Archive for the 'InspirationEverywhere' Category

How Walt Disney Created a Positive Spiral


Though the air be cold and the winter be bitter, let’s continue creating with our shiny computers… (Unless you’re in Australia of course, in which case I’d love to hear some stories of how wonderful the heat is there.)

Where was I?
Ah yes, Creativity.

In the last article, we discussed how beneficial it is to reflect the attitude that the Master Creators hold by being aligned with passion when we create; and how creative output, when produced this way, tends to be much more impactful and relevant. A few days ago, a visual summary of that message, a high-resolution image that can be printed out or used as a desktop wallpaper, was uploaded to the Byteful Gallery. Behold, Walt Disney’s famous words:

“We don’t make movies to make money,
we make money to make more movies.”
~ Walt Disney

So beautiful in its simplicity. So rewarding to contemplate.

I won’t lie to you, it takes a lot of effort to get to that place in your own life, but it’s one of the most worthwhile accomplishments you can ever make.

As I said in the last InspirationEverywhere entry, it’s important that you be patient with yourself and remember that everyone is a work in progress. Along that journey of self-improvement, Disney’s words serve as a useful guide of what it really feels like to be aligned with your passion. You see, what Disney is really describing here is his company’s alignment with three things: what they enjoy doing, what work they feel is important, and what other people enjoy.

Let’s deconstruct that for a minute. If Disney didn’t enjoy what he was doing, he wouldn’t really care about making movies that exemplified timeless lessons. If he didn’t feel that the messages could benefit people, he wouldn’t create movies at all. And if other people didn’t enjoy the movies, he simply wouldn’t have the resources to make more.

A Positive Spiral

Walt Disney Quote - We don't make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.

Another way to describe being truly aligned with passion is the idea of a positive spiral. If you were doing the work you really loved (work that also fed/clothed you), you’d allow yourself really dive into that work, wouldn’t you? And what would happen to your skill level? You would improve in that work, wouldn’t you? Which means your level of contribution would increase, which would in turn increase the amount of people who benefitted from your work. And this would increase your income, thereby freeing you up more and more to increase the quality of your creative output. This is the positive creative spiral: a place of alignment and congruency with who you truly are.

Today, make it your aim to create a positive spiral in your own life. To help facilitate this process, you can print this poster out and put it somewhere you’ll see it so you can be reminded of his message everyday: Disney Quote – “We don’t make movies to make money…”

— — —
The poster of this quote is in the Byteful Gallery > InspirationEverywhere Motivational Quotes album. Selected Quotes from the gallery are now available on T-shirts and mugs at the Byteful Store. (Specific quotes added upon request.)


Recommended Reading:

  1. Create with Passion or DIE
  2. It Takes A Long Time to Become Fully You
  3. Your Chances of Success
  4. Personal Development for Smart People & Travel
  5. Find Inspiration Everywhere with Quotes


Magellan's Travel



It Takes A Long Time to Become Fully You


Sometimes a message travels across time and seems to wait for you on the other side. If the message is exactly what you need to hear at the time, it can produce an “Ah-ha” moment and anchor itself in your mind for weeks or months. Recently this happened to me without warning through stumbling upon an old interview of the Icelandic musician Björk, and her words struck a deep chord of truth within me:

It takes a long time to fully become who you are.
~ Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Inspontaneously True

When I first heard Björk say that, I instantly knew it to be true based on what I’ve been experiencing in my own life and my experience of growing this website. For someone like me, I find her words relieving. If you’re reading this site, you must have a bit of right-brain creativity in you, otherwise you’d already be running for the hills, watching the news, or digging that trench you’ve been planning to dig. But if you’ve made it this far, I’d like to remind you how important it is that you be patient with yourself and to remember that everyone is a work in progress.

If you consider Björk’s words further, you may realize that this is also a deeply encouraging message, as well. It implies that it is indeed possible to fully become the highest expression of who you are — the best person you can be on this planet, if you only have enough desire and commit to that path. Fully becoming who you are isn’t actually a goal you can attain in your lifetime, it’s a lifelong mission. But by committing yourself to creating your best possible self, you are spending your time on Earth in the best way possible.

The Definition of Personal Growth

Bjork Quote - It takes a long time to fully become who you are.

For those of you who know a bit about Björk, you’ll know what I mean I say she is quite a unique individual and had to overcome many internal blockages, just as we all must, to reach the heights of musical expression that she’s reached today. In fact, the quest to become the best person you can be is the definition personal growth. The closer you are to being the full expression of you, the more aware you are, and the more expressive you can be. As an artist, this means you will produce the work that is most meaningful and powerful to you, and as a traveller it means you will delve into locations and adventures that are meaningful to you with confidence and excitement. Committing to this path is not easy by any means, but isn’t the time going to pass anyway? Why not use it to become the best person you can possibly be?

If there is demand, I can add items featuring the quote to the new Byteful Store. For now, you may want to print the poster out and put it somewhere you’ll see it so you can be reminded of her message everyday: Björk Quote – Become Who You Are :-)

— — —
The poster of this quote is in the Byteful Gallery > InspirationEverywhere Motivational Quotes album. Selected Quotes from the gallery are now available on T-shirts and mugs at the Byteful Store. (Specific quotes added upon request.)


Recommended Reading:

  1. How Walt Disney Created a Positive Spiral
  2. Marcel Proust: Allow Travel to Give You New Eyes
  3. Find Inspiration Everywhere with Quotes
  4. How Oneness, Honesty, & Surprise Will Save Earth
  5. T. E. Lawrence: Be A Dreamer of the Day


Magellan's Travel