Pamela Kleibrink Thompson.

A few weeks ago, Brad Bird won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. One of the other people competing in this category was Chris Buck, who worked with Brad and me on Family Dog, way back in 1986. The production crew for Family Dog was dedicated, talented, and determined to make an entertaining animated half-hour episode for Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories.

In 1986, there were few animated projects in production. Producers are interested in making money and few were interested in taking a chance on animation. The industry was in a downturn. But both Brad and Chris, and many others who worked on Family Dog, pursued a career in animation, weathering its downturns and enjoying its upswings. Luckily for us, they created more amazing stories for us to enjoy.

Often those who are most successful are those who pursue what they love to do, no matter what the obstacles. They have a persistence of vision and ignore the advice and sagacity of the experts. There are many instances of artists being advised to pursue other avenues of work.

Another Academy Award winner was told by a casting agent named Eddie Foy, Jr. that he would never make it as an actor and should explore another line of work. He was told he was too short, had a nose that was too big, and he had no talent. A voice actor in Racing Stripes, Kung Fu Panda and Tale of Despereaux, Dustin Hoffman has also had some success acting in live-action.

There are many examples of experts trying to dissuade artists from pursuing their dreams. Painters told that they are too old, actors told they are too ugly, and singers told they have no talent.

And in Brad's animated film Ratatouille, the rat Remy is told by the expert in his community (his father) to accept the fact that he is a rat and that rats don't cook. They don't create, they take. But Remy determines to follow his dream, no matter what.