In his book, Creativity, Inc., Ed Catmull shares his experience as a manager of Pixar, one of the world’s most famous creative animation studios. More than that, Ed offers a number of starting points to help those that wish to work in an environment that fosters creativity and problem solving, to create it. We've collected 37 choice quotes from the book that demonstrate how to develop and maintain a creative company and paired them with images from Pixar's award-winning films and two upcoming features (Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur).

1. THE
PIXAR WAY 37 QUOTES ON DEVELOPING AND
MAINTAINING A CREATIVE COMPANY
Photo: Creativity, Inc. cover / Disney Pixar
FROM THE BOOK CREATIVITY, INC. BY PIXAR’S ED CATMULL

2. “WE BELIEVE THAT
IDEAS ONLY BECOME
GREAT WHEN THEY
ARE CHALLENGED
AND TESTED.”
Photo: The Incredibles / Disney Pixar (2004)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

3. “A HALLMARK
OF A HEALTHY
CREATIVE CULTURE
IS THAT ITS PEOPLE
FEEL FREE TO SHARE
IDEAS, OPINIONS, AND
CRITICISMS. LACK OF CANDOR,
IF UNCHECKED, ULTIMATELY
LEADS TO DYSFUNCTIONAL
ENVIRONMENTS.”
Photo: WALL-E / Disney Pixar (2008) FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

4. “SEEK OUT
PEOPLE WHO ARE
WILLING TO LEVEL
WITH YOU, AND WHEN
YOU FIND THEM,
HOLD THEM CLOSE.”
Photo: Toy Story / Disney Pixar (1995)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

5. “MISTAKES
AREN’T A
NECESSARY EVIL.
THEY AREN’T EVIL AT ALL.
THEY ARE AN
Photo: Finding Nemo / Disney Pixar (2003)
INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE
OF DOING SOMETHING NEW.”
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

6. “TO BE WRONG AS FAST
AS YOU CAN IS TO SIGN
UP FOR AGGRESSIVE,
RAPID LEARNING.”
Photo: Cars / Disney Pixar (2006)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

7. “FOR LEADERS ESPECIALLY,
THIS STRATEGY—TRYING
TO AVOID FAILURE BY
OUT-THINKING IT—
DOOMS YOU
TO FAIL.”
Photo: The Incredibles / Disney Pixar (2004)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

8. “TO BE A TRULY
CREATIVE COMPANY,
YOU MUST START
THINGS THAT
MIGHT FAIL.”
Photo: Monsters University / Disney Pixar (2013)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

9. “THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO ANY FAILURE:
THERE IS THE EVENT ITSELF, WITH ALL
ITS ATTENDANT DISAPPOINTMENT,
CONFUSION, AND SHAME,
AND THEN THERE IS OUR
REACTION TO IT. IT IS
THIS SECOND
PART THAT WE
CONTROL.”
Photo: Up / Disney Pixar (2009)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

10. “A MANAGER’S
DEFAULT MODE
SHOULD NOT
BE SECRECY.”
Photo: Ratatouille / Disney Pixar (2007)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

11. “YOUR
EMPLOYEES
Photo: The Incredibles / Disney Pixar (2004)
ARE SMART; THAT’S
WHY YOU HIRED THEM.
SO TREAT THEM THAT WAY.”
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

12. “RATHER THAN
TRYING TO PREVENT
ALL ERRORS, WE SHOULD
ASSUME, AS IS ALMOST ALWAYS
THE CASE, THAT OUR PEOPLE’S
INTENTIONS ARE GOOD AND THAT
THEY WANT TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.”
Photo: Finding Nemo / Disney Pixar (2003)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

13. “OUR JOB IS TO
PROTECT OUR
[NEW IDEAS] FROM
BEING JUDGED TOO
QUICKLY. OUR JOB
IS TO PROTECT
THE NEW.”
Photo: Ratatouille / Disney Pixar (2007)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

14. “PART OF OUR JOB
IS TO PROTECT
THE NEW FROM
PEOPLE WHO DON’T
UNDERSTAND THAT, IN
ORDER FOR GREATNESS TO
EMERGE, THERE MUST BE PHASES
OF NOT-SO-GREATNESS.”
Photo: Finding Nemo / Disney Pixar (2003)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

15. “MAKING
SOMETHING
GREAT IS
THE GOAL.”
Photo: WALL-E / Disney Pixar (2008)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

16. “THE SYSTEM IS TILTED TO FAVOR THE INCUMBENT.
THE CHALLENGER NEEDS SUPPORT
TO FIND ITS FOOTING. AND
PROTECTION OF THE NEW
—OF THE FUTURE,
NOT THE PAST—
MUST BE A
CONSCIOUS
EFFORT.”
Photo: Cars 2 / Disney Pixar (2011)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

17. Photo: Inside Out / Disney Pixar (TBD: 2015)
“IT’S FOLLY TO THINK YOU CAN AVOID
CHANGE, NO MATTER HOW
MUCH YOU MIGHT WANT TO.
BUT ALSO, TO MY MIND,
YOU SHOULDN’T WANT TO.
THERE IS NO GROWTH
OR SUCCESS WITHOUT
CHANGE.”
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

18. “RANDOMNESS IS
NOT JUST INEVITABLE;
IT IS PART OF THE BEAUTY
OF LIFE. ACKNOWLEDGING IT
AND APPRECIATING IT HELPS US
RESPOND CONSTRUCTIVELY
WHEN WE ARE SURPRISED.”
Photo: Brave / Disney Pixar (2012)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

19. “IF WE MAKE ROOM
FOR IT INSTEAD
OF SHUNNING IT,
THE UNKNOWN CAN
BRING INSPIRATION
AND ORIGINALITY.”
Photo: The Good Dinosaur / Disney Pixar (TBD: 2015) - Concept art
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

20. “WE MUST
MEET UNEXPECTED
PROBLEMS WITH
UNEXPECTED RESPONSES.”
Photo: Up / Disney Pixar (2009)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

21. “CHANGE IS
INEVITABLE…
WORKING WITH
CHANGE IS WHAT
CREATIVITY IS ABOUT.”
Photo: Monsters, Inc. / Disney Pixar (2001)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

22. “IF YOU DON’T TRY TO UNCOVER
WHAT IS UNSEEN AND
UNDERSTAND ITS NATURE,
YOU WILL BE
ILL PREPARED
TO LEAD.”
Photo: Monsters, Inc. / Disney Pixar (2001)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

23. “ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT
YOU CAN’T SEE…
HELPS PROMOTE
FLEXIBILITY.”
Photo: Finding Nemo / Disney Pixar (2003)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

24. “THE MOST CREATIVE
PEOPLE ARE WILLING
TO WORK IN
THE SHADOW OF
UNCERTAINTY.”
Photo: Monsters University / Disney Pixar (2013)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

25. “I BELIEVE THAT
WE ALL HAVE THE
POTENTIAL TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS AND EXPRESS
OURSELVES CREATIVELY. WHAT
STANDS IN OUR WAY ARE THESE
HIDDEN BARRIERS—THE
MISCONCEPTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
THAT IMPEDE US WITHOUT
OUR KNOWING IT.”
Photo: Brave / Disney Pixar (2012) FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

26. “I BELIEVE THAT
YOU SHOULD NOT
BE REQUIRED TO JUSTIFY
EVERYTHING. WE MUST
ALWAYS LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN
FOR THE UNEXPECTED.”
Photo: The Good Dinosaur / Disney Pixar (TBD: 2015) - Concept art
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

27. “THE ATTEMPT
TO AVOID FAILURE
MAKES FAILURE
MORE LIKELY.”
Photo: A Bug’s Life / Disney Pixar (1998)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

28. “DRIVING THE TRAIN
DOESN’T SET
ITS COURSE.
THE REAL JOB
IS LAYING
THE TRACK.”
Photo: Toy Story 3 / Disney Pixar (2010)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

29. Photo: The Incredibles / Disney Pixar (2004)
“IN MY EXPERIENCE, CREATIVE
PEOPLE DISCOVER AND
REALIZE THEIR VISIONS
OVER TIME AND
THROUGH DEDICATED,
PROTRACTED
STRUGGLE.”
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

30. “EARNING TRUST
TAKES TIME; THERE’S
NO SHORTCUT TO
UNDERSTANDING THAT
WE REALLY DO RISE AND
FALL TOGETHER.”
Photo: WALL-E / Disney Pixar (2008)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

31. “EASY ISN’T
THE GOAL.
QUALITY IS
THE GOAL.”
Photo: Monsters University / Disney Pixar (2013)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

32. “WHAT IS THE POINT OF
HIRING SMART PEOPLE
IF YOU DON’T
EMPOWER THEM
TO FIX WHAT’S
BROKEN?”
Photo: Cars / Disney Pixar (2006)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

33. “THERE IS NOTHING
LIKE A CRISIS TO BRING
WHAT AILS A COMPANY
TO THE SURFACE.”
Photo: A Bug’s Life / Disney Pixar (1998)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

34. “MANAGERS OF CREATIVE
COMPANIES MUST NEVER
FORGET TO ASK THEMSELVES:
“HOW DO WE TAP THE
BRAINPOWER OF
OUR PEOPLE?”
Photo: Toy Story / Disney Pixar (1995)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

35. “IT IS
PRECISELY BY
ACTING ON OUR
INTENTIONS AND STAYING
TRUE TO OUR VALUES THAT
WE CHANGE THE WORLD.”
Photo: Ratatouille / Disney Pixar (2007)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

36. “REAL
IMPROVEMENT
COMES FROM
CONSISTENT RIGOR
AND PARTICIPATION.”
Photo: Brave / Disney Pixar (2012)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

37. “IT IS
MANAGEMENT’S
JOB TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO HELP OTHERS
SEE CONFLICT AS HEALTHY
—AS A ROUTE TO BALANCE,
WHICH BENEFITS US ALL IN
THE LONG RUN.”
Photo: Toy Story 2 / Disney Pixar (1999)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC. BY ED CATMULL

38. “A BETTER MEASURE OF OUR SUCCESS IS
TO LOOK AT THE PEOPLE ON OUR
TEAM AND SEE HOW THEY
ARE WORKING TOGETHER.
CAN THEY RALLY TO
SOLVE KEY PROBLEMS?
IF THE ANSWER IS
YES, YOU ARE
MANAGING WELL.”
Photo: Toy Story 3 / Disney Pixar (2010)
FROM CREATIVITY, INC.
BY ED CATMULL

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