Do we believe in limitless possibilities?

They chatter like texting clicks on teenage smart phones. They like to go out to eat together, and sometimes display terrible table manners by throwing their food into the air. Their playgrounds are the final frontier of our planet. These are orca whales, also know as killer whales.

Films, like any art form, have the power to change our way of thinking. The 2013 documentary, Black Fish, explored the detrimental effects on captivity on orca whales after the death of a Sea World trainer in 2010.  On March 17, 2016, the CEO of Sea World and the CEO of the U.S. Humane Society announced together that Sea World would no longer be breeding or keeping orcas.  While there was already a movement in society toward ending performance animal acts (Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced they are ending elephant shows by May 2016), there is no question that this documentary sped up the cultural momentum to end this practice.

Like a new dawn, art offers limitless possibilities.

At the 2016 Academy Awards, we saw another example of the power of film. A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness won best documentary short. The film recounted the story of a young 19-year-old Pakistani woman who was shot but survived an “honor” killing attempt by her father and uncle after she eloped with a man they disapproved of. After seeing the film, the Pakistani prime minister expressed support to change the law that allows the murderers to go free if forgiven by the victim’s family, which often happens as the result of coercion.

While we can acknowledge that art can inspire change in the culture, it can be harder to see how it affects our daily lives. But art for me has done just that.  Art has given me a confidence in the last six years that I didn’t have before. It’s allowed me to articulate a vision of what I want and put my ideas out there irregardless of what others might think. When you believe in yourself first rather than seeking approval from others, you can accomplish great things. Dreams suddenly have no limits, as they are no longer tied to other people’s expectations. This mindset  can have a profound impact on changing us and others.  Do we believe that changing our world and ourselves has limitless possibilities?