Walt Disney, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
Walt Disney with his friend and collaborator, Ub Iwerks created “a new character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.” (1926) The Oswald cartoons were being turned out rapid-fire by Disney’s studio. They became very successful. “The hand drawn animation for Oswald was a labor-intensive process requiring many hours of painstaking work by Walt’s skilled artists. Skilled artists cost money.” He decided it was “time to negotiate a little more money for his product.”
Walt Disney, 25, went to New York to see Charles Mintz, the film distributor for Universal. “Mintz offered him substantially less than he was currently earning.” Minz said, “The Oswald character was owned by Universal, not Disney and most of Disney’s animators had already been quietly hired away.” (Jason Liller, 2013,“Walt Disney: Dreams Really Do Come True” (pp. 11-13)
Lesson: Always read the fine print on a contract.
Walt Disney was devastated. His business was “pulled out from under him… His investment of time, money, and talent was taken from him in a blink of an eye.” At this point he could have given up in defeat and returned home to Missouri, but that was not his nature.
While returning by train to Hollywood with his wife, Lillian, who worked as an ink artist at Walt Disney Animated Studio, he immediately thought about creating a new character to replace Oswald.
He said, “I was all alone and had nothing. Mrs. Disney and I were coming back on the train and I had to have something. I can’t tell them I’ve lost Oswald. So I had this mouse in the back of my head,,,”
With "input from his wife, Lillian, and a design revamp by" his friend and collaborator, Ub Iwerks, they created the character they believed "would secure their studio’s survival: Mickey Mouse." (Walt Disney: Dreams Really Do Come True, 2013, Jason Liller, p.15)
Walt Disney felt "bullied and betrayed" by Charles Mintz. Instead of tucking his tail between his legs and returning home, he decided his best response was to create something that would become wildly popular.
Walt Disney, “I function better when things are going badly than when they’re as smooth as whipped cream.”
When adversity knocks you down, get right back up, and visualize a new picture just like Walt Disney did!
Walt Disney, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, conductor, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker or video speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com
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