Inspired

“Well let's hope I get some good news.” Rebecca said as she opened her email. She had been waiting for a response from this employer for a couple of weeks; and it has been a hard couple of weeks. This is the fifth fashion designer she has applied with. No luck so far but Rebecca was determined to turn the fashion industry on its head. She looked over the email, eagerly looking for some form of acceptance. “Damn.” She whispered in a hushed tone. Her eyes started to well up with tears. She was passed over for another position for which she was qualified for. “Determination can only last for so long.” she though. She may not have had as much experience as some of the other candidates, but she made up for that with drive and an eye for aesthetics. At least that's what she thought. She stood up from the small desk where her computer was sitting and strolled across her living room to look out the window. It was a rather gloomy day with clouds and mist creating an atmosphere that she could relate to. She decided she needed a pick me up rather badly. Of course, there is only one thing that could come close to cheering her up after such a rejection. She needed a gourmet soup and sandwich from her local Bistro that's right around the corner from her apartment. That delicious combination a flavor an atmosphere always did the trick when she needed a pick me up.

She grabbed her keys in her purse from her counter and headed out the door, down three flights of steps an out the side door. Her apartment was located in a newly renovated part of downtown. A beautiful spot but a bit too expensive. Sure, it was easy to live in an area like this before. If only her parents hadn't cut her off when she introduced them to her ex-girlfriend. “Why did I have to come from a small minded family?” she thought to herself as she continued walking down the street. She was treasuring the experience knowing that if things didn't change for her soon, she wouldn't be walking down this street much longer. Suddenly she was distracted by the sweet scent in the air. The gourmet cheeses and the artesian bread. The fresh vegetables and spices used for the soup. She knew that she was close, and her senses were completely taken over. So much so, there was a little extra shock when she bumped into another woman who was walking towards her. “Oh my God, I am so sorry.” She exclaimed as she checked to see if the other woman was alright. “Oh, that's alright. Are you OK?” The other woman asked with kind eyes and a smile. Rebecca notice that this woman was very well put together. She wore a Power blue pencil skirt suit with matching heels, her hair was perfectly styled, and she had a demeanor that said she had everything under control. That is exactly how Rebecca wanted to feel again. “I'm OK. I'm sorry. I've been a little distracted lately.” This captured the businesswoman's attention. “Oh really? How so?” “It's a long story.” Rebecca replied, not really wanting to divulge too many personal details to a stranger on the street. The businesswoman pulls out a little black notebook from her designer handbag. she opens it and smiles. “Well it just so happens That I have some free time right now. Let’s talk. Do you know of a good place for a bite to eat? My treat!” Well, Rebecca was not looking for a friend today, but a free meal is a free meal. “Sure, follow me.”

Rebecca continued to the Bistro with the businesswoman in tow. The woman was named Tiara. Tiara had come from a poor and abusive family. This was not the life Tiara wanted for herself. So, she moved to the city around four years ago. They both ordered soup and a sandwich and sat down at a small table to talk. It was mainly pleasantries and getting to know more about each other. Rebecca was impressed by what she heard. Tiara moved to the city to complete a business degree and to one day own her own company. Unfortunately, without too much business experience she was unable to get a job. How relatable that part was. Then, around a year ago, Tiara was able to turn things around for herself. Through a chance meeting with an investor, she was able to impress him with her business savvy and intelligence. He took a chance and agreed to finance her with $20,000 just to see what she could do with it. Now she is making six figures a year, has hundreds of clients, and employing thousands of people who are trying to get a start in the business world themselves. “That is so impressive. I don't suppose you're hiring?” Rebecca said with a chuckle, half joking and half hoping for a miracle. “I thought you were going to be a fashion diva?” Tiara responded. Rebecca paused for a second, thinking over everything she has been through in the past few weeks. “Oh I am. Someday. Right now, I just need a little something to keep me going.” Tiara gave a knowing look. The look of a person who has been in that sort of position before. “No.” Tiara said with a smile in her eyes. “I thought that might be too good to be true.” Rebecca said focusing on her food. “I don't think you should take something that will just get you by. I think you need something to help you focus on your dream.” Tiara said as she reached into her designer handbag and pulled out the little black notebook she looked through before. “Here, I think you could use this. It has really helped me out and I think this can help you too.” She said as she handed it to Rebecca. “So is there tips and advice in here on how to get a job?” Rebecca asked laughing. “Think of it as a little bit of creative inspiration.” Tiara said with a wink. “It really helped get me to where I am today.” “Thank you. I guess it couldn't hurt.” Rebecca said a little begrudgingly. It's not easy being passed over for two jobs in as many hours. The two ladies finished and said their goodbyes, with Rebecca feeling a little uneasy. This sort of thing doesn't happen every day. She gets back to her apartment Anne immediately flops down on her bed. A million thoughts are rushing through her head thinking about what she can do next.

The next morning, Rebecca woke up feeling refreshed. That sleep last night felt really good. She sat up and looked over to her nightstand where she had put the notebook from yesterday. She picked it up to examine it. This was definitely a notebook that has been used for a while. Still in pretty good condition for as much use as it is obviously seen. She begins to wonder what type of “inspiration” she will find when she opens it up. She undoes the clasp and begins to flip through the pages. she stops, puts it down and thinks for a moment. She then picks it back up and flips through the pages again just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. She wasn't imagining, the notebook was completely blank. It doesn't look like there has ever been a mark in here. There are no pages missing, no stains, no signs of use whatsoever. “Great.” she thought to herself. Some pretentious socialite decided she wanted to have fun with a common stranger. That's about the luck she expects for herself. “Well if this was all a big joke, I might as well just go along with it.” She got off her bed and took the notebook to a small desk in the corner of her room. If no one else was going to use the notebook, she would. So, she sat down and began to write. She wrote about how her life used to be before she was cast out from her family. She wrote about the love she had discovered in herself and the heart aches that have come along the way. She wrote about her troubles that she had been having for the past few weeks. The worst part about the last few weeks was that she knew that if she could just be given a chance to show a designer what she could do, that's all she would need. Just for fun she decided to do a sketch of a design she had in mind. A gorgeous satin lined cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. It was definitely something she was proud of. Then she thought of another design that she had been working on a while ago that never really went anywhere. And so, she sketched that one as well. And another. And another. The next thing she knew, Rebecca had spent half of her day writing down her story and showing examples of what she can do. She started laughing. “I guess you really did have a little bit of inspiration.”

A Little over a year goes by. Rebecca is rushing from model to model with her team of seamstresses and makeup artists. She wants to make sure everything is perfect before they head out to the runway. This is the third fashion show dedicated to her designs. She thinks back to the inspiration that was derived on that fateful day. How she was able to raise money through crowdfunding in order to create her first signature looks. She chuckles to herself thinking about the anonymous donor who gave her $20,000 to set up shop. And she thinks about where she is right now. The fashion show was a great success. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised for charities and Rebecca's styles are praised for their creativity and originality. At the after party, Rebecca works the room. Chatting with fashion houses from around the world and buttering up potential clients for the new spring lineup. All of this party atmosphere is starting to be a little suffocating, so she decides to walk outside for some fresh air. As she walks through the doorway onto a patio she is bumped by a young woman in a server’s outfit. “Oh my God, I am so sorry.” The waitress exclaimed as she checked to see if Rebecca was alright. “Oh, that's alright. Are you OK?” Rebecca asked with kind eyes and a smile. The waitress noticed that Rebecca was very well put together. She wore a gorgeous satin lined cocktail dress with a plunging neckline and matching heels, her hair was perfectly styled, and she had a demeanor that said she had everything under control. That is exactly how the waitress wanted to feel. “I'm OK. I'm sorry. I've been a little distracted lately.” This captured Rebecca’s attention. “Oh really? How so?” “It's a long story.” The waitress replied, not really wanting to divulge too many personal details to a stranger. Rebecca paused. She pulled out her little black notebook, her source of inspiration, from the handbag she designed. She smiled when she opened it, noticing all of the pages were blank. “Well it just so happens That I have some free time right now. Let’s talk.”