Disney World: A Magical Place To… Master Photoshop?

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Disney World – The Magic Kingdom? Dumbo? Epcot Center? Photoshop World?

What Is a Brighton Sabbatical?

The latter might not be on every child’s wish list, but for Brighton Senior Production Designer, John Neibling, three days of classes to expand his Photoshop mastery in Orlando was more exciting than any roller coaster or mythical land of make believe. His fairy tale came true in the form of a Brighton sabbatical when his essay submission was selected for his response to the question Brighton CEO, Tina VonderHaar, poses twice a year to Brighton employees: “How would you spend $1,500 and an extra week of vacation to become a better Brightonian?”

The Experience

John promised to not only put his sabbatical to good use to enhance his creative skills, but also to share his newfound mastery with others, writing, “As anyone in the creative department can attest, I enthusiastically and frequently share knowledge; from tips, tricks, and anything that make the process of concept-through-production as efficient as possible. Irritatingly, I occasionally do this when no one asks, so adding to my quiver of knowledge can only increase my ability to get under someone’s skin! Spread the wealth, as they say.”

Humor aside, he did make good on his promise, sharing his skills with others and presenting newfound technical capabilities to his colleagues upon his return from The Kingdom.

In addition to sharpening his skills and learning new trends, John used his sabbatical essay to promise to maximize his time outside of the Photoshop convention, too.

His essay read, “What else would I spend the rest of the week doing? Photographing and filming the desert, honing my skills and gaining better control of my favorite hobby by utilizing the lessons just learned at the convention. It’s either that or I take that week and remodel my upstairs bathrooms. But I’m not sure how that would make me a better Brightonian. Maybe a cleaner one, but not necessarily better.”

The True Prize

John’s Brighton sabbatical taught him the latest and greatest in the world of Photoshop. It taught the rest of us that even a Disney getaway can be a legitimate learning opportunity. And, it showed us all that, like fairytales, sabbaticals really do come true – if you believe (and submit an essay when Tina solicits Brighton Sabbatical entries twice a year).

Check back for learnings and takeaways from other Brighton sabbaticals!

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