Walt Disney's Unique Vision

As America was coming out of the Great Depression and entering a recession in December of 1937, Walt Disney was producing animated cartoons to help entertain people during this awful time. It was during this period that we first learned about the adventures of Mickey Mouse, and laughter became one of the few joys Americans had.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. It was going to become Disney’s first feature film. The story was based on a German fairy tale written by the Brothers’ Grimm and produced by Walt Disney. Disney was far ahead of the competition in many ways; however, he faced several stumbling blocks to completing the version of Snow White he saw. Many at RKO Pictures and Disney Animation thought the time was not right to make the movie because the technology was limited. But not Disney.

The main issue: his animators could not draw human characters well enough to elicit any response from the audience. Without a connection to Snow White, the movie would fall flat. Many believed the film could not be produced unless they found a way to animate emotion from Snow White. But Disney saw what others could not. Everyone was examining the same problem, only Disney had a tangible vision.

Walt Disney was a man with great vision, great insight; so the solution looked rather easy. Disney said: "We may not be able to get them to directly care about Snow White, but I know we can get them to care about the Dwarfs. We will make the Dwarfs care about Snow White, and when they cry for Snow White, the audience will cry." Instead of focusing on Snow White, dictating the solution based on her, Disney shifted his view toward the Dwarfs. Today, this seems rather obvious because we know and love every Dwarf. But back then, it was only apparent to Walt.

Seems like a simple answer? And it worked. Snow White went on to sell 8 million in the first weekend, and as of now, has made over $400M million dollars, on a $1.8M budget. By seeing the non-obvious, then organizing his observations, Disney overcame the one obstacle that could hold back his movie.

He was able to examine every variable, see every possibility, and not let anyone alter his focus, concentration, or desired outcome. He was willing not to accept the easy path. He knew there was an answer to the problem, and shutting down his movie was not one of them.

We need to use our free time to grow our vision, find different solutions to a problem. Don't settle for speedy and quick. Work hard to explore new roads, new methods, and most of all, don't be afraid of trying. Instead of complaining about being bored, or performing the same routine each day, spend an hour working on a new way to solve old problems.

Disney never let the gloom and doom situation of the Depression affect his thinking or his demand for excellence. Through tough times, he kept his creative juices flowing.

Force your brain to see what Disney could see every day, and don’t let the situation around you be a distraction.

P.S. If you are in search of a book recommendation, our team at The Daily Coach highly recommends Outwitting the Devil: The Secrets to Freedom and Success by Napoleon Hill. Using his legendary ability to get to the root of human potential, Napoleon Hill digs deep to reveal how fear, procrastination, anger, and jealousy prevent us from realizing our personal goals. This long-suppressed parable, once considered too controversial to publish, was written by Hill in 1938 following the publication of his classic bestseller, Think and Grow Rich.

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