The Penny on the Nightstand...A Lesson About Excellence from Pixar Studios

Last week I shared some thoughts about creativity from Ed Catmull.  Ed is the president of Pixar animation.

Today I'd like to share something I've learned from Ed about excellence.  It's called the PENNY ON THE NIGHTSTAND.

Pixar Studios has a commitment to excellence that can be summarized in a shaded penny.  Here's what that means.

For a movie they're producing, they will literally spend days or weeks crafting what is the equivalent of "a shaded penny sitting on a nightstand that you'll probably not even notice in the movie." 

They are that committed to excellence.

So what's your shaded penny?  The inside of a cabinet that a volunteer only occasionally sees?   A small word in a newsletter that's going out to parents?  An email that's only going to one person?  A corner in one of your rooms?

Remember...