Sometimes I wonder why I ask myself this question?
It sends my brain into overload coming up with names.
I have been inspired by so many people in my lifetime and I have made it my mission to seek them out and follow their story.
It is important to do this, especially in the creative world because there is so much comparison with the work of others.
So, I decided to pick somebody out for this particular piece who has changed the world creatively and who did not give an actual fuck about what others said or did!
My kind of man.
Who is he you ask?
My Walt Disney…
Just think for a second will you, what flashes through your brain when you hear that name.
I am not going to tell you his life story, I am going to tell you mine using his genius.
I was three years old and sat crying on the steps of the cinema because Bambi’s mother was killed. My mum could not shift me, and I cried all the way home when she eventually did. The deep emotional connection that a cartoon and a story had on that three-year-old girl is vivid now in the memory of a fifty something woman.
WOW, how to have an impact on somebody’s life!
Fast forward to me being a mum and still crying at stories such as Cars, Toy Story and even Monsters Inc. says a lot for the power that this man and his creative genius has over us at a human level.
For those of you who did not grow up with Disney films and then have a second wave when you had your own children, I feel sorry for you.
You missed out on experiencing one of life’s great story tellers.
Think for a moment where we would be without great story telling?
It sits at the core of creativity.
When I paint, I create a story for my viewers. When I write I do the same, even if I am writing for a different audience.
Walt as a person was tainted with stories about being moody, unpredictable, difficult to read, yadda, yadda.
I don’t care about that, not one little bit.
Just look at what he created.
A worldwide brand recognised by almost every human on the planet.
A wonderful and inspirational place to visit that sits on so many children’s (and adults) wish lists.
A team of ‘Imagineers’ who continue to deliver his legacy because they mirrored the great man himself in there thinking and behaviours.
A global merchandise brand that can be found in almost every child’s bedroom.
I could go to my grave feeling quite happy if I manage to achieve just 1% of what Walt Disney did.
And that, my friend, is my reason for getting up and doing something every single day.
What is yours?