Approval for Penny

 Penny had always been different. As a child, she’d seen the world through vibrant colors and patterns, turning old fabrics into art. But as she grew older, the world didn’t share her vision. In secondary school, close friends often dismissed her art designs as “in a hot mess,” and that comment lingered for years, shaping Penny’s doubts about her work.

Now in her late twenties, Penny had almost given up on her dream of being a fashion designer. After years of trying to fit in at a prestigious design school, her creativity was suffocated. “Fashion is about harmony, not noise,” one professor had said, and Penny began to doubt her eccentric, bold designs, trying instead to mimic the more conventional styles that were praised.

But one rainy afternoon, as deadlines loomed, Penny dug out her old sketches, the ones that were all color and chaos. She had been afraid to show them for years, but now, they called to her. She threw out the safe designs and poured herself into what she truly loved: unique, mismatched patterns and bold cuts.

The next day, she presented her collection, unsure of what would happen. When her models strutted down the runway in her daring designs, the room fell silent. Then came murmurs of admiration. Her professor stood up, a smile on his face. “Penny, this is... you.”

In that moment, Penny realized that the only approval she’d needed all along was her own. The emotional baggage of others’ words no longer had a hold on her. For the first time in years, Penny believed in herself, and that was enough to let her creative light shine.