We recently connected with Danielle Connolly and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Having a disability since birth, I was often the only one in the room with an apparent disability. It was tricky, because if I was just sitting in a chair, you wouldn’t be able to know that I am disabled. When I get out of a chair slowly, or walk with my limp, my disability instantly becomes apparent. Growing up and dealing with awkward or negative reactions to the disclosure or reveal of my disability did a toll on my confidence. In this way, it has been a continuous process to feel confident in my first interactions with others. Over time I learned that I can only control my reaction to situations. If I am anticipating a negative reaction, then I won’t be fully experiencing the moment that I am in. If there is an awkward moment, it is up to me whether I want to dwell on it or move on. Learning how to disconnect from discomfort has allowed me to develop more confidence. Additionally, I have come to appreciate the unique perspectives that my life experiences have brought me, and I chose to view these as a strength when I am contributing to many types of conversations. My ability to deal with being the only one like me in the room has allowed me to have confidence in my ability to teach others, innovate new ideas, and provide humor to situations.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I create content under the username Daniellevates – my content is all about elevating ideas about disability, rare disease, and chronic illness. I frequently use humor as an educational tool and to dispel the idea that disabled people don’t have senses of humor or personalities. I frequently use storytelling, and I like to make the occasional meme as well. Additionally, I post vlogs on YouTube with accessibility reviews of my local adventures or places that I travel to. The vlogs were where I originally started, and I more so viewed the short-form content as an advertising technique. However, I started to have a lot fun with the short-form content and that has taken on a life of its own.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that I would list are perspective, perseverance, and open-mindedness. Having perspective allows you to zoom out of a situation that is stressing you out and assess how much the situation will matter to you in five years. Of course, if it is a life-altering event, then taking care of your mental health is vital in that type of situation. Your mental health is the core of maintaining the strength to continue through the twists and turns of life. Having perspective also allows you to find the humor in situations. Sometimes if you don’t laugh, you will cry. Being able to find the humor allows you to get through many situations in life. Building perspective is a constant practice of zooming in and zooming out. Having perseverance is vital. Life can be very difficult. Having both perseverance and perspective allows you to understand that while life is short, it is also long too. We have to be in present in the moment in order to get the most out of life, but we also have to know that there is time to learn something new or to try new things. Perseverance allows us to look for new doors even when the one that we worked to open closes. When I have been in low moments of my life, I have been able to build perseverance by looking around at my surroundings for things to learn or ways to help. I figured that if I can’t be completely fulfilled in the moment, then if I can make someone’s life better, develop a new skill, or even learn more about myself, then I will still be productive. This productivity will help me get past that moment, and it will make me stronger.
Open-mindedness connects to perseverance in the sense of how it is important to be open to new opportunities even if you had your heart set on something else. One statement that helped me that I tell people going through tough times is that if it’s too hard to muster up hope at the moment, then just be curious about what is to come next. Surrender to the unknown, and take things one step at a time. Open-mindedness helps to bring new meaning to each interaction and experience, and it helps me to live in the moment more.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am open to a variety of collaborations! I have collaborated with other creators and brands on reels on Instagram, I have appeared in podcasts, and I have contributed to guest blogs. I talk about a variety of topics including accessibility and travel, disability in the media, disability stigmas, living with a rare disease/undiagnosed disease, using humor to educate, and more. I am interested in expanding my public speaking, and I am open to a variety of other types of collaborations! Feel free to reach out with any ideas or opportunities at [email protected] or contact me through DM on Instagram @_Daniellevates.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_daniellevates/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@daniellevates
