"I won't do it because it's lame." "I'll do it even if it's lame." Young talent seizes opportunities.

Copywriter Kotaro Abe's book , " Waiting Won't Start It: Move Forward with Resolve " (Kobundo), has been published. In this book, he asks six peers active in various industries about "how to find your own path."

Trim size: B6, 208 pages, Price: ¥1,600 + tax, ISBN: 978-4-335-55181-9
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This time, we introduce film director Daigo Matsui, one such individual. How did Matsui forge his own path? We all face moments of uncertainty or frustration at work. For everyone who still wishes to work authentically, we offer hints for moving forward with resolve.

(From left) Film director Daigo Matsui, author Kotaro Abe

Matsui is the head of the theater troupe "Gojigen." He made his directorial debut with the commercial film "Afro Tanaka" in 2012. His film "Azumi Haruko is Missing" is scheduled for release in December 2016. He has also directed music videos for CreepHyp, Seiko Ohmori, Dresscodes, and Hyui Ishizaki. Here are the three principles for moving forward decisively that emerged from our conversation with Matsui.

※※Based on Chapter 4, "Stepping Outside the Box × Film Director Daigo Matsui," from the book 'Waiting Won't Get You Started: Move Forward with Clarity'

 

Get involved with the people you admire, no matter what.

I believe everyone has someone who influences them so profoundly it shakes their very life. "That's incredible! Someday I want to do work like that too!" What do you do when you see the back of a senior far ahead of you and feel that admiration? Normally, I think you'd cherish that feeling and work hard at your daily tasks. But when you just can't sit still, going directly to ask for their guidance might be an option.

Matsui-san is someone who reached out to people he admired, learned a great deal from them, and connected that to his current work. Shocked by Kyoto's theater troupe "Europe Kikaku," Matsui-san wanted to meet its director, Makoto Ueda-san. He sent an email via their official site. When he got no reply, he sent another. He managed to meet him and fired off his questions. His passion must have come through, because when Ueda-san said, "We have a main performance in Kyoto; I want you to come help," Matsui-san submitted a leave of absence from university and went, staying overnight. It was then that he was given the name for his own troupe: "Gojigen."

Seeing up close what that senior I admired was struggling with, what they were thinking, what decisions they made, and how they worked – that experience became nourishment for when I myself would be in the same position later on. Furthermore, rather than just passively observing, I resolved to leave something behind for that senior. By consciously striving to give whatever I could to anyone, I could grow myself.

Personally, after joining the company, when a senior I admired held a selective training program, I immediately applied. I even included a letter expressing my desperate desire to participate. I forced my way into opportunities with people I admired. And as a junior, I poured my wholehearted feelings into that senior. I feel that the intensity of admiration becomes your fuel. If you turn that into the energy driving you forward, you can overcome distance and relationships.

Achieve it first, even without pay.

Let me be very clear: I am not romanticizing the idea of achieving something without pay. Payment is important. When you are commissioned for work, you do your job, receive appropriate recognition for it, and get paid accordingly. You should assert this without hesitation.

The only exception is when you genuinely want to help someone and feel compelled to do it yourself. It's like placing an order with yourself, thinking, "I'm doing this!" You do it out of your own pocket because you want to. When you can make that commitment, I believe you absolutely should do it. Naturally, when you're spending your own money, you won't approach it half-heartedly.

Matsui-san, for instance, reportedly made a short film with the budget of a single music video when the rock band CreepHyp was making their major label debut. When asked why he wanted to make it like an independent film, his answer was simple: "Because I loved it, I absolutely wanted to see it made into a film."

Do you want to do this job even if it costs you money? Do you want it that badly? When you're unsure, asking yourself that question will help clarify your motivation for the work. And if you think about it on a timeline extending into the future, you might build the kind of trust where you can eventually say, "I want to ask that person to do this someday."

 

Just do it, even if you think it's lame.

Is being desperate lame? This theme from my conversation with Mr. Matsui is what stuck with me most. As I've written here, whether it's Mr. Matsui suddenly conveying his thoughts via email, or me delivering a proposal I poured my heart into to someone I barely knew – both could be seen as lame. Some might wonder, "Why are you trying so hard?" But if even one thing can take shape, I think it's better to do it, even if you think it's lame.

Let me quote something Ms. Matsui told me.
"There are so many people who just say, 'I want to do something amazing!' When I see them, I don't say it out loud, but I think: Did you actually take action? Did you create even one piece of work? Did you do anything to get noticed, even a little, by someone you admire or look up to?"

Today, information is everywhere. Everyone can voice their opinions—criticizing this, commenting on that—it's the age of criticism. If you're a critic, that's fine. But if you're someone who wants to create something, is it really okay to just talk about it? By voicing your thoughts or posting them on social media, aren't you letting the passion inside you escape? Even if it feels lame, shouldn't you take action?

Shaping what you believe is good. The question is whether you can create something that, even just a little, gets noticed by the people you admire or look up to. That path is bound to be desperate—and feeling embarrassed or awkward is just part of it. Talking with Matsui-san made me think that beyond overcoming those feelings, you might just shape something you've never seen before.

What do you think? Mr. Matsui taught me the importance of first taking action and then giving things form. Even if small, the accumulation of these actions builds your career. By reaffirming your feelings toward the work right in front of you, you might discover something new.

I hope you'll experience Mr. Matsui's own thoughts directly through this book. Next time, we'll explore three principles for moving forward with clarity, drawn from a conversation with comedian Muneo Ashizawa.