Thoughts on Writing Worthy—Part Two: A Look at Walt Stanchfield

My great-uncle was Walt Stanchfield. You may not know that name, but you’re familiar with his work. He was an animator for Disney for nearly 40 years, 20 of those serving as a teacher/coach for the animation department. If you’ve ever seen The Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, or The Jungle Book, you’ve experienced Walt’s artistic talents. (For a list of 15 additional films he was a part of, check out https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Walt_Stanchfield).

Sadly, I never got to know Uncle Walt, though we didn’t live far from him. (My older siblings spent some time with Walt. The picture for this post is a sketch he did of my brother, Bill, and our grandma’s dog during a visit.) My earliest memory of being “introduced” to him was when my grandmother, his sister Bertha, took my siblings and me to the movies to see The Jungle Book. I was only about three and a half at the time, and some years later, I heard Walt had sent her the tickets for us. Later, when I learned to read, I would look for his name in the credits of movies and announce, “There he is! There’s Uncle Walt!” And that was the extent of our “relationship.” 

Over the years, however, I’ve done some Walt investigation and discovered that he was not only an artist and teacher but a treasured mentor as well. He was also a writer (a worthy one in the sense that he poured into others), which is why I’m highlighting him in this post.

Though Walt put in the time and hard work to perfect his craft, I believe God had infused into him the natural gifts he had as an artist and teacher (see Nov 27). I'm not sure he shared my belief or if it motivated him in his work, but I hope so. Such acknowledgment helps keep us humble and is God-honoring. And, though I love his conversational style, I wouldn’t say he was a great writer as far as the mechanics of writing goes. Still, Walt was a worthy writer because writing worthy goes beyond grammar and spelling. He was committed to writing down his thoughts, comments, instructions, etc., in order to share his artistic knowledge and help others grow. Walt did this in a way that was thoughtful, generous, and thorough. His writing encouraged and inspired many people who, themselves, went on to be accomplished artists.  

Walt’s passion for the craft of animation and art in general, paired with his intentionality for helping people create to the best of their ability, comes through beautifully in his writing. Though he taught animators face-to-face, had he not taken the time to write down his lectures and pass out those handouts, his wealth of information would not have been as effective or far-reaching. The written word lasts longer than verbal instruction making it oh-so important. 

And, it takes a lot of time and effort. Walt gave both.

Thankfully, Don Hahn, a producer, director, writer, and mentee of Walt’s compiled many of his writings and drawings and put them into a two-volume book set (you can find the first one here: Amazon.com: Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: Volume 1: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures).

Hahn said in an interview, “For years Walt Stanchfield wrote notes and handed them out like Kleenex to the animation department. Sometimes it was just a page with some inspirational quotes on it. Sometimes it would be seven pages with drawings from his life drawing class that excited him…he’d put in cartoons, he’d put in paintings–anything he could to inspire, educate and inform the animation crew…His handouts became legendary and were passed around amongst animators…”  

Though Walt was revered and celebrated at Disney as an animator, animation coach, and all-around great guy, these days I’m drawn to the fact that he was a worthy writer! (Are you surprised?) I love that he cared enough about his craft and others in his field to take the time to express himself in writing.

What are you feeling the nudge to write for the benefit of others? The full definition of writing worthy from Ephesians 4 includes equipping “his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up,” and there are many ways to do that. Write a novel or a memoir, a love letter to your spouse, or an apology to your teenager. Write a prayer of gratitude or a song of praise. None of these works will happen on their own or with bippidi-boppidi-boo magic. You must take the time to do it. Maybe turn off the T.V. for a few nights and pick up your pen or open a fresh page on your computer and begin. Write what comes to mind and from the heart. Write something worthy for someone.

Write.