Going From Suck to Non-Suck: Lessons in Creativity and Excellence from Pixar
By Cecile, Your CEO and Business Career Coach
Perfection is often seen as the ultimate goal. But Pixar, the studio behind 11 blockbuster films, has a refreshingly different motto: "Going from suck to nonsuck." This quirky yet profound philosophy drives their creative process, proving that embracing imperfection can lead to unparalleled success.
Fail Fast, Learn Faster
Pixar thrives on the idea that being wrong is inevitable—so why not be wrong as quickly as possible? Andrew Stanton, the director of Finding Nemo and WALL-E, sums it up best: “We’re gonna screw up. Let’s just admit that.” For Pixar, failure isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning of a better solution.
Their process starts not with polished scripts but with rough sketches—thousands of them. Storyboards, or "hand-drawn comic book versions" of movies, are used to work out ideas. For example, A Bug’s Life used 27,565 storyboards, while WALL-E required a staggering 98,173. Every rough draft, critique, and revision pushes the film from “suck” to “nonsuck.”
Iteration Is the Secret Sauce
At Pixar, the work is never perfect—it’s just released. The creative team constantly revises their projects, receiving feedback through internal screenings and even rewriting entire sections, like the massive overhaul of Toy Story 2 a year before its release. Each change, however painful, brings the project closer to excellence.
Healthy Perfectionism vs. Unhealthy Perfectionism
Pixar’s relentless pursuit of quality isn’t about fearing mistakes or seeking approval—it’s about striving for excellence. Psychologists describe this as healthy perfectionism, which is internally driven and motivated by personal values. Pixar’s culture embodies this mindset, treating perfectionism as a tool for growth, not a weapon of self-doubt.
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How You Can Go from Suck to Non-Suck
While not everyone has Pixar’s resources, we can all adopt some of their principles:
As John Lasseter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, puts it: “We don’t actually finish our films, we release them.” That’s a reminder to all of us—stop aiming for perfect and start aiming for progress.
Final Thought: The Gift of Nonsuck
Life, work, and creativity are all about the journey from rough to refined. Pixar shows us that embracing imperfection and staying open to change can lead to incredible results. So, let’s be bold, fail fast, and keep improving until we can proudly say, “That’s nonsuck!”
Let's finish strong, together!
By Cecile, Your CEO and Business Career Coach