Tell messy stories.

Not everything has to be so put together in the end

Should stories have happy endings?

This question has plagued the creative world for centuries. To wrap it all up in the end or to not wrap it up in the end?

I came across a post on Instagram the other day that pointed out a theme in the endings of Pixar movies. LoonyLoomy said the following:

“One thing I like about Pixar films is how the happy ending isn’t always you think it’ll be. The toys don’t go with Andy to college, Gusteau’s restaurant gets closed down, Mike and Sully get kicked out of university…But they find out that what they wanted isn’t necessarily what they needed, and I really like the fact that kids get to learn that life doesn’t always turn out the way they dreamed and that’s okay.”

I’d add to that list that Sully has to send Boo back home. Riley doesn’t get to go back to Minnesota. Lightning doesn’t win the Piston Cup. In these stories, kids are learning early on that life doesn’t always turn out the way that we planned to.