Creating Your Opportunities – A Conversation with Myk
When I reconnected with Myk for this interview, I wanted to explore not only his journey with NLD but also his role as an ambassador for the NVLD Project. Myk’s path to becoming part of the organization started soon after his diagnosis. He remembers searching for resources and community, only to find that support for people with NLD was scarce.
“I wanted to join this organization because I needed a place where I could say, ‘I have this too. I’m going through this too,” he told me. “I wanted others to look to me for inspiration. My big thing is creating my opportunities—because so many doors weren’t open to me due to communication breakdowns.”
I understood exactly what he meant. Before I became an ambassador myself, I found the NVLD Project while starting my podcast. I wanted to include more than just my perspective, so I quoted blog posts written by other people with NLD—always giving credit—so my listeners could hear multiple voices.
Back then, I wasn’t sure how to reach out to others for interviews. My first attempt was challenging—the guest spoke slowly and took long pauses, which made the conversation last much longer than expected. But I’ve learned that when interviewing someone with NLD, things naturally take more time. It’s part of our shared way of communicating.
Myk agreed. “Something so simple can become more complex when two people with NLD talk,” he said. “It’s not a bad thing—it just takes longer.”
When I asked him why he enjoyed being an ambassador, his answer was clear: “I want to inspire others. I know life can be rough. You can lose friends without knowing why. As an ambassador, I can say, ‘I get you. You can still do something great.’”
One of his hardest blog posts was about losing his father in 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. “I didn’t realize the depth of my disability until then,” he shared. “I wanted people to reach out, but I didn’t want to go to them. I felt every inch of my NLD during that time—completely alone.”
I could relate. Loss, whether from death or personal turmoil, makes it hard to talk with others while also processing your emotions.
From there, our conversation shifted to dating with NLD, and especially the issue of driving. Myk doesn’t drive due to spatial awareness challenges—something I empathize with, having had my accidents and confidence struggles behind the wheel. He told stories of well-meaning partners trying to “teach” him, sometimes with disastrous results, like driving into a light pole or terrifying someone in a parking lot. “It becomes an elephant in the room,” he said. “For some people, it’s a deal-breaker.”
Beyond driving, Myk has faced the assumptions people make when they learn about his diagnosis. Some underestimated him, others tried to manipulate him, thinking he was “easily influenced.” Over time, he became more guarded and intentional about who he trusted.
But through it all, he returned to his core belief: if opportunities aren’t offered, create them yourself. For Myk, that’s meant organizing event nights to showcase his art and other local talent, producing films, and releasing his creative work through his entertainment label. “It’s not easy,” he said. “It takes persistence. People won’t always understand your vision. But after twenty years, some are finally saying, ‘I get it.’”
I asked if he was okay with having NLD. “I like it,” he replied. “It helps me understand myself, and I can use it in creative ways. It makes me special.” I agreed. Over time, I’ve stopped seeing my NLD as a burden and started seeing it as a unique part of who I am.
When I asked about his proudest accomplishment, Myk didn’t hesitate. “All the opportunities I’ve created for myself. All the scripts, comics, movies, events—everything I dreamed about when I was younger. I might have a small but loyal audience, but that’s enough for me. If I didn’t have NLD, I might still be dreaming instead of doing.”
As we wrapped up, he thanked me for the interview and the thoughtful questions. I was grateful, too—not only to learn more about his story, but to share a conversation that showed the resilience, creativity, and determination that often come with navigating life with NLD.
In closing, I’d love to hear from readers: do you know someone with NLD who might share their story in an interview? You can reach me at livingwithNLD@gmail.com. In the meantime, try journaling about your gifts and differences—and see if you can find ways to make those differences easier to navigate. Remember, sometimes the path forward is the one you create yourself.
