BOOKS: The Imagineering Way

I spent a fruitful Chap Goh Meh reading 'The Imagineering Way' by The Imagineers. I'm still on it but I feel such an inspired rush to share some of what I've read, which I think could be the guiding light of many in pursuing their dreams. Oh, for those who are still in the dark, The Imagineers are the mysterious creative team behind Disney theme parks across the world, the ones who build the worlds they live in in ours so we could be Peter Pan and Wendy once more.

I am such a huge Disney fan, first because of just how cute Mickey & friends are, and then of how true, and truly inspirational, the Disney philosophy is - Dream. Believe. Dare. Do.

I have always wondered what working for such an immensely creative corporation would be like. The creative thoughts, process, implementation. The relationships. The clash of creative minds. All of these so completely focused on the end products that have transcended generations for close to a century, and still well-loved to this very day. I dream of being part of the creative engine at Disney (hear ye! hear ye!). After glimpsing the animators at work at the Walt Disney World and now this, an intimate look into the minds of the Imagineers, I am keeping my dream alive.

"When I was about twenty-one, I went broke for the first time. I slept on chair cushions in my 'studio' in Kansas City and I ate cold beans out of a can. But I took another look at my dreams and set out for Hollywood. Foolish? Not to a youngster. An older person might have too much 'common sense' to do it. Sometimes I wonder if 'common sense' isn't another way of saying 'fear'. And 'fear' often spells failure." -- Walt Disney, Animator, Dreamer, Father

"Take a chance."

"Always say 'yes' first, then go off and figure it out."

"Don't try to solve a problem too early ... let the problem evolve so you understand it. The stew needs to simmer. Let the idea tell you where it wants to find its own balance."

"Sometimes a doodle on an index card has advanced an idea further than mere yakking around a conference table ever could. You can judge a brainstorming session by how many cards are plastered on the wall at the end of the meeting. Blank walls are your enemy! We like our walls covered with artwork and photographs, thank you very much. All the better to inspire creative thinking" -- Steve Spiegel, Senior Show Writer, Theme Park Productions

"Every time someone challenges me with a blank sheet of paper, I'm overcome by an uncontrollable urge to wrap his next gift in it. Blank sheets, if taken, must always be returned in full." -- Mike Morris, VP Theatrical Design and Production

"Every sorcerer was once an Apprentice." -- Steve Silverstein, Principal Developer, Animation Programming Systems, Show Animation and Programming

"When we fail, we don't stop. Sometimes you have to go backward in order to go forward, but we never stop."

"How many Imagineers does it take to change the light bulb?"
See if you're on the same wavelength as the Imagineers. Highlight the next line.
"Does it have to be a light bulb?"

Stay tuned ... as I finish the book :)