Learning more about inspiring people is, in fact, an inspiring thing. I tend to obsess over the careers of certain well-known figures not out of envy of where they’re at, but in amazement of their journeys.

If you know me personally, you probably know I am a huge Hayao Miyazaki fan. I’ve watched his movies over and over again, like Totoro and Princess Mononoke, as well as consider his biography Starting Point to be a go-to read when times get tough professionally.

Another inspirational person to me is Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, drummer for The Roots, producer, taste-maker, legend.

The guys been moved by music since he was a toddler. He works non-stop and who knows if he sleeps (the frequency in which he tweets @questlove is evidence that he sleeps very little, haha). If he’s not producing great music, he’s on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. If he’s not doing that, he’s DJing somewhere. If he’s not DJing, he’s probably back to producing great music.

Check out this interview he did with BBC about Michael Jackson. He’s a clever, intellectual guy:

If you’re looking for a source of inspiration, definitely dig up some musical commentary by Questlove. Or, do what I do and pull up a Roots album and nod your head into uplifting groove.

I’m looking forward to The Roots new album, “Undun,” coming out this December. I wonder if they’ll stop into Portland sometime soon?

[EDIT 10.27.11] Check out Questlove’s commentary about the top ten musical moments of his life that could have been published in Rolling Stone. Instead, it’s in its raw glory over at okayplayer.