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TELLING STORIES WITH PICTURESWhen I was young, I loved drawing our farm animals and I even got paid for my sketches. I took art classes and sometimes traded my drawings with the local barber for a free haircut. When the family farm failed, we moved to Kansas City and I delivered newspapers and sold candy on trains that travelled up to Chicago. We all pitched in to help pay the bills.&nbsp;At school, I loved storytelling, but I struggled with words. However, I realised that I could use images and pictures to tell a story. This would make a huge difference in my life – and ultimately to the world.<div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F696f802ec1304df69fc0a5e25edbe9ef" alt="" style="color: rgb(21, 20, 20); width: 237.891px; height: 351.562px;"></div><o:p></o:p>A HARD LESSON<o:p></o:p>My first company went bankrupt and with only $40 left in my pocket, I moved to Los Angeles. I thought I could be an actor, but that didn’t work out either. I soon realised that there were no animation studios in California, and I convinced my brother Roy that we could set up a new business venture.&nbsp;I got a job with Margaret Winkler, an animation distributor. I was excited about the job, and I agreed to give Margaret the rights to my cartoon ideas. However, that was a big mistake, as it meant that I didn’t control my work and I couldn’t make any money from it.&nbsp;But I wasn’t going to let this mistake stop me and I moved on, working under my own name with a team of creatives. My next character was a mouse, who my wife, Lillian, thought we should call Mickey.&nbsp;<div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F7868e478714a461c8b59aa980074aced" alt="" style="color: rgb(21, 20, 20); width: 195.577px; height: 261.156px;"></div>FINDING SUCCESSIn 1928, we released our animated film Steamboat Willie, and Mickey Mouse was the star. It was also the world’s first cartoon with sound that worked in time with the pictures. The work of my team of ‘Imagineers’ reflected hours and hours of hard work. And finally, after many difficult years in business, we were starting to succeed.The next animated films that followed were Pinocchio, Dumbo and Bambi. And despite tough financial times in 1929, we continued to make a profit. Our movies offered people hope, fun and laughter.&nbsp;Then in 1932, our Flowers and Trees animation won an Academy Award; the first of many. We went on to win 26 Academy Awards and seven Emmy Awards.Other projects created household names such as Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in December 1937. An animated feature-length film, it was the first of its kind. Critics called it ‘Disney’s Folly’ because it took three years to produce. The studio had run out of funding, but the bank thankfully lent us money to complete the film.&nbsp;In the end, Snow White became a classic and made millions of dollars.MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE<o:p></o:p>Then there was a change of direction with another world war in Europe. People weren’t coming to the movies, but I needed to pay everyone’s wages. So from 1941 to 1945, we were contracted by the government to make short animated anti-Nazi films, to boost everyone’s spirits.&nbsp;After the war, television started to become a standard feature in people’s homes. Walt Disney Studios produced many top-rated television shows including Treasure Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Later came the Mickey Mouse Club. We continued to make films such as Lady and The Tramp, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.&nbsp;But I had bigger dreams. I wanted to create a kingdom of imagination and fairy tales for families to enjoy and share together. And at a cost of $17 million, I created Disneyland.&nbsp;<div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F2d515eb9660e46a0a71243d5a9eb2f4b" alt="" style="width: 215.896px; height: 282.094px;"></div>In 1964, Mary Poppins was released, and it was later nominated for no less than 13 Academy Awards.&nbsp;By 1965, although I was only 64 years old, my health was not good. So Roy agreed to keep my dreams alive and look after the business. Dreams of course are important. We must live with hope and the belief that we can make our lives happy ones by following through with determination, teamwork and commitment to success.GLOSSARY<o:p></o:p>Bankrupt – a legal process for businesses when they can’t pay their bills.Animation – moving images created from drawings.Folly – a foolish action.LEGACY AND RECOGNITION<ul><li>Walt Disney’s achievements are an example that dreams really can come true.</li><li>Despite experiencing bankruptcy and rights issues, Walt Disney persevered to build an empire that is now worth billions of dollars.</li><li>Walt Disney won seven Emmy Awards and 26 Academy Awards. He received more awards and nominations than any other individual in entertainment history.</li><li>In recognition of his contribution to the entertainment industry, Walt Disney is honoured with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.</li><li>Walt Disney gave his name to the most famous brand of family entertainment in the world.&nbsp;</li><li>Walt Disney funded CalArts (California Institute of the Arts), a school to train future artists and storytellers. Its graduates – which include John Lasseter and Tim Burton, among others – are some of the leading filmmakers of today.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">IMAGE CAPTIONS AND CREDITS<o:p></o:p>Portrait of Walt Disney, Boy Scouts of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSteamboat Willie&nbsp;poster, sbwoodside, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Creative Commons<o:p></o:p>Cinderella’s castle at Disney World, elisfkc, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons</div>

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