On Breaking Free and Finding Your Voice, in Times of AI

Authenticity isn’t just a personal journey anymore; it’s becoming a form of resistance.

I want to encourage people to use their voices.

To break free.

To find their brand, their authenticity.

This is also a personal statement: I’m ready to tackle more challenging topics. That’s something I’ve never really done before. But I feel the time has come.

This text is about breaking free and using your voice.

A Snorkeling Trip

We went on a snorkeling trip.

The boat stopped at the chosen spot, and the guide gave our group of twelve some instructions.

“Be calm in the water,” he said gently.

“Don’t make sudden movements, you’ll scare the fish away. If you’re lucky, you’ll see octopuses.”

We prepared to leave the boat and enter the still sea. Putting on the fins took a while. When it was my teenage son’s turn to get in the water, he jumped.

A loud splash.

How many fish he scared away, no one knows. Maybe a few.

Maybe a lot.

Timo Wagner, Unsplash

That’s just how he is.

He’s spontaneous, so much so that he doesn’t always take in information right away. He’s never been afraid to stir things up, not out of rebellion; he doesn’t think like that.

He just is.

He’s very different from me.

And very much alive.

I, on the other hand, have always tried to follow the rules. Not stir up trouble. Make myself invisible. Slide into the water quietly, carefully, without disturbing the

underwater

creatures.

But times are different now.

My voice is building.

Just as children’s bodies grow under the sun, a voice can grow too.

We Want to Be Heard

I’ve seen this in others as well.

Something is stirring in us, something that wants to be heard. Wants to be seen. New voices are emerging. Voices that feel more authentic. That speaks about topics closer to our minds and thoughts.

Brave voices.

We live in times where everyone can choose a medium to get their message across. And I think it’s something natural in us humans to want to express ourselves.

From What Angle

We can do that now. I’m taking this opportunity.

I’m ready to use my voice to speak about bigger things, global issues, and even conflicts. It’s just a matter of how and what stance I take. It’ll definitely be through a human lens. Always seeing the people behind the suffering, without putting them against each other.

I want to stay in the third position: the place of the observer.

Not neutral, but clear-eyed.

I know this stance can be hard to hold when there’s pressure to choose sides. To be one of the good ones. To call out the bad ones.

But I’ve never believed people fit neatly into boxes like that.

And maybe that matters now more than ever.

Because in a time when everyone has access to powerful tools, large language models like ChatGPT, it’s becoming even more important to know what your voice sounds like.

Where it’s coming from.

If we don’t stay close to that inner tone, we risk sounding like everyone else.

Polished, maybe.

But indistinguishable.

Authenticity isn’t just a personal journey anymore; it’s becoming a form of resistance.

Maybe something new is possible.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to stir the water a little.

And jump in.

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💡 What I Do:
I write about language, politics & humanity, exploring how they shape us and our understanding of the world.

🌍 Why It Matters:
To help you think critically, see nuance, and stay human in a noisy, polarized world.

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With a background in teaching, linguistics, music, and social work, I connect disciplines to make sense of the world and help others do the same.

📍Swedish, Spanish, English, connect with me in any language. French in progress. ✨

Paulina Martinez