As Mama to two kiddos, I’ve seen my fair share of Disney movies. Those sweet, animated tales have stood the test of time for a reason: they’re rich with life applications. Viewers are bound to find a lesson or two in each Disney animated film, but some are more poignant than others. As I think about improving my writing life, a few of these films and their lessons reminded me of some valuable truths. Here are five Disney movies that inspire or encourage me in my writing life and a keyword summarizing each:
Finding Nemo: Tenacity
Everyone knows the line. When anyone mentions Finding Nemo, inevitably, someone else will quote or sing, “Just keep swimming!” No matter how challenging life becomes, the solution is to just keep going. This works perfectly as a principle for the writing journey. The writing life has its ups and downs. Some days, the words just flow; other days, I sit in front of the computer staring at that blinking cursor, stuck. At times I’m easily able to keep to my schedule to put words on the page, while other seasons present roadblocks to my best intentions to carve out writing time. No matter how defeated or frustrated I feel in the hard times, the best thing I can do is just keep after it. You can do this, too. Make the decision to keep trying, day after day, and you’ll find despite the challenges, you make progress.
Tangled: Bravery
Rapunzel lived her whole life locked in a tower, believing the world was a scary place. Mother Gothel’s lies served to keep Rapunzel stuck in the tower in fear. But the princess finally becomes brave to try something new, climbing out of her comfort zone. The end result was a blessing far greater than Rapunzel could have imagined. She experienced a richer life by not believing the lies and facing her fears. Moving out of your comfort zone and trying new things can be intimidating, but so worth it. For me, stepping out of my comfort zone looked like fighting my introverted tendencies and joining a writing group. Another way I tried something new was writing flash fiction. And the biggest leap from my comfort zone was attending writers’ conferences. What is something you could try to pull yourself out of your comfort zone?
Moana: Obedience
Moana felt connected to and called by the ocean her entire life. But because of her people’s negative past experiences and fears, she ignored that call and instead tried to force herself to be someone she wasn’t. Finally, she could no longer deny the tugging at her heart or the importance of heeding it, and she set sail on an epic quest that ultimately saved her land and her people. As writers, many of us have felt called to try and reach the world through words. But often, our own doubts and insecurities or the naysaying of others cause us to ignore the longing to write. While I wrote in a corporate capacity for years, the deepest desire of my heart was to attempt fiction because I believe lives can be changed through story. Sometimes, the juxtaposition of my longing with my lack of following it brought me to tears. Even if nothing ever comes of my writing efforts, I have more peace now that I am actively writing than I ever had not writing. In obedience, I sit at my computer and pour out words and stories and ideas, trusting that the God-given desire is important to who I am during my time on this earth. And I feel closer to God because of my obedience to His call.
Bolt: Focus
Bolt is a heartwarming tale about a “superdog” who loses his person and ventures out into the world to rescue her. One thing I loved about the movie is Bolt’s single-minded determination to find Penny. He sets a goal and does everything in his power to find his way back to her, even though he suddenly finds himself without the “powers” he has always relied on. He continually bumps up against challenges but he remains laser-focused on his goal. I have found over the years that nothing gets my tail in gear like staring down a deadline. The drop-dead date for a writing project helps me hone a laser-like focus. Writing assignments for school, completing articles for my college newspaper, and crafting marketing materials for clients all got done because I had an end-date in sight. Bolt didn’t necessarily have a deadline by which he had to rescue Penny, but there was an urgency and concern that time was the enemy. He poured all of his energy and focus on meeting his goal. Sometimes we need to engage extreme focus to get the job done.
Toy Story: Dream Big
Everyone remembers Buzz and Woody’s main catchphrases: “To infinity and beyond!” and “Reach for the sky!” (respectively). The toys had grand goals of being loved by and reunited with Andy, and their well-known catchphrases are great metaphors for their big dreams. As a writer, I have big dreams, but it’s easy to allow fear to tamp them down. But what if I looked at writing with a “reach for the sky” attitude? What if I look at my goals through the lens of “to infinity and beyond?” Dreaming big allows me to focus on something greater than myself. And it encourages me to see anything is possible and to work to be the best I can be.
What are your favorite Disney movies? What lessons have you discovered and applied to your own life?