She Has Selective Mutism, So Everyone Thinks She’s Unrealistic For Pursuing A Career As A Content Creator
Is it really possible to be anything you want to be? That’s the dream some of us are sold, but for some people, that dream comes with conditions imposed by those around them.
She doesn’t speak easily in the world, not because she doesn’t have anything to say, but because selective mutism makes speaking out loud nearly impossible.
However, she has found a voice for herself through creating content online. It’s not just a creative outlet; it’s a lifeline.
But when she talks about turning that passion into a career, the people around her don’t see the potential. They see a limitation. They tell her to be realistic. They ask how she could succeed without doing things the “normal” way.
So now she’s wondering: Is chasing something you love only allowed if you fit the mold? Or is there still space in this world for a different kind of voice to be heard?
Ever since this 19-year-old girl was a toddler, she has struggled with selective mutism, which is an anxiety disorder that results in someone experiencing a great deal of difficulty speaking up in specific instances.
She doesn’t want you to misunderstand selective mutism; she’s not the silent or sheepish type; she literally and physically cannot bring herself to say anything in many social situations.
She has to be extremely comfortable in order to speak, and this has not disappeared as she’s grown older, which is something many people assumed would happen to her.
It’s just as hard for her to speak as an adult as it was when she was a child.
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“I’ve always loved being creative, drawing, storytelling, [and] editing videos, but I’ve always dreamed of being a content creator,” she explained.
“Not because I think I’ll get rich or famous, but because it’s the one space where I can express myself without pressure, without having to talk, and where my voice can be heard in ways that don’t require actual speech.”
“So I made a TikTok account. It’s all about sharks (I LOVE sharks) and I do edits, facts, jokes, you name it. I’ve built it up to over 5k followers, which, okay, it’s not millions, but it’s something I built and I’m proud of it.”
She does bring up her plan of pursuing content creation as a serious career, but everyone jumps on her and says there’s no way she can make it work.
Her friends, her teachers, and her family members are among the naysayers. They ask how she can manage being a professional content creator if she can’t speak? They point out that she won’t be taken seriously because of her selective mutism.
They remind her that creating content isn’t a viable career choice, considering she has a disability. They also tell her she needs to look around and pick a more realistic job for herself.
“It hurts. Like, yeah, I know I’m not doing what other 19-year-olds are doing. I don’t have a 9-to-5 job or college lined up,” she added.
“But it’s not like I’m lazy. I just function differently. This account gives me purpose and hope. It’s not a ‘silly hobby’ to me.”
“The other day, I told a relative I wanted to start a YouTube channel too, maybe using captions or AI voiceovers since speaking isn’t really an option for me. They laughed and said, ‘You’ll never get anywhere like that. You can’t even speak for yourself.'”
She actually freaked out and said she does have a voice, it just sounds different. Her family member shot back that she was acting in a rude way while not considering reality.
They told her she’s simply living inside a ‘TikTok dream world.’ So, here she is, wondering if she’s silly for trying to pick a career path as a content creator, despite her disability and her loved ones expecting her to fall flat on her face.
What do you think?
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