Download pdf - The Pixar Way: 37 Quotes on Developing and Maintaining a Creative Company (from Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull)

THE PIXAR WAY

37 QUOTES ON DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A CREATIVE COMPANY

FROM THE BOOK CREATIVITY, INC. BY PIXAR’S ED CATMULL

Photo: Creativity, Inc. cover / Disney Pixar

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“WE BELIEVE THAT IDEAS ONLY BECOME GREAT WHEN THEY ARE CHALLENGED AND TESTED.”

Photo: The Incredibles / Disney Pixar (2004)

FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

“A HALLMARK OF A HEALTHY

CREATIVE CULTURE IS THAT ITS PEOPLE

FEEL FREE TO SHARE IDEAS, OPINIONS, AND

CRITICISMS. LACK OF CANDOR, IF UNCHECKED, ULTIMATELY LEADS TO DYSFUNCTIONAL

ENVIRONMENTS.”Photo: WALL-E / Disney Pixar (2008)


“SEEK OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO LEVEL WITH YOU, AND WHEN YOU FIND THEM, HOLD THEM CLOSE.”

Photo: Toy Story / Disney Pixar (1995)


“MISTAKES AREN’T A

NECESSARY EVIL. THEY AREN’T EVIL AT ALL.

THEY ARE AN INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE

OF DOING SOMETHING NEW.”

Photo: Finding Nemo / Disney Pixar (2003)


“TO BE WRONG AS FAST AS YOU CAN IS TO SIGN

UP FOR AGGRESSIVE, RAPID LEARNING.”

Photo: Cars / Disney Pixar (2006)


“FOR LEADERS ESPECIALLY, THIS STRATEGY—TRYING

TO AVOID FAILURE BY OUT-THINKING IT—

DOOMS YOU TO FAIL.”



“TO BE A TRULY CREATIVE COMPANY,

YOU MUST START THINGS THAT MIGHT FAIL.”

Photo: Monsters University / Disney Pixar (2013)


“THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO ANY FAILURE: THERE IS THE EVENT ITSELF, WITH ALL ITS ATTENDANT DISAPPOINTMENT, CONFUSION, AND SHAME, AND THEN THERE IS OUR REACTION TO IT. IT IS THIS SECOND PART THAT WE CONTROL.”

Photo: Up / Disney Pixar (2009)


“A MANAGER’S DEFAULT MODE

SHOULD NOT BE SECRECY.”

Photo: Ratatouille / Disney Pixar (2007)


“YOUR EMPLOYEES

ARE SMART; THAT’S WHY YOU HIRED THEM.

SO TREAT THEM THAT WAY.”



“RATHER THAN

TRYING TO PREVENT

ALL ERRORS, WE SHOULD

ASSUME, AS IS ALMOST ALWAYS

THE CASE, THAT OUR PEOPLE’S

INTENTIONS ARE GOOD AND THAT

THEY WANT TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.”



“OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT OUR [NEW IDEAS] FROM BEING JUDGED TOO QUICKLY. OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THE NEW.”



“PART OF OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT

THE NEW FROM PEOPLE WHO DON’T

UNDERSTAND THAT, IN ORDER FOR GREATNESS TO

EMERGE, THERE MUST BE PHASES OF NOT-SO-GREATNESS.”



“MAKING SOMETHING GREAT IS THE GOAL.”

Photo: WALL-E / Disney Pixar (2008)


“THE SYSTEM IS TILTED TO FAVOR THE INCUMBENT. THE CHALLENGER NEEDS SUPPORT

TO FIND ITS FOOTING. AND PROTECTION OF THE NEW

—OF THE FUTURE, NOT THE PAST—

MUST BE A CONSCIOUS

EFFORT.”

Photo: Cars 2 / Disney Pixar (2011)


Photo: Inside Out / Disney Pixar (TBD: 2015)

“IT’S FOLLY TO THINK YOU CAN AVOID CHANGE, NO MATTER HOW

MUCH YOU MIGHT WANT TO. BUT ALSO, TO MY MIND,

YOU SHOULDN’T WANT TO. THERE IS NO GROWTH OR SUCCESS WITHOUT

CHANGE.”FROM CREATIVITY, INC.

BY ED CATMULL

“RANDOMNESS IS NOT JUST INEVITABLE; IT IS PART OF THE BEAUTY OF LIFE. ACKNOWLEDGING IT AND APPRECIATING IT HELPS US RESPOND CONSTRUCTIVELY WHEN WE ARE SURPRISED.”

Photo: Brave / Disney Pixar (2012)


“IF WE MAKE ROOM FOR IT INSTEAD OF SHUNNING IT, THE UNKNOWN CAN BRING INSPIRATION AND ORIGINALITY.”

Photo: The Good Dinosaur / Disney Pixar (TBD: 2015) - Concept art


“WE MUST MEET UNEXPECTED

PROBLEMS WITH UNEXPECTED RESPONSES.”

Photo: Up / Disney Pixar (2009)


“CHANGE IS INEVITABLE…

WORKING WITH CHANGE IS WHAT

CREATIVITY IS ABOUT.”

Photo: Monsters, Inc. / Disney Pixar (2001)


“IF YOU DON’T TRY TO UNCOVER WHAT IS UNSEEN AND

UNDERSTAND ITS NATURE, YOU WILL BE ILL PREPARED

TO LEAD.”

Photo: Monsters, Inc. / Disney Pixar (2001)


“ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE… HELPS PROMOTE FLEXIBILITY.”



“THE MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE ARE WILLING

TO WORK IN THE SHADOW OF

UNCERTAINTY.”



“I BELIEVE THAT WE ALL HAVE THE

POTENTIAL TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND EXPRESS

OURSELVES CREATIVELY. WHAT STANDS IN OUR WAY ARE THESE

HIDDEN BARRIERS—THE MISCONCEPTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS

THAT IMPEDE US WITHOUT OUR KNOWING IT.”

Photo: Brave / Disney Pixar (2012)FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

“I BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO JUSTIFY EVERYTHING. WE MUST ALWAYS LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE UNEXPECTED.”

Photo: The Good Dinosaur / Disney Pixar (TBD: 2015) - Concept art


“THE ATTEMPT TO AVOID FAILURE

MAKES FAILURE MORE LIKELY.”

Photo: A Bug’s Life / Disney Pixar (1998)


“DRIVING THE TRAIN DOESN’T SET ITS COURSE.

THE REAL JOB IS LAYING

THE TRACK.”

Photo: Toy Story 3 / Disney Pixar (2010)



“IN MY EXPERIENCE, CREATIVE PEOPLE DISCOVER AND REALIZE THEIR VISIONS OVER TIME AND THROUGH DEDICATED, PROTRACTED STRUGGLE.”FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

“EARNING TRUST TAKES TIME; THERE’S

NO SHORTCUT TO UNDERSTANDING THAT

WE REALLY DO RISE AND FALL TOGETHER.”

Photo: WALL-E / Disney Pixar (2008)FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

“EASY ISN’T THE GOAL. QUALITY IS THE GOAL.”



“WHAT IS THE POINT OF HIRING SMART PEOPLE

IF YOU DON’T EMPOWER THEM

TO FIX WHAT’S BROKEN?”

Photo: Cars / Disney Pixar (2006)


“THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A CRISIS TO BRING WHAT AILS A COMPANY TO THE SURFACE.”

Photo: A Bug’s Life / Disney Pixar (1998)


“MANAGERS OF CREATIVE COMPANIES MUST NEVER FORGET TO ASK THEMSELVES: “HOW DO WE TAP THE BRAINPOWER OF OUR PEOPLE?”

Photo: Toy Story / Disney Pixar (1995)


“IT IS PRECISELY BY

ACTING ON OUR INTENTIONS AND STAYING TRUE TO OUR VALUES THAT WE CHANGE THE WORLD.”



“REAL IMPROVEMENT COMES FROM CONSISTENT RIGOR AND PARTICIPATION.”

Photo: Brave / Disney Pixar (2012)


“IT IS MANAGEMENT’S

JOB TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP OTHERS

SEE CONFLICT AS HEALTHY —AS A ROUTE TO BALANCE, WHICH BENEFITS US ALL IN

THE LONG RUN.”Photo: Toy Story 2 / Disney Pixar (1999)


“A BETTER MEASURE OF OUR SUCCESS IS TO LOOK AT THE PEOPLE ON OUR

TEAM AND SEE HOW THEY ARE WORKING TOGETHER.

CAN THEY RALLY TO SOLVE KEY PROBLEMS?

IF THE ANSWER IS YES, YOU ARE

MANAGING WELL.”

Photo: Toy Story 3 / Disney Pixar (2010)


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