Almost Disney
Concept Design / Disney
Oh, boy - this project was a DREAM. And a heartbreak. But first, a little back story:
The only job I’ve ever wished for, since I’ve been old enough to know what a job was, is to be a Disney Animator (well--very briefly a stunt driver for car commercials, then back to Disney Animator). But sometime in the beginning of my college years, buried under a mountain of tuition debt and barely making enough as a waterpark lifeguard to pay for gas to get to school, I became convinced that my wish wasn’t a realistic career goal. So, I switched from my Traditional Art major to Graphic Design… but I could never give up my love for drawing. I held on tight to my Illustration minor, refusing to switch to Business as advised. (Honestly, a little business education would have been helpful. But I still love drawing characters whenever I need some creative headspace.)
Years later, my boss at MVP Group Int. stopped by my shared cubicle to tell me they had an opportunity to be one of Disney’s sponsors for the Candlelight Processional. They wanted to present a few new product & collection concepts... and they wanted ME to go with the sales team
to a meeting at Disney World to present my own designs, I was OVER THE MOON EXCITED and overwhelmed with ideas– I couldn’t get the sketches down on paper fast enough.
We had an absolutely ridiculous 1-week timeline from start to finish, so naturally I worked non-stop day and night to churn out as much as I could. I had been following a few Disney artists on Instagram for years; Steve Thompson in particular (designer of the magical Sketchbook Ornaments that covered 90% of my cousins’ Christmas tree every year, little gestures of pure joy glittering in the lights). I imagined that this childhood hero of mine would be at the big meeting, and he would give me feedback. I would cry tears of joy.
Then, at the end of the week, smiling and sleep-deprived with cramped fingers and a full sketchbook, my boss came in and told me that I wouldn’t be going with them after all. My ticket “wasn’t in the budget.”
Then I did actually go to my car and cry. Not tears of joy.
My sketches went on without me for the sales team to make their presentation, and I was eager to hear every detail when they returned. The deal didn’t end up working out in the end - the factory in NC wouldn’t have been able to keep up with demand, they said - but, I did get one tidbit back from all this, and I’ll happily keep it: “They liked the rose idea.”