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Friday, May 5, 2017

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True InspirationCreativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone knows that I am a Disney geek. I've been to every Disney theme park in the world (ok, I have to get to Shanghai now that it's open). I've watched the movies, soaked up the documentaries about Walt and wear Mickey pajamas to bed (don't tell anyone.) Disney's partnership with Pixar and subsequent acquisition was one of their smartest moves in recent history, so when I saw Creativity, Inc, it immediately made it onto my must-read list.

While I enjoyed the story, and the Disney references throughout the book, as I expected to, I was surprised to find that the business principles were equally interesting. While they were focused on a creative enterprise, the organizational theories seemed applicable across many industries. I came away questioning the level of candor I experience in my workplace. I'm also examining our approach to process when compared to our trust and empowerment of people. I appreciated these tidbits, since for me they constituted added value I hadn't expected.

Finally, one other thing that surprised me was to learn about the size of Pixar at different points in their history. It was always much smaller than I had assumed. By the end of the book, the studio that saved Disney's animation credibility, in my mind, was only 1100 employees strong. I would have assumed at least twice that. How awesome would it be to be in a business that size and yet produce products that are known the world over. I don't know if I'm adding that to my bucket list yet, but I'm considering it.

Great book. 'Nuff said.

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