Walter Elias Disney

Walt Disney

Walt Disney once said, “All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Disney always pursued his dreams, always pushing harder suffering setbacks and emerging victorious each time. Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 5th, 1901, Disney was a visionary pioneer of the entertainment industry during the silent film era, first in animated cartoons, then in feature-length films and television, and eventually in amusement and theme parks, Disney's creative output became the standard for family entertainment in modern day America.

Disney underwent several trials before he was able to successfully make popular cartoons. Disney always struggled with finding someone interested in his cartoons, he never lost hope though. His first company wasn’t a success and financially ruined him, but he still kept going at it. "Disney produced a series of financial failures. Disney was devastated when "Fantasia" did poorly at the box office and when half his artists went on strike to protest his dictatorial style." (Esquire 164-168) Time after time, Disney's ideas were put down, not attracting or catching interest. These failures inspired him each time, filling him with new knowledge and ideas of what he could create next. This embodied the inner workings of his mind which separated him from the rest making him an artist. "In 1923 with a suitcase, forty dollars, and a movie he was off to California to find someone interested in his film."(National Review 12) After finding someone intrigued by his film he was off to a start, but not quite there yet. Over time Disney signed many contracts; some benefited him temporarily and others robbed him of his imagination, forcing him to continually use his imagination to fill his head with new techniques like popcorn freshly popped. Disney often agonized many steps back in his career, but for every step back, he recovered with two steps forward.

Disney constantly whipped up new ideas, getting inspiration from the world around him, always thinking, always creating. Disney took ideas that appeared out of the ordinary and let them appeal to the public. “Dumbo was a sweet story about a baby circus elephant, it hadn't cost much and audiences loved it. Weeks later Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor; suddenly no one was interested in cute little elephants."(Sutcliffe 31) Though another idea was shot down, opportunities still lay ahead. Learning from trial and error, Disney was able to create new ideas that caught the public's attention, making him a popular cartoonist. As an artist, Disney was self motivated; the people and children were his inspiration, the very thing that fueled his imagination. Disney decided he wanted to make a full length movie out of a cartoons; this would be ten times as long as any cartoons he had ever made. Some claimed he was crazy for wanting to risk his reputation, but he didn't listen. He knew exactly what he wanted. “He acted out scenes for his staff; he made faces to show personalities of characters how they smile or frown. After three long years the release date had neared, he and his staff worked night and day to finish, yet no one complained. Everyone knew this time they were creating something wonderful."(Sutcliffe 40-41) Disney was a great artist with his ability to imagine all the parts before it was finished, almost as if he could see it coming. Disney's constant taste for perfection and for something new, never repeating an idea, leading him to change the world, mystifying everyone with his ideas that were unheard of. The constant production of cartoons and ideas being put to the test was significant to what Disney would amaze the world with. Disney always worked toward making sure that he gave all of his dreams a go. This concept allowed him to accomplish many things in his lifetime, despite failure, he rose to the next challenge with a fresh start and the same level of determination each time.

Disney always tackled his dreams head on, though some dreams never made touchdown he always put all his might into his work. This Philosophy led Disney to experiment beyond the limits of regular cartoons; this made him stand out from the rest. Standing out was Disney's key to success, by attracting the mind of all ages alike he was able to become a success. Disney opened up a whole new world in animation, from sound to color. These achievements revolutionized the world bringing new techniques to the two dimensional world he seemed to live in. Disney's traits of determination, perseverance, and courage to put his ideas out in the world for all to see. Despite failure and success, Disney made it through it all and emerged triumphant. These qualities, these traits, are why Walter Elias Disney is a hero.