Open letter to Disney Channel

Dear Disney Channel, 

You know, as well as I that times are tough. And, when times got tough, Walt Disney himself always found the bright side and learned from his mistakes. 

Girl Meets World is an amazing story that teaches the world good lessons on very difficult topics. 

This show is more than a sitcom. It's a powerful story with characters that touch the hearts of all generations. 

The story of Riley Matthews, Maya Hart, Farkle Minkus, Lucas Friar, Zay Babineaux, Isadora Smackle and many other characters has influenced the current generation to be the best person they can be. The message of this tale is so important for people of all ages and from all walks of life to consider, especially during the hard times we now face. 

The Disney company has always been a beacon of light in a dismal world. It's your mantra.

Walt Disney himself lived this philosophy, and this show does that better than any show I have ever seen on your television network. 

As much as I love the shows that I grew up with on Disney Channel, none have touched my heart in the way that this story has. 

It's based on reality, but it's also based on possibility. 

The power to believe in yourself, and to trust that life knows what it's doing. Even when you feel lost or scared, there are ways to face the world and take it head on. That message, and that lesson means more than any slapstick comical cartoon that airs on television. It means more than any soap opera with a love triangle. 

The world needs this story, now more than ever to keep the hope alive. 

Renewing Girl Meets World is staying true to Walt Disney's work ethic. 

"The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements but rather the things we do for the people we love and esteem." - Walt Disney

I'm asking you now, Disney. Do you love your audience? You claim to. You pride yourself on how your audience reacts to your creations. 

You've got people that love these characters and they are learning from them. You've got multiple ages watching this show. It's your largest audience base. 

You have a following that cares about this story, and an entire generation growing with Riley Matthews. 

Are you really going to let something that incredible go? 

What's your plan after airing such a complex and interesting story? 

Do you have a better one? 

I'll tell you right now, I have never seen its like in any other media format. 

This is a new Renaissance. 

Girl Meets World isn't about sitcom jokes and comedy. It's about learning who you are, and discovering that you influence people everyday. 

People change people. 

You've got people telling you how much this story means to them. 

Stories have always been the best way you kept Walt Disney's legacy alive. 

Don't take this show away from them! 

Please Renew this show, because this story needs to be told. A story that reaches so many people in so little time always deserves to be shared. 

Walt Disney was a storyteller. 

This story is something I believe he would want to share. 

Don't lose the very heart of your company. 

Give Riley a chance to meet the world, so we can see the possibilities. 

Thank you for listening, 

Sarah Golden

Dear readers,

Thank you for reading my open letter to the Disney Channel. It means the world to me. 

Disney has cancelled, but this show still has a shot! Join us during World Meets Girl as we campaign for Netflix and Hulu to save the show! 

And please request Girl Meets World Season 4 at this link: 

https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest?ui_action=title-suggestion-quicklinks

Please help us save this beautiful story that Walt Disney would be proud to share! 

Retweet this link to spread the word.

https://twitter.com/renewgmw/status/817144206791770114

Sign these petitions to keep Riley's tale alive: 

https://www.change.org/p/netflix-continue-girl-meets-world-on-another-network?source_location=minibar

https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-petition-for-disney-channel-to-release-girl-meets-world-to-another-network

For more info on What you can do for GMW, read this tumblr post: 

http://summonerserahheart.tumblr.com/post/155475885158/trying-to-move-girl-meets-world-to-another-network

Happy 60th Anniversary Disneyland!

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." - Walt Disney 

Disneyland will always hold a special place in my heart. 

My first job was working for Walt Disney World, and I can honestly say that that experience changed my life! Disney movies and characters have always inspired me. The overall themes of bravery, hope, love and courage have inspired me through writing, and in moments of every day life. 

I worked for Disneyland, and I miss it. The creative and happy environment, the imagination and diversity of the parks, and the incredible people who made it all happen helped me find my purpose. At Disneyland, I felt at home, and I loved making magical moments on a daily basis. 

I gave free ice-cream to newly weds. I handed out disney pins to princesses and pirates. I helped a little girl see Cinderella, during one of the few last weeks of her life. These are memories that I will treasure. 

I enjoyed working there, and I will carry on Walt's legacy once again, in the form of writing. 

Walt Disney is one of my role models, and his story from a dreamer to a sucessful artist is a powerful one.  

My dream is to be a story writer, inspiring others to face their fears, conquer their challenges, and to enjoy every page of their story. But I didn't gain the courage, or the motivation to do so until I worked for Disney, and I discovered all that I was capable of. 

Disneyland truly is a magical place, and I believe that my purpose is to spread that hope and joy to others. 

Thank you Walt Disney, for going after your dreams, and creating the happiest place on Earth. 

Saving Mr Banks: A movie review

Before I start this review, and I'm keeping it spoiler free for a reason, I want to explain the perspective that I viewed it in. 

I'm a writer aspiring to be an author. If there is one thing I know about movies and books, once an author sells their story, they can ultimately sell their soul. This was Missis Travers' worry throughout the movie, and I can relate to that feeling. 

Writers create stories, because something in their life drives them to do so. It could be anything, from a memory to a dream.  Sometimes these stories become emotional treasures and authors hold them very dear. Missis Travers was no different when it came to her story Mary Poppins. She had an emotional tie to this story, and she made many choices based on this emotional tie. Walt Disney also had an emotional tie to this story, but it was a different one. The process of making the film was much more than writing a script or rehearsing songs. It was a journey into the hearts of the creators, and the moments that they held dear. Watching Walt Disney and P. L. Travers butt heads over this creation was very entertaining. But at the same time it was charming, and to be completely Disney, magical. This film was a beautiful story behind two stories: the original novel of Mary Poppins and the Disney film. The inspiration behind these two tales is complicated, but in the end, it inspired two creators to view life differently. 

I recommend this film, not only to Disney fans, but to everyone. Anyone inspired by a dream. Anyone with a childhood and anyone who knows that life is more complex than a spoonful of sugar. 

I even recommend this movie to people who hate Disney. Believe me, P. L. Travers was not a Disney fan. This movie is less about Disney and more about the amazing journey to create a story. 

Above all, my favorite quote from the film sums this up nicely: “That’s what story tellers do.  We restore order to imagination.  We bring hope.” -Walt Disney

Paperman by Walt Disney Pictures

Because this short makes me so happy.
We like to believe in magic and destiny. This short, and the response to it proves that.

Read more about this here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-hill/a-huffington-post-exclusi_1_b_2574348.html

Top Ten favorite quotes:

"Keep Moving Forward" - Meet The Robinsons
This is literally my work ethic right now. It is also a great mantra and coping mechanism. 

"All dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them" - Walt Disney
I was introduced to this quote through a friend. It has stuck with me ever since. I hope to follow the Disney dream. 

"If you ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around. This is where they're made" - Hugo
This movie was fantastic, but this quote was the best line. Movies and stories come from dreams, and the silver screen makes them reality.

 "No one decides my fate but me." Belle - Once Upon A Time
An empowering quote that not only defines Belle, but it is also a great truth in many situations in life. You can ask someone for advice, but the one in control of your fate is you.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt
I first heard this quote from The Princess Diaries, but now I try to apply this mindset in my everyday life. An important thing to remember. 

"Everything, in the end comes down to timing. One second, one minute, one hour could make all the difference .” - Sarah Dessen - This Lullaby
My favorite book of Dessen's. There is some truth to this quote. Some events in our lives, whether it is a career choice or personal decision, can be determined by our timing.

"Just as no matter how hard you try to keep it away despair will attack you again and again. In the same manner hope will return to you. And again, and again it will surely bloom" Kazuma Sohma - Fruits Basket
This quote has been my favorite Fruits Basket quote for years. In context, Kyo tells his teacher that his life isn't worth it, so why protect a tiny flower. He has made the choice to completely give up on his struggle to  be accepted. Kazuma waits for a bit and then tells him this quote to explain that things won't always be hopeless, and once Kyo has accepted himself, he can find the truth about his struggle and overcome it.

 "A flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all," - Mulan
This is a great quote from the Disney movie, but it also speaks about the ability to continue growing regardless of the adversity in life.

 "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear," - Ambroce Redmoon -  The Princess Diaries
A lesson I still need to learn. To be brave doesn't mean you are not afraid. It means you will face that fear, even if you are terrified. 

 "I will defeat sorrow, in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it will be, but someday... I will conquer it. And I will do it without... false hope." - Yuna FFX
Final Fantasy X is my favorite game, and this powerful quote is spoken by Yuna at a crucial moment. She has just discovered that the people of Spira based their hopes on a lie, and she won't accept it. She is determined to fight her sorrow and find a real solution that people can believe in.

The Call to Adventure

I just read The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler and learned some valuable lessons. Everything in writing, whether fiction or non fiction is related to life in some way. One of the ways an audience can relate to a character is the exciting yet ominous Call to Adventure that looms in life from time to time. It is perfectly normal for a character to reject the call of adventure at first, but in order to keep the story moving, he or she must accept it at one point. The same is true in the real world. Opportunities may knock from time to time, but they don't mean anything unless they are acted upon.
It's interesting that I'm somewhat of a passive character in reality, but I write assertive and motivated characters that eventually find their purpose and meaning in life. I learned this by reading about The Hero's Journey, and The Character Arc. In order for a story to even be considered, the characters must grow and change. If the journey leaves them the way they are, it isn't a story, or a journey.
This is why stories are so important from generation to generation. They teach us to grow, while we watch characters make choices and learn from them. We can identify with the archetypes of the wanderer, trickster, orphan and hero so easily that most films feature at least one of them to move the story along.
Even writers have to go out and live life, but I had forgotten that. I was wasting away, trying to understand why my stories and characters had become bricks, roughly formed and almost shapeless. Writers always put a piece of themselves into a story. If they don't, it's not a good story. I had been putting my negative outlook on life, and my constant doubt in myself on countless pages. Before I knew it, my characters were seeing their world as a dreary, grey place, and they had begun to doubt themselves.
I had forgotten that I am a creator. And creators reflect their image, emotions and themselves into their creations. Knowing that, creating sounds like an act of responsibility. In a way, it is.
A creator must develop a certain reality, that reflects the things they know, and want to share with their audience. An actor must find the part of themselves that fits the role they play. A song can only sound honest and real when the person singing has a passion for the meaning in the lyrics. The same is true of stories.
An author finds the archetypes within and puts them on the page. Past experiences, current emotions and the knowledge the author has gained reflects the true world of the story. Without it, the story becomes a two- dimensional, or even one-dimensional piece with no meaning or purpose. It has to be something you want to write, or feel you need to write. Without the motivation to do so, the story becomes damaged instantly.
This is why an author cannot refuse to answer the Call of Adventure. For in order to write something, you have to feel a connection to it, and if you don't, you aren't ready to write it.
This book walked through stories like The Wizard of Oz, Titanic, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Star Wars to show the Hero's Journey at work. The amazing thing is that we relate to these stories, even without knowing the Archetypes, Hero's Journey, Myth Quest or the Call to Adventure. Because they are parallel to situations in life, they are memorable and timeless.
All stories, even real ones have a Call to Adventure. The important thing is to answer it, and learn from the Hero's Journey.

The value of stories

(clip art courtesy of http://shout.webring.com/people/wu/um_10318/beautybeast.html)

I've been reading Walt Disney's biography and I found a great quote:

"To captivate our varied and worldwide audience of all ages, the nature and treatment of the fairy tale, the legend, the myth have to be elementary, simple. Good and evil, the antagonists of all great drama in some guise, must be believably personalized. The moral ideals common to all humanity must be upheld. The victories must not be too easy. Strife to test valor is still and will always be the basic ingredient of the animated tale, as of all screen entertainments." —Walt Disney

I actually got into a discussion with my friends about the importance of stories a while ago. We had just finished watching a movie, and the argument was pretty intense, but I found great value in the topic. When I watch a movie, read a book, or even play a game, the first thing I focus on is the story. The main character must have a element of humanity and take that element to grow within whatever conflict he or she faces. Stories have always been internal, social and personal lessons to me. With stories, we can learn what we want to become and how to face our fears. I imagine that's why fairy tales last so long. Each story and character symbolizes a certain element of humanity. It's that element that makes a story grow, and I think the element must come from some experience in the storyteller's life. The motivation to focus on certain topics is an infinite fascination to people. The basic stories involve love, family, trust, courage and self confidence. As I have learned from many writing and reading classes, these are human elements that tie an audience to a story. Conflict is also necessary to keep the story interesting, but it is usually the core lesson of the tale. Whatever conflict the main character must face, their resourcefulness, intelligence and their motivation will help the character conquer whatever fear they have. I could list many examples, not only of Disney movies, but of literature, TV shows, video games and books that use these human elements to tie the audience down.
The more I learned of these human elements, the more I realized that personal experience is a crucial ingredient to a writer's story. Even if an author is asked to write a character that is their opposite, that author will write what they believe to be their opposite by using their personal experience and their opinion. So what am I rambling on about? Well, you can't tell a story if you don't know what matters to you. By knowing yourself, you can understand everyone else. I feel this is the most important lesson for an author. I know that I have a lot to learn before I write more stories. If the topic is not clear to the writer, chances are the topic won't be clear to the reader. So stories are personal experiences of people that are represented through the lens of a fantasy world. That's why good stories last so long. Something about the story reflects an element of humanity, and shows the truth of the human heart.

How to be like Walt

While in San Francisco, we went to the Walt Disney Family Museum. Since I went to the Disney College Program, Walt Disney has been one of my role models in the realm of achieving dreams. I decided to find a great book about him a few weeks ago, but I couldn't find books that focused specifically on his story. Most of the books focused the the effects of his films on other people, but at the museum, I found a book that included an introduction written by one of Disney's personal friends. Walt Disney's story from a farm boy fascinated with drawings to a successful entertainer is an amazing and inspirational read. I will post a full book review when I finish reading the last half of the book.