The secret to Disney’s storytelling formula

Follow this ancient script to face any problem

Tim Cigelske
The Creative Journey

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Solving a problem in real life is a lot like following a Disney script.

You have a hero, a conflict, failed attempts to solve the problem, back-up plans, a breakthrough, a solution that works and finally a conclusion.

By the end, we are back where we started, but transformed with new powers and knowledge.

Movies succeed with this narrative arc over and over again because we can all relate. If you look at Disney and Pixar movies, they are variations on this same timeless theme, sometimes called the hero’s journey.

In 1985, writer Christopher Vogler compiled the stages of the hero’s journey in a 7-page memo for Disney that became a guide for storytelling. That’s why it may seem so familiar.

But these stages don’t just work in Hollywood. They also work in real life.

When faced with a problem, you can picture yourself as the hero of your story and tackle the issue in the same way as Simba, Woody, Elsa, or Mr. Incredible. That means it won’t always be easy, but if you stick with…

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