the public. And while this self-paralyzing fear is certainly not a healthy one, but a reminder of how constrained we can get the older we get as we feel constrained by things that often only exist in our minds.

After watching “Your Name,” there was something about the film that was liberating for me. For the first time in a while, I feel ready to take on the world. In fact, I have an eagerness within me to create things regardless of what the world thinks.

To clarify though, I’m not suggesting that “Your Name” will do the same for you. However, I do think that there is something to be said about taking inspiration from another source outside of your day to day in order to reignite that spark. For me, I guess what I really needed was a beautiful story with incredible art that would ultimately wash away the thoughts holding me back.