Writing Assignment, Week Two

            Though the assignment called for a preferably unknown artist to discuss, the person I chose is indeed famous. But I feel the need to explain my appreciation for this person because I feel that their work is by far not acknowledged enough, and that the company often overshadows the man himself.

            The name Disney is recognized across the globe for it’s animated films and theme parks. It is the name people have known since early childhood for it’s family-friendly entertainment, yet, many people do not know what or who Disney truly is. Disney is the name of a legendary man who has changed the world. His impact on the animation film industry is why animation is the way it is today. They say “it all started with a mouse,” but that statement is modest. It all started with one man; Walt Disney.

            As a young boy, Walter Elias Disney and his family moved to Kansas City. Every morning at 3:30 AM, he and his brother were awakened to deliver newspapers with their father. At an early age, the boy’s parents formed their intense work ethic. Against his father’s wishes, he became a cartoonist. He formed his first company with Ub Iwerks, where they were commercial artists. Iwerks did the illustrating and lettering while Walt handled cartooning and sales. (Iwerks would later become an animator at a later studio.) In May of 1922, Walt formed his next studio, Laugh-o-gram Films, when he was only twenty years old. He raised $15,000 to start his own company, and had no help from his father. He was completely on his own, but that is what Walt did. He was a businessman and a leader with the ability to convince friends, strangers, and best artists he could hire to invest in his vision of something very unheard of at the time- a cartoon studio.

            Walt’s life proves to us that you can start off with nothing, and make your dreams a reality. If you have passion and love for what you are doing and never give up, then anything is possible. Walt wasn’t afraid to fall and get back up again. He proved this again when he lost the ownership to his first successful character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It was then after that when he and his wife Lillian, during a train ride, thought of a new character who led to his greatest successes – a character by the name of Mickey Mouse.

            Walt worked on his mouse shorts for a while until his dreams grew. He wanted to create a feature film length cartoon, which led to making Snow White. The fairytale was the most innovative thing of its time. Though he didn’t invent animation, he nurtured it into what it is today. He had a vision that he wanted the moving drawings to be more realistic, and he fine-tuned that with each movie. With Fantasia, he helped create the first multi-track stereo sound system. July 17^th, 1955, his big dreams of opening a fun and friendly park came true when he opened Disneyland in California. Walt Disney, a simple, honest guy with a dream created a multi-billion dollar empire.

            I personally don’t love every film he ever made, but I admire and appreciate the visionary and creative leader he was. It inspires an animation student like myself to not give up on my dreams, to be bold, not be afraid of failure, to inspire people with my art, and that anything is possible.  

Fun fact that relates to the first class! Walt Disney was a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, and eventually the two of them met! (I know what you're thinking, Chaplin looks different without his mustache.)

Hi, my name is Jenavieve!

            I would say that my most defining characteristics are quiet, caring, and emotional. I’m fairly quiet around people except for my friends and family. I care deeply for those who I am close to. I probably care too much, because I am always so concerned for my loved ones and I am always willing to take some time out of my day to talk to them if they’re having a bad day. I admit that I am also emotional and cry easily, whether it is while watching a film or just because I am upset. My most defining physical characteristics or features are my smile and my squinty eyes. I have been told that I “smile with my eyes.”

            When compared, my family lineage is very different. My father’s side of the family originates from France, which is where I got the last name, Coulon. My mother’s family is from the South, meaning Georgia, but beyond Georgia, we suspect England and Ireland. In the 1940’s soon after WWII, my father’s parents moved from the East of France to Philadelphia, where my father was born an only child, and was raised in strict Catholic schools and a Military Academy called Valley Forge. From there, my father became a musician and plays the piano. My mother’s parents have lived many places all around the country and briefly lived in England when my mother was the age of two.

            My father’s heritage is most influential to me. My French grandparents passed away a few years apart, roughly around 2007. I spent the most time with them when I was young. Because of them, I tend to take interest in anything French, and also because my heritage is apart of who I am. I am proud to say that my grandparents were French, and spoke in their language around me, and taught me about their culture.

            During this strange transition in my life, I believe that what I am standing on all relates to home. I grew up in New Jersey. From living there for so many years I have made so many friends who love, support, and encourage my art career. I consider many of my friends to be part of my extended family. From living in Florida these past few years, I am so grateful to go back home during breaks, and my limited time spent there is more special than ever. 

            This position in what I see in the world is broadening with age. For the longest time, I feel as though I was maybe out of touch with reality. I was happy and smiling all the time. Not like that’s a bad thing, but I lived in my own little happy world, and didn’t think much about anything that was negative, such as politics and sad happenings around the world. These past few years I have learned to accept reality. I am “evolving,” or to simply put it, growing up. This past summer I took an online class that was philosophy and bioethics. The course was about the life or death decisions people in the medical field must make. The course discussion was about serious life threatening health issues and terminal illnesses, all which are very tough topics but are important to accept that it happens, and that making that kind of decision isn’t easy, but that it is possible to come to the best moral decision. The course was both intriguing and depressing at times, but I was broadening my horizons and stepping outside my comfort zone!

            What I enjoy looking for in the “mediascape” is the work of other artists. I also enjoy many other forms of media such as film, books, art blogs, and youtube vloggers. I follow many artists and animators in the industry who post on instagram, and enjoy seeing their daily sketches. It inspires me to create more art!