Lessons on Creativity and Life from Disney Social Media Moms #DisneySMMoms

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If you followed along with us on our trip to the 2014 Disney Social Media Moms celebration, you probably saw many fun photos come from my instagram account! And, have fun we did. We made special family memories that I will cherish forever and had fun with friends, all while sprinkled with magical pixie dust that only Disney can do. But, there was also networking, inspiring speakers, special information, and learning. Whether talking about Disney or various other companies/people, there were SO many important messages shared during our conference time. Many of those messages had a theme of creativity (hello, it’s Disney after all)…but really, so many of these “lessons” apply to life in general. They’re important reminders from some very inspiring people – and very worthy of sharing! Walt Disney Quote & Lessons #DisneySMMomsTwo of our many amazing speakers were Donald Driver (@donald_driver80, former NFL wide receiver) and Maxine Clark (@chiefexecbear, the founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop). Not only are they two incredibly successful people, they have very inspiring stories. Donald was homeless! The obstacles he overcame were incredible and he had us in tears multiple times. They spoke from the heart with great gems to share. Here are my favorites:

  • “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney (via Donald Driver)
  • “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” – Zig Ziglar (via Donald Driver)
  • “When you listen to your heart, you can find your true calling” – Maxine Clark
  • “When you follow your passion, it’s not work. It’s really play.” – Maxine Clark

Whether cliche’ or not, these statements are SO true (and applicable to SO many situations)! I’ve found a dream job in blogging & social media –something that NEVER would have happened had I not taken a risk back in 2010 & hit publish on this little space of the internet for the very first time.

That might sound cheesy, but it’s true. As a daughter of a stay-at-home mom, I always knew I wanted that for my kids. But, I also loved aspects about teaching (I was a teacher for 8 years prior to this gig) & sharing my passions with others. I love being creative. I love learning and experiencing new things. I love to travel. And, well, let’s face it, I also happen to like money too. And, this amazing job I have now is the marriage of all of that. I’m at home with my boys, exercising my creativity, learning all kinds of new things, and sharing things I’ve learned with others. Like Maxine said, most of the time, it really feels like play instead of “work”. It’s the dream job I didn’t even know I wanted…or even existed. But, I’m SO thankful that I was curious enough to explore it!

“Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” – Walt Disney via Gary Buchanan (Social Media Managing Editor and PR Manager, Disney Parks)

Curiosity inspires creativity. And it’s so true. Gary reminded us all of that during his session on creativity. And, what a great person to give that talk! Gary is one of the most genuinely fun, energetic, creative people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting! His enthusiasm is infectious. So, it’s a joy to learn from him!  Gary & Donald Duck #DisneySMMomsGary shared the Jean-Luc Godard quote, “It’s not where you take things from. It’s where you take them to.” He reminded us that everyone is creative (and it’s true). Being curious & exploring leads to creativity. To be creative, you keep asking questions and you play! Gary reminded us that to be creative, “you don’t have to be the first…you just make it better and different!”  And, wow, did Walt Disney ever get these concepts! Disney wasn’t the first to make an animated character; he wasn’t the first to build some sort of an amusement park. But, he was VERY good at making his versions different AND better! Disneyland Walt & Mickey StatueAnd from what it seems anyway, Disney never lost sight of who he was. He was authentic and the company has stayed true to the key principles and visions that Walt had. As Gary said, “whatever you do in creativity, you should be authentic. It should challenge you, but not turn you into someone you’re not.” That’s an important lesson that I want my boys to know…and something to keep reminding ourselves even as adults.

The last tidbit I’ll leave you with is Gary’s favorite Walt Disney quote. It’s one that applies to just about any area – your creativity, your relationships, your business, your life…

“If you’re coasting, it means you’re going downhill”

Truth!

*For more on Gary’s awesome talk about Disney & creativity, you can head over to Honesty & Truly!

Which of these Disney quotes speak to you?

Dis­clo­sure: My fam­ily was invited to the 2014 Dis­ney Social Media Moms Cel­e­bra­tion. I paid a con­fer­ence fee to attend and received dis­counted & com­pli­men­tary items from as part of the expe­ri­ence. I was not asked to write about our expe­ri­ences at the con­fer­ence. All opin­ions and expe­ri­ences are entirely my own!

 

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I’m Sara, a mom to three adorable boys living in the Arizona desert. As a former teacher, I love sharing my passions with others. So, have a look around for creative inspiration about cooking, creating, celebrating, traveling with kids, and more everyday mom endeavors!

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