I’m back again for another We Are The World Blogfest post! On the last Friday of the month (or in this case, close to it!) we post up positive stories that we’ve found from the past month to share with our readers.

When I first started cosplaying back in 2015, I was incredibly shy and nervous. I didn’t know what I was doing but I really wanted to try. When I was dressed up and walking through the hotels of DragonCon, I was thrilled with how excited people would get about my character. When I was myself I was super shy, but when I was in character I got to try out the shoes of someone else.

The Atlanta area is such a great place for cosplayers and nerdy culture. Between all the fan conventions and the booming film industry, cosplay has slowly grown from a marginalized group to being mainstream. I’ve slowly started seeing the same popularity grow for the fashion industry here.

It started when I was at our local Starbucks and I overheard someone talking about preparing for a fashion show only a few miles away. I was surprised, I didn’t realize that the fashion industry was growing. Then today, I read about a fashion show for people with special needs called: Johns Creek Fashion Speaks on the Creek.

The article describes how the fashion show helped an autistic man gain confidence. The age range for the show ranges from 5 years old to 83. The event pushes participants outside their normal boundary lines, allowing them to build confidence and to participate in a way they might never have thought possible.

“When those models walk that runway, they shine. I invite everybody to come see the magic, because that’s what it really is. These models are so inspiring, your heart grows 10 times its size … from the time you walk in those doors to the moment you leave.”

Linda Hickey, president of Jonny & Xena’s Spread the Words Foundation

I knew exactly what that felt like. I knew how being around so many people cheering you on and applauding your abilities felt. It’s amazing how just being given an opportunity can be so incredibly life changing. It’s so wonderful to see people be given their time to shine and to share their creativity.

Check out the articles below to read more!

Fashion show empowers people with special needs – AJC
Fashion show to feature models with special needs – Gwinnett Daily Post