So, let’s first address the elephant in the blog (trust me, the use of that phrase will be funnier soon): I haven’t written in quite a while. Actually, I’ve started writing, but haven’t completed or published any posts in quite a while. I haven’t been inspired to write because my ideas don’t seem to be the most insightful thoughts lately.
Another piece of this little puzzle is the weather here in good old Central New York. February has been particularly unkind to us this year, with excessive snowfall, below-freezing temperatures everyday, harsh winds and a general lack of sunshine. I am already a wimp when it comes to winter weather, but this year in particular I’m just very tired of it. At first it was fun to joke, “Oh, it’s just like living in Arendelle, and we just have to wait for Elsa to cool off” (or warm up, actually). But it’s too cold and too miserable to drive in – it’s not fun anymore. I can’t even enjoy a Frozen sing-a-long on my daily commute these days.
Basically what Syracuse looks like these days.
As part of my internship, I visited my local zoo for an event this afternoon. Following the event, those of us in attendance had about an hour to explore the zoo before it closed. While my first instinct was to drive home and take a nap, I’m really glad that I decided to stay. Originally, I planned to just walk through the indoor exhibits, but since that took me all of about twenty minutes, I then ventured outside. And for a little while, I didn’t notice the cold at all. But I did notice the snow leopards, lynx, wolves, reindeer and more animals that prefer the colder climates.
I’m not sure if it was the sunshine that finally arrived, the fresh air or the near frostbite, but I started thinking clearer and became more excited to write and create. The animals in the zoo reminded me of my favorite animated characters, including this moment from Tarzan:
I couldn’t resist channeling Jane with this little monkey nearby!
It also got me thinking about the number of animated films – especially Disney animated films – that take place in the animal kingdom. And certainly many of my favorites do: The Lion King, Finding Nemo, The Aristocats and many more. While I don’t have the artistic abilities of animators, I think I understand just a little bit more why so many stories explore the animal world, because it’s a place that challenges us and excites us as audiences. And it can educate us, when done correctly; I’ve read and watched plenty of behind-the-scenes animated animal films to know that these cartoon representations are researched and inspired by their live counterparts. In fact, real animals are often observed by animators in preparation of such films – The Lion King is an awesome example!
This little adventure made me realize how beautiful winter can be with untouched snow and icicles everywhere. The snowy scenery jogged my memory of a film I haven’t watched in about five years: Bambi. It is such a beautiful film, and we know that Walt and the Disney animators studied real deer to inspire the characters. As simple and overly adorable as it is, Bambi’s exploration of the first snow fall is pretty spectacular sequence. It’s accompanied by an excellent score that I actually listened to in writing this post, and the breathtaking animation still holds up today. Take a look for yourself:
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UPDATE 2/21/14: This morning Disney Studios Careers tweeted on this very topic! Check it out, I absolutely love the photo:
It’s a small victory, but in my book, today was one of the best I’ve had this month. It really is the little things that keep us going when life is stressful, but I needed to be reminded of that. But with a little fresh air, a cute cartoon and a blog post, I’m definitely feeling like this cold might not bother me anyway. Well, at least for today.
{Emily's Flip Book} 