Did you know Walt Disney was once fired for lack of imagination?
Success isn’t built overnight, and the most successful people can verify this statement 100 times over. Most successful people that we admire today have heard the word “no” more times than we could probably count, which would include most of the great artists that we know and love. Walt Disney, in fact, was told “no” many times during his life and was even FIRED once for lack of imagination. But, Walt Disney had resilience. I think anyone who has stepped foot in Disneyland would highly disagree with that opinion.
So what do all great artists like Walt Disney all have in common, and how have they eventually become successful?
The answer – RESILIENCE
Walt didn’t have the most secure childhood, and in fact, grew up constantly moving around. He and his siblings were constantly having to adapt to new environments. His family did not have much money and was forced to start work at an early age. What I admire about Walt is that he didn’t let these adverse conditions get him down. Instead, he used these opportunities to his advantage. Becoming resilient in the face of adversity only made him stronger.*
In one of his first jobs, Walt was a political cartoonist, but he was eventually let go of the job because of his lack of imagination! Just IMAGINE if Walt Disney had allowed that “failure” to crush his confidence! What if he had quit on himself? We wouldn’t have all of the amazing Disney movies, lands, and products that we have today.
Lucky for us, Walt Disney was wise enough to know that this was just a step in his journey to greatness. With some perseverance, resilience, and practice, he accomplished his dreams!
You might face challenges as we learn together. That’s just how learning goes! It’s all part of how we grow. Without experiences, mistakes, trial, and error, we would never learn and become the people that we are today. And I just know you will rise to the occasion. Then, when you are faced with a challenge in your life, I know you can remember that you’ve faced problems before, and have overcome them! Just like Walt Disney, your potential is so much greater than what you might think (or what others might tell you).
Learning takes practice, and that’s where Great Artist comes in. Together, we are going to the world of art, meet famous artists, and learn about their struggles and resiliency. You are not in this world alone, there are billions of other people facing challenges, failures, and struggles every day. But together we can overcome them together and build resiliency so you can look back and be proud of who you are and what you’ve done.
Laurie White
Founder of Great Artist Program
As a mom of seven, and educator for over three decades, Laurie White loves to bring visual art education to the home and classroom. She believes that everyone is an artist and everyone can learn how to draw. By studying, copying, and learning from the great artists of the past, we can develop the great artists of the future.
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