Look at the computer industry. I've watched a lot of companies come and go, some that were right at the pinnacle of their success. Edwin Catmull More Quotes by Edwin Catmull More Quotes From Edwin Catmull If everyone is trying to prevent error, it screws things up. Edwin Catmull errorsscrewstrying Creativity doesn't follow titles. It just comes from where it comes from. Edwin Catmull titlescreativity If you aren't experiencing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake: You are being driven by the desire to avoid it. Edwin Catmull drivenmistakedesire Art isn't about drawing; it's about learning to see. What organization doesn't need this ability? Edwin Catmull drawingorganizationart If you give a good idea to a mediocre group, they'll screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a good group, they'll fix it. Or they'll throw it away and come up with something else. Edwin Catmull groupsgivingideas You are not your idea, and if you identify too closely with your ideas, you will take offense when they are challenged. Edwin Catmull offenseifsideas Success hides problems...you don't need to address problems. Edwin Catmull addressesproblemneeds You can give a great film idea to a mediocre team and they may screw it up, but if you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they will turn it into a great film. Edwin Catmull teamgivingideas Every creative person can draft into service those around them who exhibit the right mixture of intelligence, insight, and grace. Edwin Catmull mixturescreativegrace We start from the presumption that our people are talented and want to contribute. We accept that, without meaning to, our company is stifling that talent in myriad unseen ways. Finally, we try to identify those impediments and fix them. Edwin Catmull unseentryingpeople It's pretty popular today to say that everybody should learn to fail and that failure's a good thing. Intellectually, it's an obvious thing. But in fact, it gets conflated with another meaning of failure, so when we grow up as kids, failing in school was a really bad thing. Edwin Catmull growing-upkidsschool For me, creativity includes problem-solving. That's the broad definition of it. Edwin Catmull creativitydefinitionsproblem I love solving the problems of having groups work together and removing barriers. But to actually turn around and be in the center of that is an awkward place to be. Edwin Catmull awkwardgroupsworking-together I actually feel awkward being at the center of attention. Edwin Catmull center-of-attentionawkwardattention Creativity has to start somewhere, and we are true believers in the power of bracing, candid feedback, and the iterative process - reworking, reworking, and reworking again until a flawed story finds its through line or a hollow character finds its soul. Edwin Catmull creativitysoulpowercharacter We encourage our people to build their ideas from scratch, and we give them the resources - and, crucially, the candid feedback - that are required to transform the first wisps of a story into a truly compelling film. Edwin Catmull storycandidpeopleideas Sometimes a leap of faith doesn't pan out. Edwin Catmull leapleap-of-faithfaithsometimes We have to evolve, we have to change, and in order to do that, we have to initiate the change. Edwin Catmull initiateevolvechangeorder Encourage people to mingle, meet, and communicate. Edwin Catmull mingleencouragemeetpeople When I was in high school in the early 1960s, I wanted to be an animator and even took art classes. But by the time I was in college, I realized I couldn't draw well enough. Edwin Catmull high-schooltimeartschool
