I have been watching Molly Burke on YouTube for a number of years now, and yet, she still inspires and amazes me just as much as she always has. In this age of social media, it only makes sense that using these platforms is one of the most effective ways of getting your voice out there for everyone to hear. Molly saw this opportunity just as YouTube was on the rise, and she knew exactly what she wanted to use her voice for. Advocating for disability rights has always been a passion for her, particularly in the blind community, and rightfully so considering she herself is now completely blind. But through her platform, she has brought so much light about her specific disability to both those fighting similar fights to hers and even fully-abled people.
Originally born in Canada, Molly was diagnosed with a rare retinal disease that always impacted her vision and eventually caused her to go completely blind by age 14. Although she does things a little differently than the "normal" person, one of her biggest messages is that she can still do anything she wants, despite her disability. One thing I have noticed about her is that she is always on the hunt for resources that can help her do the things she wants, and if it does not exist, then she will be hands-on in helping it become a reality. I have always been inspired by her honesty the most, she shares both the good and the bad of her journey, which I think is important for people to see.
I think she is very creative in using YouTube as her main platform for advocacy, and I also think it's a choice that has seriously paid off. Because of that, she has been able to reach millions of people, of all different abilities and from across the entire world. I think it would be easy to say she is intrinsically motivated because a lot of her advocacy focuses on her personal story, but I really think she is far more intrinsically motivated. She never shies away from calling companies or organizations on their lack of accessibility and/or inclusivity, even if it won't benefit her at the moment. She really just has a true passion for more accessibility in the world, not just for blindness but for all different disabilities, and she has found a creative source for making that happen.
I highly recommend you check her out on YouTube, she truly is such an inspiration.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwf9TcLyS5KDoLRLjke41Hg
https://www.insider.com/molly-burke-blind-youtuber-doesnt-want-sight-back-2020-6
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8569087/bio
I love Molly Burke! I have also followed her for years and love how open and honest she is about her life. I think she does great work for the blind community and shows just how normal of a life she lives. She is such a creative person, from her fashion sense to the way she interacts with her fan base. You did a greta job connecting her motivations for her career to what we have discussed in class. I agree that she is definitely intrinsically motivated because she based the start of her career on her own personal experiences. This was a great post about a wonderful person!
ReplyDeleteDespite being a pretty avid Youtube watcher, I have never heard of Molly Burke! The best way for someone to understand how it’s like to live someone else’s life is to live it themselves, and I think Youtube is the closest we can come to doing that. It’s really interesting to consider the fact that she is using a platform that relies heavily on visual engagement as a blind person. This on its own is an amazing aspect of her creativity. She also seems like such a real and bubbly personality! Even with just the few videos I’ve watched, she has been willing to open up about her struggles with mental health and has been able to connect well with the people she does collabs with. As you mentioned, she doesn’t let her disability hold her back and finds resources to help her do the things she wants. In this sense, she fights back against what society would naturally think about the life of a blind person and lives seemingly by her own rules. She possesses the lack of conventionality that Sternberg attributes to creative personalities.
ReplyDeleteI would also venture to say that she has a pretty high Q value, and I think this contributes largely to her creativity when producing videos. She seems to be pretty well connected in terms of the Youtube world, filming collaboratively with Youtube greats like Shane Dawson, James Charles, and Colleen Ballinger. In general, the world of Youtubers is a small world network, and this connectivity tends to promote the spread of ideas among popular creators of the platform.
Thanks for sharing Molly Burke! She seems super inspiring, and I look forward to watching more of her life!
I love Molly Burke! I specifically watch her for her clothing hauls because, as a blind person, what she notices about the clothes is unique. I think you are right, her creativity stems from her confidence in her ability to live the way she wants. She shows her viewers how her disability affects her life but doesn't limit it, and from that her viewers gain a different view on the world. Yay Molly!
ReplyDeleteI think that her story is super inspiring. I just learned a lot about Retinitis pigmentosa because of my roommate. I really enjoy watching her videos and see what she puts together fashion wise.
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