Animator Bob Kurtz apparently coined the phrase “Joyous Jealousy”, and it’s a phrase that’s so useful I think it should be in widespread usage. Here’s why:
The feeling you have when you experience someone else’s work and think: “I wish I’d made that!” followed by the thought “Well, what can I learn from that?”
I hear people trying to describe that exact feeling quite a lot, and I know it works for me as a great way to sum up where my inspiration comes from. And I experience joyous jealousy from all sorts of creative media: TV, film, books, music, architecture and games. [Aside: I think this is just as important no matter what your main field is: look at – and study – other forms.]
Some things that have made me jealous in the best possible way are Portal, Everyday Shooter, The Walworth Farce, everything by Pixar (but you knew that already), The IT Crowd and 30 Rock.
So now that I’ve shown you mine, what makes you feel joyous jealousy?
-David (@dwlt)