(Photo by Selma Komisky)

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A Note from the Editor: May, 2019
The Disney Issue 

By Sarah Komisky

Several months ago, I was asked to speak at an event that gives prom dresses to girls in need. The answer was a no brainer – yes. And when I found out the theme, I knew this was meant to be. Cinderella! Now, you’re talking to someone who LOVES fairy tales. For real, you can give me Enchanted, Tangled, or Into the Woods any day. In fact, I loved them so much as a little girl, I literally maxed out my library card on these stories. It was common for me to run around in princess garb and twirl and dance to my heart’s delight. I was drawn to the beauty, the wonder, and the imaginative spirit these stories evoked. No wonder I became a writer. Long time ago the DNA God wired within me caused me to gravitate to art and inspired me to create.

But you don’t have to be a writer to love these stories. Disney and Pixar has this quality that makes you feel like a kid again. You can believe, wish, and dream. These tales whisk us away to far off places and crazy adventures. Yet, as fictional as these movies are, they aren’t too far away from reality.

Ariel may be a mermaid but she is a total dreamer and wants to experience more out of life than what she knows as of now. Olaf is a snowman but aims to see the world through a lens of hope. Cruella De Vil is an infamous villain but at the heart of indulgence and greed spin out of control when her love for the finer things gets elevated. Aurora is a princess and Phillip is a prince but both are looking for love. Boo befriends monsters but courageously overcomes fear. Don’t we all have those monsters under the bed that we are trying to overcome?

Makes sense why we can’t get enough of those Disney quizzes and how to know who our Disney princess or prince is. Why do we get giddy and dawn our mickey ears or dress up in our Disney attire when we go to a theme park? A.) It’s fun. B.) We kind of want to relate to these characters. We like Buzz Lightyear because he is so driven. We like Meg because she learns to love again. Bambi reminds us we can overcome the odds against us. Likewise, we all have our favorite movie. Favorite Disney character. Walk around Disneyland and it won’t take long to see that. We all identify with Disney for one reason or another.

This is why I agree with the famous author Oscar Wilde who said, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” The Greeks and Romans believed comedy and tragedy were also representative of human life. Literature and film can also mirrors. Between the fantasy that we love is also a reality we can connect with. From the villain to the royal, we can identify with real traits that look like the real us. This is why every Disney film has a story we can connect to with characters that aren’t so out of touch with imperfect people.

This is why I told the audience I was speaking to at the event that I am much like Mia Thermpolois Renaldi of Princess Diaries. I’m not your blinged out gal that loves pink. If you are, that’s amazing! That’s just not me. My favorite color is actually grey (Lol). I, like Mia, like the idea of wearing a dress with boots. I’m a very normal girl who is living out big dreams. But as far as a princess, I don’t exactly fit the typical mold! However, the fact doesn’t change the fact that I am still am one – by God’s standards. See, life does imitate art!

This is why we wanted to creatively pull from the classics of Disney’s vault as well as the new innovative Pixar flicks to talk about life lessons with you! We are going to dig a layer or two (maybe three) below the surface and see what we see. Our hope is that you connect with the films and characters on a whole new level and discover more about yourself, God, and what it means to live life with Him and others while also having lots of fun in the process! But not only that, we want you to connect with real life counterparts who are fierce, bold, brave, and courageous leaders. Everyday people just like me and you! Overall, when you identify with your favorite movie or character, we pray you discover a message of hope that we believe lies in every story.

So, by popular demand, we present our May Disney Issue to you! We hope it inspires you to see life that imitates art.

Create. Wish. Wonder. Dream. Hope.

Sarah