SENSITIVE

When words DO hurt.

People shout at a young girl: things like, “You are too sensitive” and “You feel way too much.” They tell her to “grow a thicker skin.” But it’s not something that the girl can control, and no one bothers to explain how to toughen up. More words come, and they all slip right through her thin skin. She tries to ignore them, but the words crowd her insides and push against her heart. Yelling at the words doesn’t work, either, so the girl takes some time alone to think, eventually realizing she needs to create something new. She writes all the troubling words down, then transforms them into an affirmation—the big feelings are real, and that’s OK, since they are her “superpower.” This story highlights the importance of taking control of a narrative as well as the healing power of artistic pursuits. Neither the narrative text nor the author’s note specifies how or why the protagonist, the author, or potentially readers display their sensitivity, but that seems intentional, as the openness allows for multiple types of people to find themselves represented in the narrative. In Amini’s effective mixed-media illustrations, the troubling words literally take over the girl’s form and also create a subtle puzzle of rearrangement. The main character appears East Asian in the illustrations.

A healing, positive assertion.