(Inspiration) Porn.

Since activist Stella Young coined the term "inspiration porn" in 2014, there's been debate about what it is, why it is harmful, and who  experiences it. Generally, inspiration porn is the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely on the basis of their disability. It often comes in the form of quotes that read something like, "If they can do it, so can you!" or "What's your excuse?" as the person is doing some sort of physical activity. Recently, a man named Carson Tueller was a guest on one of my favorite podcasts, We Can Do Hard Things. Carson is a man who was paralyzed from the chest down following an accident involving a gymnastics tumble. He talked very openly about what inspiration porn meant to him, so I thought I would share my perspective on it as well. 

 First, I started this blog to share my experiences as a person with Cerebral Palsy who is also a powerlifter. I post videos, celebrate milestones, and vent about frustrations so that I can process them myself and hopefully share something that will be meaningful to whoever reads it; I want to inspire them in some way. Carson is a life coach and activist who talked about how at speaking engagements, he does not like  when people refer to him as a "motivational speaker." This is where our opinions differ--as a life coach, it seems inherent in the job that part of what he hopes to do is inspire people in some way that helps them improve their quality of life. But, then I thought about what he said shortly after that, which is, "you don't know what is hard for me."  That got me thinking. We really don't know what is hard for anybody unless we ask. Yes, leg extensions are hard for me because I have weaker quads as a result of CP, but, depending on the day, they might feel easier than pull-ups because my arms are tired from benching. The difference is that because my CP just impacts my legs, people are more likely to notice, and comment, while I am doing a leg extension. 

When people think about telling a person with a disability that they are inspiring, I also want them to consider that everyone has the potential to inspire another person based on qualities that are internal versus external, but people are more likely to say something to a person with a disability, usually involving language like "overcoming a challenge" or "facing adversity." But, I'm never overcoming Cerebral Palsy, and everyone faces adversity, so sometimes what feels like a well-intentioned compliment can be isolating and awkward. On the other hand, maybe you've seen someone at the gym work incredibly hard on his/her endurance and now you notice them doing 10 reps of an exercise instead of 5. Maybe you notice another person who has studied his/her coach and peers for weeks and now their technique looks visibly improved. Do you tell them they have inspired you? Inspiration is a positive force, and like most things, is better when shared.