For the past year, I’ve made it a habit to post a selfie every night before bed. I take out my phone, scroll through my photos, and share one on social media. This routine has become a comforting ritual, bringing me happiness and teaching me a lot.

I didn’t start posting selfies because I felt comfortable, though. I actually began sharing them to stand up to online trolls. It all started in August 2019 when I wrote an anti-Trump op-ed. A YouTuber shared my photo in a video, and people started mocking my appearance. One comment really hurt: someone said I should be banned from posting pictures because I was too ugly.

That comment pushed me to take action, but not by replying to the person directly. Instead, I posted a tweet as a way to show that the trolls wouldn’t win. My tweet went viral, and my followers quickly grew from 7,500 to 100,000. The tweet also got media attention, and I was interviewed by PEOPLE, USA Today, Good Morning America, and the BBC.

For the next year, I posted a selfie every day with the hashtag #MyBestSelfie. Some of the selfies were serious, talking about disabilities or tough days, while others were fun, showing my love for The West Wing or using photo filters. Every selfie reflected who I was and carried a message.

I didn’t plan to keep posting selfies for a whole year, but as time passed, I noticed something important. Each selfie helped me feel more comfortable with my body and gave me a sense of freedom. I started to see myself differently, which was something I had struggled with as a disabled woman.

Growing up, I always felt different, and that affected my self-esteem. With each selfie, I felt like I was talking to my younger self, sharing the things I wish I had known back then. Even though I worried about how people would react to my selfies, I knew my goal wasn’t about vanity. I wanted to unapologetically take up space as a disabled woman.

As I kept posting, I saw that other disabled people related to my experience. They started posting selfies of their own, sharing their stories and showing who they are. For the first time, I saw the disability community standing proud, without shame. It was an incredible moment to see people like me taking their rightful place in society.