Just when I thought that my favorite Studio Ghibli film is My Neighbor Totoro, I found another favorite — From Up On Poppy Hill. How do I explain the feeling that this film evoked in me? Was it the youthfulness of the clubhouse that made me nostalgic? It’s either that or I’m simply a hopeless romantic. The straightforwardness despite the twists and turns in Umi and Shun’s story still captivated me even after watching this film for the nth time.

This is what amazes me in Miyazaki’s storytelling. Everything is natural no matter how fictituous the characters and worlds are. His stories, like what I saw in From Up On Poppy Hill, are not forceful but rather purposeful — calmly guiding people through the story in every scene. Stories like this do not need an extravagant plot to make an impact. It tells what it needs to tell, and it cuts straight to the heart. Studio Ghibli’s films make me appreciate the mundane things and savor the tiny details in life that are usually ignored because I get used to seeing it all the time — like slicing vegetables and home-cooked meals. And in spite of all the bad things, there’s hope.

This is the kind of visual storytelling I want to strive for — not to impose anything, but to tell a story so beautifully that it stirs up something good in the viewer’s heart.

I’m going through my Procreate files and found this drawing again. This one’s experimental as I always do the line art. I find that sketching first helped me build the whole picture.

Ain’t this cute or what? ✨

So cute that I even tried animating it! But I got lazy with the colors, so this became a little behind the scenes of the sketch layers.

Found these sitting in my drafts. This may be their final form, so I might as well share it.

I wonder what’s written on that piece of paper. Why was it left there? It’s crumpled yet weighted down by that rock. Obviously, someone wanted to get rid of it and another thought it’s valuable. Anyway, the color looks nice.

An attempt to fight perfectionism. Lines are squiggly. Brush has no stabilizer. Still had to sketch first, though.

Trying out watercolor brush. Isn’t this whimsical?

I love using that paper texture. Adds more depth, I think. Well, what do I know? It’s simply beautiful.

I finally got my complementary copies of Ang Bayaning Si Butbot (The Hero Named Butbot)!

Snail mail club. Zines. Visual journals. Greeting card designs. Paper product designs. Art markets. Opening a coffee shop. Opening a bookshop.

I see in myself this hairline gap between finding inspiration and jumping in to the next cool thing. That leads me to a thinking spiral. More planning, and less doing. More often than not, I find that happening when I scroll through my Instagram. Thankfully, I became more aware of that habit, shaking my head out of my daydream and focus on what's aligned to my goals and values.

I still note it down, just in case.

And so I made this…

Mine is not Elmo.

I didn't really grow up watching Sesame Street. I came to know it through a set of books that came with the encyclopedia set that my grandmother bought.

My favorite of them all is Grover. Don't ask me what I remember about him. I just remember the feeling while I was reading his stories, particularly when he is Super Grover.

Lately, I've been doom scrolling again. I think that deleting the app would help, but I just keep reinstalling it. I guess my dopamine is going down after using my brain for long hours.

I stumbled into this post about Winston Churchill stacking bricks or painting to recuperate from the stress of his work. He said that in order for a tired mind to rest, the other parts of the body should be used because the mind never stops thinking. It was from his book "Painting as a Pastime" which I hope I'll be able to get a copy soon.

Making art.

Reading a book.

Listening to music.

Walking. Or running.

Gardening.

Talking to people. If you're not as introverted as I am.

Writing. Instead of typing as I'm doing right now 🙄.

Listening to radio while sipping a good drink and feeling the slight breeze against your skin. Not watching television.

I'm no expert, but I feel like all these things should have the same effect. Simple actions that pull you out from a box of limited view are worth pursuing. The more analog, the better.