Modern society tells us to do well in school, work as hard as we can, and eventually teach our kids to do the same. It’s an endless cycle that doesn’t exactly leave much room for creativity. This short film is encouraging people to look at things differently, and is striking a cord.

Alike, a Pixar-like affair by Madrid-based animators Daniel Martínez Lara and Rafa Cano Méndez, is a 7-minute lesson on what happens to your life when creativity is drowned out by the daily grind. It’s also about parenthood, and the importance of letting kids to forge their own journeys. The critically-acclaimed short was made entirely with Blender, an open-source 3D rendering program, and is dedicated “to our families, for helping us not to lose our colour.”

As Canadian journalist Graydon Carter once said, “it’s a rare moment when we take a break from the tribulations of the daily rat race to reflect on assumptions and values that we casually accept as gospel.” Take one of these moments for yourself, and give Alike a go.

More info: Alike, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook (h/t: DesignTaxi)