"I entered Imagineering as a concept designer, and I left as a painter."

At D23, I saw a desk set up for Eric Robison. I knew Eric would be at home with a chair near the crowd and a piece of paper in his hand. Eric is an artist, storyteller, architectural designer, and longtime friend.

Eric entered Walt Disney Imagineering as a concept designer and spent 39 years doing creative work there. Along the way, he became a painter. In our conversation, we talk about the people who encouraged his art and the idea he kept returning to: Progress City. Walt Disney envisioned it as a real city where people would live, industry would operate, and visitors could see possibilities for the future. Eric first saw its model at Disneyland as a child. Eric's fascination grew and lead him to create a collection of concept artwork in his book, Return to Progress City.

His path is a perfect example of how far a dream can go when you keep doing the the thing you love.

Episode Chapters

[06:04] Why Eric keeps making art

[09:22] A childhood fascination with Progress City

[11:50] Drawings that grew into a book

[16:01] Why Eric can't leave a blank page alone

[19:28] AI, artists, and working by hand

[29:01] How Marty Sklar encouraged Eric's art

[37:03] Becoming a painter after Imagineering

[48:00] The people who helped Eric move forward

Buy the Book Return to Progress City by Eric Robison