00:01There's so many altering moments that happened to me being in this industry.
00:06You have to work 24-7.
00:08If you're resting, then that's time lost.
00:12But you also have to live your life.
00:14If you don't, then you get sucked into this weird vortex of the fashion world,
00:19and you forget that there's a life out there.
00:22My name is Jillian Mercado. I am a creative, a model, and activist.
00:41Two years ago, I was having a lot of trouble just getting out of bed.
00:49That was scaring me a lot.
00:54It was because I'm sitting on my chair 85% of my life.
01:05Having muscular dystrophy, your muscles tend to tighten in situations where you don't even know what's happening.
01:12And my muscles are supposed to be weakened as I get older.
01:16So I decided to go to the gym.
01:19This is going to be a new challenge in my life, but it's something that I needed for myself.
01:28Which can be extremely intimidating.
01:30But I also get people who don't have physical disabilities at all, and they go,
01:34here you are at the gym.
01:36I have been on a couch.
01:38I'm like, what am I doing with my life?
01:40And I'm like, that's a great question.
01:42What are you doing with your life?
01:58Yes.
01:59Eyes up.
02:01Yes.
02:03Slow release.
02:07Here we go.
02:08Okay, here we go, ready?
02:11Back tight, eyes up.
02:12For five.
02:14Four.
02:15Three.
02:17Two, head back, rest.
02:19Bye.
02:20I definitely suggest getting over
02:22what other people might think about you
02:24and just realizing that it's your own body
02:27and you should really take care of it.
02:33One, three back, good.
02:36One, two, three, two, three, two, three, two, three, four.
02:38Going to the gym for now two years, two times a week,
02:41I realized I have felt stronger
02:44and that's a very beautiful feeling
02:45to know that I've achieved that goal.
03:00I've been in the world of fashion
03:02for nine to 10 years, I would say.
03:05Before diving into this world,
03:07there was a huge understanding
03:10that you have to be super stone cold.
03:12And if you are nice,
03:13then you're definitely not gonna survive.
03:15I said to myself, I am not those things at all.
03:20So I started being myself.
03:22People really appreciated that
03:24and so I try to live my life as positive
03:26and as happy as I can.
03:30I've been fortunate enough to like work with creatives
03:33that have done their research, which is great.
03:36And I feel like if you have accepted a project
03:39with me in it, you're already willing to ask questions
03:42and willing to, you know, diversify the world of fashion.
03:47So, I was inspired by Selena.
03:49Yes, Selena.
03:50And then I found this one piece and I was like, I love this.
03:55What if Selena goes to, you know, Tokyo?
03:58Oh yeah, I love it.
04:01Lucky for us that we worked before together.
04:04Ooh, cute panties.
04:05Right?
04:05You planned this out, girl.
04:10I tried and I got a tan.
04:12Okay.
04:13For the 4th of July.
04:15If anything, I feel that people are always scared
04:18to like dress me because they think
04:19they might hurt me or whatever.
04:20But I never really get offended.
04:22I just go, no, go ahead.
04:25Like a, pretty much a Barbie.
04:28You can dress me however you want.
04:36Loving what you do is the most joyous thing.
04:39Seeing the end result, it's like your firstborn child
04:42every time.
04:44Being someone who has a physical disability
04:47in a world where it's absolutely not common,
04:51that's being an activist in yourself.
04:54And when there's like an obstacle in the way,
04:56I try to ground myself and if you've got to cry, you cry,
04:59and then you take the next step.
05:00As long as you're moving forward, that's all that matters.
05:04There is only one of you.
05:06Make the most out of it.
