The Story of a Man Who Was Fired for a Lack of Creativity but Went on to Build His Own Empire

Walt Disney’s life story and the way he achieved his dreams prove that there are no shortcuts to success. It’s hard to believe, but the man who is known for his artistic vision and creativity was fired from his first job as a newspaper artist because “he lacked creativity.” But Walt Disney didn’t let that discourage him from chasing his goals, and his story proves we can all make our dreams come true if we work hard to pursue them.

We at Bright Side admire people who don’t allow circumstances to stand in the way of achieving their dreams. And we believe the story of Walt Disney’s journey to success can encourage anyone to never give up.

1. He learned to reach his goals at a very young age.

Not many people know that Walt Disney was a very patriotic citizen and wanted to join the military at the age of 16. He was too young, and the army would not take him. But Walt didn’t give up and committed a little forgery, changing his birth year from 1901 to 1900. This allowed him to get into the Red Cross, and he spent a year in France driving an ambulance.

2. He did what he loved.

Walt Disney developed his love for drawing when he was a kid. He used to draw, paint, and sell pictures to his neighbors and family friends. At school, he took photographs and was a contributing cartoonist for the school paper. He studied cartooning on the side and hoped to eventually get a job as a newspaper cartoonist.

3. He didn’t let obstacles stop him.

At the age of 19, Walt opened his very first Commercial Artists studio with his best friend Ub Iwerks. The business failed to attract enough customers and went under after only a month. But Disney was far from ready to quit on his dream and opened his second business producing short cartoons called Laugh-O-Grams. His second company also went bankrupt, but Disney felt that the only way he would succeed is if he believed in his dream.

4. He learned from his failures.

In 1923, Disney moved to Hollywood and went from studio to studio in an effort to sell his Alice’s Wonderland series. He was rejected time and time again until the cartoon distributor, Margaret J. Winkler, expressed an interest in his material. Years later, Disney discovered that the distributor and her husband had poached his best employees and made them their own. He chose to leave the studio and he never agreed to sell the rights to his work again.

5. He never settled with his first success.

After his first cartoon with sound, Mickey Mouse, became a sensation, Walt Disney formed Disney Studios and went on to create a series of sound cartoons. Many successful animations later, Walt Disney decided to announce his first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Although his team tried to talk him out of it, Walt spent the next 3 years producing his vision and the film became the most successful motion picture of the year.

6. He did it for others.

One day, Disney was visiting Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his daughters. While watching them ride the merry-go-round, he came up with the idea for a place where parents and their children could have fun together. In 1955, the first Disneyland opened its doors to public. It was an instant success and became known as a truly magical place, where people of all ages could feel like kids again.

10 years later, he announced plans to develop another theme park to be called “Disney World.” Sadly, before the construction was complete, Disney passed away at the age of 65. Regardless of how many years have passed since his death, Walt Disney continues to live on as a man that almost every kid has to thank for their whole childhood.

What is your favorite Disney cartoon or movie? Do you agree that all our dreams can come true if we don’t give up?