Three Box Book Club: Creativity, Inc. Top Takeaways
Creativity comes in all different shapes and sizes.
It may look different from industry to industry, yet one theme remains constant. Creativity is what drives us forward, but it can only go so far on its own.
Recently, the Three Box Book Club read “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull, President of Pixar Animation and Disney Animation. Pulling from his years of experience at one of the most innovative companies in the world, Catmull shares advice on how to develop a company culture that allows creativity to not only grow, but thrive.
Read on for Three Box’s top takeaways!
AMANDA HILL, CEO
“I loved reading a chapter of this book, setting it down and immediately putting what I learned into practice. In the second section, Catmull outlined ways to "protect the new" with candor, balancing must-do projects with fresh projects and understanding that creative organizations expect the unknown. Wildly successful brands are learning to protect the new everyday. Catmull not only called out what works and what doesn't - but he also gave tangible suggestions for how to continue building a creative culture.”
BLAKE LEWIS, FOUNDING PRINCIPAL
“Many people talk about the importance of culture, but Catmull really drove home the point for me by sharing life experiences in the growth and development of Disney and Pixar. While both studios are broadly in the same space – animated entertainment – each has its own history, narrative, team and direction. In an era of bottom-line focus, in a field that can be reduced to person-hours per production, Catmull resisted... no, relentlessly resisted... the idea of schlepping creatives across the Pixar-Disney border for the purpose of project speed and scale. Fostering the development of two unique and special venues was part of his ethos of pursuing excellence in two dimensions, something many of us can benefit from when digesting a world full of mergers and acquisitions.”
CHRISTI MATTHYS, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
“This book gave us an inside look into how a huge creative organization focuses on continuous improvement in both process and culture. I loved reading about the creation and planning of Notes Day, a dedicated day for all employees to step away from their daily work to brainstorm and collaborate on solutions that would make Disney/Pixar a more efficient, cost-effective workplace, without sacrificing quality, culture or jobs. The day was so thoughtfully planned and executed, they walked away with tangible action items that had a real impact on both the bottom line and employee engagement.”
BETHANY MOORE, MEDIA SPECIALIST
“From the first anecdote in the book, Catmull earns the trust and admiration of the reader. He shows us that the roadblocks to creativity are often not what you think – something as simple as rearranging office furniture can have a huge impact. By diving into the history of Pixar and Disney, Catmull lays out a blueprint of what led their team to groundbreaking creative successes like ‘Toy Story,’ which redefined industry best practices and positioned Pixar as a pioneer in animation. But it all began with dreamers like Catmull who dared to do things differently.”