What Creatives Can Learn from 101 Dalmatians

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Growing up, we would watch few movies, but when we did, it was usually in the Disney category. A particular favorite was 101 Dalmatians that we watched, partly in terror of the angular-shaped, purple-lipped, aptly-named Cruella de Vil, and partly in fascination of all the talking, black-and-white spotted puppies running around. Reflecting on the video again, we see there are some lessons we can learn from the characters, including discipline, bravery, and loyalty.

Cruella-de-Vil
Cruella de Vil is the evil villain that must be defeated, not unlike your own fears.

Here’s the story of 101 Dalmatians. The lessons we learned are in bold.

The story is of Roger, a struggling pianist and bachelor, who walks in the park every day with his dalmatian, Pongo.
“If it were up to Roger, we’d be bachelors forever. He was married to his work. Writing songs about romance, of all things. Something he knew absolutely nothing about,” muses Pongo. [It’s more about who you know than what you know.]

Anita and her dalmatian Perdita similarly walk in this park on a regular basis and Pongo arranges that the four meet. [Make opportunities happen.] Love happens and there is a double wedding. The family couldn’t be happier in their small flat in London. Later, Perdita has a litter of fifteen puppies.

That night, Cruella, a former schoolmate of Anita, stops by and wants the puppies. Roger refuses, saying that the puppies are not for sale. [Stay true to your values.] Cruella sends henchmen to steal the puppies and hides them in her mansion where other Dalmatian puppies have been imprisoned. Cruella intends to skin the dogs to make a beautiful spotted coat. “I live for furs,” she cries.

Through a series of trials and acts of bravery, the family is able to rescue their puppies, plus more than they had imagined! Cruella is defeated, and the family is joyful to be together. [You have more courage and strength than you think.]

To express his happiness, Roger begins playing his piano and a catchy tune emerges. [Nurture the genius inside of you. Learn to recognize it.] He scrambles to compose the score. The music becomes a hit song and the family buys a large house in the country for all 101 dalmatians. [Share your wealth.]

What is interesting from a creative’s perspective, whether you are a writer, artist, musician, photographer, dancer, baker, or cook, is that Roger made his breakthrough only after years of practice. He was disciplined and diligent about developing his craft.

His moment of genius came when he expanded his boundaries, both personally and professionally. He took some risks and connected with people. He stopped just practicing in private. He performed in public. You need a community too. You need to put your work out there. You will learn, and you will succeed.

You can do this creative success too. But it’s going to cost. Creating is work—it’s hard. It’s being vulnerable and baring your soul. Opening yourself up to judgment and being who you are takes courage.

But you have to do it. You have do what you were born to do: create. And love it, and success will surely follow. We are waiting for you. Please share you as there is only one of you in this world. And, be bold and keep showing up, especially when the going gets tough. But don’t do it alone.

PS- A terrific resource about building tribes, especially for writers, is found here.