Melissa Blake

🔋 WHEN THAT NEW WHEELCHAIR BATTERY HITS 🔋 I got a new battery for my wheelchair and took advantage of the golden hour to enjoy an Inaugural Roll because — you guessed it — I’m BORN TO BE WILD 😜 Always love getting a new battery every year!! It sort of feels like a fresh start...although now, I’ll no longer be able to use the excuse of a low battery when my mom tells me to go outside and get some sunshine!!!

I still CANNOT believe that I recorded the audiobook for my first book BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE... 🎧📚🎤 I also CANNOT believe that my book comes out in just five weeks from today!! What?!? Where in the world did the time go?? And a huge thank you to @_passengerseat_ from @gremlenstudios and Melanie Schmidt from @hachettego for making the recording process so easy and fun!! To help us count down and get all excited for Publish Day, I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes moments and juicy tidbits from my book journey over the last three years. Yes, look for Book Talk Tuesday every Tuesday from now until March 5th. It’s going to be a grand time and you definitely don’t want to miss it, friends!! ❤️💕

If I ever audition for the lead in a rom-com, consider this my dramatic reading: I’m just a girl...sitting in front of her phone...asking you not to be ableist... Happy Disability Pride Month, friends!! More content to come... ❤️♿️ #disabilitypride #disabilitypridemonth #disabled #romcom #romanticcomedy

I call this “Switching your phone to selfie mode to get one last look at yourself during Leo season!” It’s art, really... Stay dramatic, my fellow Leo friends!!! 🔥💫 #leoseason #astrology #comedy #funny #reels

How I *think* I act in front of my crush vs How I *actually* act in front of my crush... But at the same time, if you don’t love ALF as much as I do, then that’s honestly going to be a red flag for me. Just saying... 💋😂 #dating #datingadvice #love #relationships #relationshipgoals #funnyreels #funny #comedy #reels

They just don’t make bops like they used to...can we get a ‘90s bop revival, please?? I said what I said. Also, what’s your favorite ‘90s bop, friends?? 🤗🎶 #90s #90skids #90smusic #millennials #xennials #nostalgia #comedy

Am I living in an alternate universe or something?? Because I’m NOT here for these shenanigans... 😱

Did I watch this video more than once from when I put the epilogue of my book BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE into the Google doc?? Yes, I did. As y’all know, I wrote most of my book on the Notes app and I had the same routine every night: Curl up in my comfy bed, whip out my phone, open Notes and write 400 words of the chapter that I was working on at the moment. My room was quiet and peaceful, which made for the perfect writing environment. After I finished each chapter, I’d copy and paste it into the Google doc. And that was my process for a whole year. February to February. In a way, the routine became comforting and really helped to tame my anxiety about this massive book I was writing! A big shout-out to my mom for taking this video so we could preserve this historic moment. And if you’re wondering why I chose Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” to go along with this milestone... Well, let’s just say that my Millennial heart just wanted to have her moment a la The Hills...IYKYK 😎💗😎💗 #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writer #bookstagram #book #disability #disabilityawareness

Exciting news: You can read the introduction of BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE right now, before it comes out on March 5th... ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ Yes, it’s true — if you’ve pre-ordered the book in any format (hardcover, ebook, or audiobook) from any retailer, then all you have to do is fill out the form at the link in my bio, be sure to include your receipt with proof of purchase and... ✨ Voila ✨ I’ll be in your inbox!! Well, I won’t literally be in your inbox, but my words will be and it’s the words in that introduction that really set the stage for the rest of the book. Those words are a preview of what’s to come. A little teaser, if you will. Can’t wait for you to read it, friends! From my heart to yours...THANK YOU 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Let me know in the comments if you’re planning on snagging that introduction and then let me know what you think after you read it. Love you, friends!! ❤️📚 #disability #disabilityawareness #disabled #books #bookstagram #authorsofinstagram #writer #writersofinstagram

Trolls get so offended that I have the audacity to even show my face on social media... Every time they tell me to get off the internet, I take it as a challenge to be even MORE present. So in a way, I suppose I should thank them. Thank you, trolls, for reminding me over and over exactly why I’m not going anywhere. Your insults certainly weren’t the flex you thought they were because instead of driving me off the internet, they just empowered me to be more vocal, more present and more IN YOUR FACE. That’s also the same philosophy I used when writing my book BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE — outspoken and not afraid to be myself. And speaking of my book, I’ve got a huge announcement tomorrow, so if you’ve pre-ordered, you’re in for a treat. And if you haven’t pre-ordered yet, head to the link in my bio right now!! I really am just getting started, friends!! 🤗🎉

FREEZING...BUT MAKE IT FASHION 🥶🧣❄️ Hope you stayed warm this week, friends!!! #chicago #midwest #winter #weather #winterfashion #fashion #reels #explore

Society thinks I spend my days wishing I could walk... Meanwhile, I don’t hear them because I’m too busy rolling away and living my life. My wheelchair gives me independence and has allowed me to do so many incredible things... ♿️ Wheelchairs are FREEDOM ♿️ #disability #disabilitypride #disabilitypridemonth #disabled

My mom makes her Reels debut for her birthday... 🎂🥳 She’s far too modest, so I’ll just say it for her: My mom is the most AMAZING person in the entire world. I’m so proud of how she’s settled into her Retirement Era despite a pesky knee injury. Mom, thank you for being you and for bringing so much joy to the world. You’re a shining gem!! I love you SO much!! Let’s send her LOTS of birthday love!! ❤️🙏🏻

I’ve got a ✨ BIG WEEK ✨ ahead of me, so I’m furiously manifesting all the great and powerful energy like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz... And, yes, it has to do with my book BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, of course!! If you’re also trying to manifest some energy for something big in your life right now, I hope it comes your way, friends!! May all the dreams that we dare to dream come true... 👠🌈

Hi hi hi hi, friends!! I see that we have some new followers in the last week, so allow me to reintroduce myself... My name is Melissa and I’m a... ✏️ Writer ♿️ Disability activist 👩🏻‍🦰 Sassy redhead Thanks SO much for following!! I’m so glad you’re here... #disability #disabilityawareness #disabledwriter #disabledlife #disabled #writer #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram

I’m not a foodie. I just play one on Instagram... 🍑🍫🍹 #food #foodie #reels #fun #funnyvideos

Disability in real life: I just wanted to follow up my last reel with a few words about independence and food prep. Here’s how it works for me, especially when I’m home alone. Let this be a reminder that accessibility doesn’t have to be complicated and that an accessible world is something EVERY disabled person deserves... 👏🏻♿️ #accessibilityforall #accessibility #accessible #disability #disabilities #disabilityawareness #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #disabilityadvocate #disabilityinclusion #inclusion #disabled

Our sweet Stella has crossed the Rainbow Bridge... 💔🌈🐈 We are heartbroken and missing her terribly. She was the smartest cat, full of love and curiosity, and she never met a cup full of liquid that she didn’t tip over on purpose! We’re so grateful that she spent all of her 16 years with us and that we have so many wonderful memories to look back on. Stella, you were TRULY one of a kind and we love you so much! Thank you for being you and bringing so much love and light into our lives. You’ll always be in our hearts... ❤️❤️❤️ #catsofinstagram #catstagram #cats #grief #heartbroken #love #family

I’m extremely protective of my wheelchair every time I fly somewhere. And I have to be... We’ve all seen the headlines about airlines damaging wheelchairs and my blood boils every single time. But sadly, those headlines are just a snapshot — a mere glimpse — of a much bigger picture. There are so many more stories of damaged wheelchairs that don’t make the headlines. So many disabled people have experienced this when traveling and I really wish airlines did a better job of handling our wheelchairs with the care they deserve. We should be able to get on an airplane and not spend the entire flight worrying that our wheelchair is going to be damaged or broken! It’s vulnerable to have to give up your wheelchair on the plane and I don’t think you can understand what wheelchairs truly mean unless you’re disabled. Wheelchairs are so much more than bolts and screws and pieces of metal and wire put together. They have been my lifeline, literally my legs and my means of experiencing the world around me; for disabled people, our wheelchairs are an extension of our bodies, an extension of ourselves and being without our wheelchairs is an incredibly vulnerable position to be in. I’ve always said that I feel the safest in my wheelchair, and it’s perhaps the only place where I truly feel like myself. The place where I feel at home. So please, treat wheelchairs with care, dignity and respect and don’t make disabled people feel even more vulnerable by having to be without our wheelchairs... 💔♿️💔 #disability #disabled #disabilityrights #wheelchairstruggles #wheelchair #wheelchairuser #airport #airplane #travel #traveling