I want to portray a devoted individual who pursued his dream head-on. Dreams possess an element of madness, and such poison must not be concealed. Yearning for something too beautiful can ruin you. Swaying toward beauty may come at a price. Jiro will be battered and defeated, his design career cut short. Nonetheless, Jiro was an individual of preeminent originality and talent. This is what we will strive to portray in this film.

– Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazki is talking about Jiro here, but he could easily be talking about himself, talking about every artist that walked the earth.

Miyazaki, Hayao. The Art of the Wind Rises. United States: VIZ Media LLC, 2014. pg8