When Roadblocks Become Stepping Stones

It's a sunny Sunday morning in LA, and I'm sitting by my window with my sketchbook balanced precariously on my knees. There's something about the quality of September light that makes everything look like it belongs in a coming-of-age movie. Fitting, since that's kind of how this past week has felt.

Yesterday was... challenging, to put it mildly. I hit a major wall with my collection. After feeling like I was finally finding my groove, suddenly nothing was working. The draping on my statement piece kept falling wrong, my color story felt disconnected, and I had that spiral moment where I questioned my entire existence as a designer. You know, just a casual Saturday breakdown.

I ended up sitting on the studio floor surrounded by fabric scraps, fighting back tears and contemplating a career change to something sensible like accounting (no offense to accountants, but have you seen me try to balance my checking account?).

That's when Professor Martinez walked in – wasn't even supposed to be there on a Saturday. She took one look at my disaster zone and instead of offering sympathy, she said something that's been echoing in my head since: "The roadblocks are where you find your voice."

At first, I wanted to throw a bolt of fabric at her (the cheap cotton, not my good silk). But after she left, I sat with it. Started looking at my "failures" differently. What if these obstacles aren't signs I'm on the wrong path, but necessary friction that's helping me define what matters in my work?

The pieces that weren't working were the ones where I was still playing it safe, still designing for some imaginary critic. The elements I loved? All came from places where I'd pushed through resistance.

It's weird how a week that started with me thinking about authenticity has come full circle. Maybe finding your authentic voice isn't just about the moments of clarity and confidence. Maybe it's equally about facing the roadblocks and choosing to work through them rather than around them.

I'm not saying I've magically solved all my design problems overnight. My apartment is still a crime scene of fashion sketches and coffee cups. But I'm approaching today's studio session with a different mindset. The struggle isn't separate from the journey – it is the journey.

So here's to Sunday, to new beginnings, and to embracing the roadblocks as part of the path forward.

- Mandy