Walt Disney: Animator, Entrepreneur, and Creative Visionary

Introduction: Dreams, Perseverance, and the Disney Legacy

Walt Disney is the epitome of success through perseverance and hard work. The animator, filmmaker, and entrepreneur once said, "All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." Disney had dreams that many did not think were possible to achieve, and yet he continually proved to the world that anything was possible. The world of magic that we know today would not have existed without the dreams and accomplishments of Walt Disney, who built veritable empires out of his own imagination. It is impossible to picture children's entertainment or theme parks without invoking the contributions of Walt Disney. His innovation and the personal sacrifices required to make those innovations tangible realities have given us a world of magic and a world with no limitations on our imaginations.

Many have known Walt Disney as the man who built the theme parks, particularly Disneyland and Walt Disney World, but he was far more than that. Disney was an animator at heart who started his career as an animation expert and inspired other artists to create generations of animated films that we still see today. When motion pictures took the world by storm, Disney found a way to transform his still drawings into films that changed the world. First and foremost an animation artist working in the medium of film, Disney later became a filmmaker and producer, catching the world by surprise. He was an artist who understood that one must also become a businessman in order to make dreams come true. In this key regard, Disney differed from his counterparts who might have remained engaged in the craft of animation without the business acumen that Walt Disney demonstrated. With the help of his brother Roy — also his business partner — Disney built an empire that still grows today. Disney's example therefore reveals the importance of family support in fulfilling personal dreams.

Childhood, Family, and the Roots of Creativity

Walt Disney's childhood years gave him the freedom to explore his talents and the perseverance to work hard. His childhood also shows how the support of family can be instrumental in shaping one's outlook on life and future chances of success. Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the fourth of five children born to his father, Elias Disney, and his mother, Flora Call Disney. While Walter was still young, his father moved the family to a farm in Marceline, Missouri.

Disney's father was a hard-working man who was strict with his children. His strict upbringing likely provided Walt with the discipline he would need to persevere in business. Disney helped his father run paper routes even through the cold winter nights. When Walt grew older, he probably drew on these early memories when facing the natural ups and downs of the filmmaking and business worlds.

Despite his father's strictness, Elias had an appreciation for the arts and loved music, a passion he passed on to his son. Music became one of Walt Disney's greatest influences throughout his film career. Disney recalled, "Dad was always meeting up with strange characters to talk socialism. He'd bring them home! He'd bring home some of the weirdest characters. And anybody who could play an instrument. My dad loved music…" Music became integral to Walt Disney's animations, feature-length films, and even the theme parks he would later create. Given his references to the "socialist" tendencies of his father's friends, the elder Elias Disney was also a political man whose diverse views may have influenced those of his son.

Often on the farm, Walter would draw and sketch, and it soon became apparent that he was honing skills that would make him a master animator. He spent his early years learning to love wildlife and family life. This was when Walter discovered his talent and love for drawing. Walt even learned the importance of transforming his art into a business venture so that he could become a viable professional rather than a "starving artist." He sold his first drawing to a neighbor, a retired doctor known as "Doc" Sherwood. From that moment, Walt Disney was a professional animator.

Walt spent his days working to help support his family while still taking art classes, encouraged by his mother and his brother Roy to continue his passion for animation even when it did not seem like a viable career path. While in school, young Walt would tell stories to his friends and imitate his silent-screen hero, Charlie Chaplin, who became one of his earliest career inspirations. Disney would even sneak out to perform comic acting, somewhat against his father's wishes. As an artist, exploring beyond drawing alone allowed him to develop his talents further. He would wear his father's oversized pants and hat, complete with a drawn-on mustache, as he performed. His passion for comic theater convinced onlookers he was nearly as talented as Chaplin himself. Being influenced by Chaplin also helped Disney develop the type of humor that his animations would later become famous for, and his appreciation for physical comedy would inform the way he drew on childhood experiences throughout his career.

Early Career: Laugh-O-Grams, Mickey Mouse, and the Road to Hollywood

Disney's career first began with short cartoons. He founded his first animation company, Laugh-O-Grams, and brought on artists to test new ways of making animated cartoons using stop-motion cameras. Disney did not want his team merely sitting around drawing still pictures; he wanted them to spend late nights creating stories together. One of Laugh-O-Grams' animators, Rudy Ising, recalled, "We used to sit around and make up our own stories, so those modernized fairy tales were not much like the originals… We didn't make storyboards at that time, we just went along." Soon after, Laugh-O-Grams went bankrupt due to a bad contract. Disney had taken a chance on building his first company and had failed — but it was only a minor setback. He picked himself up and moved to Hollywood with just forty dollars in his pocket. Understanding the importance of turning failure into an opportunity for future success is one of the main reasons why Disney became a world leader and a household name. His example to others in the industry was clear: never give up hope.

Disney's brother Roy was one of the greatest influences in his life. While Walt was the creative force behind Walt Disney Studios, Roy was his business partner who handled all financial aspects of managing the studio. When Walt first moved to Hollywood, he was uncertain of his direction, but he knew he wanted to be a director and stayed close to what he knew best: cartoons. Even during Walt's twenties, Roy encouraged his brother to follow his passion. Roy's management of the business side of things left Walt free to devote his time to animation and the creative arts. During this critical period, Walt started Disney Bros. Studios and invited Roy to be his business partner, placing the "Brothers" into the company name. Their early years as a team were marked by success. Walt directed, drew, and handled all creative work while Roy managed the finances.

Roy later recalled the confidence they shared: "One evening when Walt and I were discussing our move, Walt said to me, 'Roy, when we move to Hyperion, I'm going to have a large sign erected, reading Walt Disney Studio.' He looked at me as if expecting an argument. I said, 'If that's the way you want it.' And that's the way it was. Walt was the creative member of the team. His name deserved to be on the pictures." The relationship between the two brothers speaks to the importance of interdependence in business success, while also revealing that Disney possessed a strong sense of self. He needed to be in charge and envisioned himself as the head of an empire.

In the years that followed, Walt pushed the company to grow. After losing the rights to his Oswald the Lucky Rabbit animation, he was on a train ride home when he created the character of Mickey Mouse. It was his wife, Lillian, who helped choose the name, but Mickey's personality became a reflection of Walt himself. Disney developed ideas for short films using the technology available at the time, when animated cartoons still had no sound. Walt needed a way to distinguish and sell his cartoons, and sound proved to be the answer. Everyone thought it was impossible to synchronize sound with animation, but Walt proved them wrong. He produced his first short animation with synchronized sound in 1928. Echoing his father's deep appreciation for music, Disney began taking sound-synchronized recordings more seriously, as is evident in films such as Fantasia.

Conclusion: The Lessons of Walt Disney's Life

In order for any individual to become a true artist, they must be able to expand beyond the realms of their comfort zone. Whether in filming, sketching, or animating, it is vital not only to become an expert in one's field but also to adapt to one's surroundings through technology and enterprise. These are the lessons that Walt Disney taught us as artists who want to chase their dreams. His life was the example of an artist who had the courage and talent to pursue his vision through motivation, risk-taking, innovation, and the willingness to become a businessman.

On the night of December 14, 1966, Walt drew the complete map of how he envisioned his newest theme park, Walt Disney World, to look. The next morning, he passed away. His brother Roy made sure that Walt's dream of Walt Disney World was completed. After the park's completion, Roy passed away two months later. The Walt Disney brothers were great inspirations to artists in the animation world as well as to filmmakers everywhere. As Walt Disney once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it."

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