Walt Disneys’ Creative Process for Storytelling

The Dreamer, The Realist and The Critic.

A lot of people ask me about different frameworks in storytelling. One that I think is underutilized today is the “Disney Creative Strategy”, inspired by Walt Disney’s methods and formalized by creativity expert Robert Dilts. Dilts divides the creative process into three key roles: Dreamer, Realist, and Critic.

These phases help balance imagination with practicality, and leverage both the right brain and left brain.

Here’s how it works, with a focus on visualization:

1. The Dreamer

This phase is all about unrestricted imagination. Here, ideas are generated without worrying about their feasibility.

The Dreamer uses visualization to vividly picture the desired end result. They imagine the best possible version of the idea, picturing all details — how it looks, sounds, and feels. This creates a compelling vision that motivates further action.

“The Dreamer brings the creative vision to life, unbound by the limits of feasibility or practicality.” — Dilts

Key Questions: What do we want to achieve? What does the ideal scenario look like?

2. The Realist

This is where practicality is introduced, focusing on implementing the Dreamer’s vision with concrete steps.

The Realist visualizes the process of bringing the idea to life. They map out the plan, imagining each stage of development, potential roadblocks, and how they’ll overcome them.

Key Questions: How can we make this work? What steps do we need to take?

“The Realist bridges the Dreamer’s vision with action, grounding the idea in reality through structured planning and logical progression.” — Dilts

3. The Critic

This final phase focuses on refining the idea by identifying potential flaws or weaknesses, bringing balance to the creative process.

The Critic visualizes potential problems and outcomes if the idea were executed as is. They mentally walk through scenarios where things go wrong to foresee and prevent issues.

“The Critic is essential to refine and improve. Without the Critic, ideas risk being either unachievable or less impactful. The Critic asks the tough questions to anticipate obstacles and prepare solutions.” — Dilts

Key Questions: What could go wrong? What needs to be improved or avoided?

Together, these phases create a cycle that moves from imagination to action, blending creativity with practicality and constructive criticism. Dilts says that this process is “a model for innovation that respects both creativity and practicality, ensuring ideas are not only inspiring but also executable.”

I’d love to hear from you!

I’m excited to share a special 1-hour live masterclass on Stoytelling that veteran Product Marketer Mary Sheehan and I created, where we share the tools and strategies we’ve developed working with 50+ companies across industries.

You can sign up here: https://lu.ma/ywn37t2d

If you enjoyed this article, let’s stay in touch.

My latest book, The Launch: A Product Marketer’s Guide, is now available on Amazon. I also wrote the book “Product Marketing Debunked. The Essential Go-To-Market Guide” which you can purchase on Amazon.