The worldwide movement railing against cultural norms which reject or stifle actors, musicians and other artists who fail to meet a view of supposed perfection, continues to build.

Powerful messages can be heard about the acceptance of difference, and the right to be yourself, and not someone else’s version of who you should be. These are important times for anyone trying to find a place in the world to be themselves, and to be accepted for who they are.

I’m inspired by actor Kate Mulvany who exposed the legacy of her childhood cancer on her body for her 2017 role as Richard III for the Bell Shakespeare Company. Kate tells her story on the ABC’s Conversations with Richard Fidler podcast.

I’m also inspired by actor America Ferrera’s TED talk, and by @NadiaNadarajah who performed Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 for Shakespeare’s The Globe and Deaf Awareness Week. America Ferrera’s message is a warning that the concepts of change and keeping the status quo can, and do, coexist: “It is possible to be the person who genuinely wants to see change, while also being the person whose actions keep things the way they are.”