Connecting the Dots: The Pattern in My Progress

It's just past 9 AM on a Saturday in LA, and I'm having one of those rare quiet mornings where everything feels clear. I've claimed my favorite spot at Groundwork Coffee, watching the weekend crowd drift in while I try to make sense of this week's whirlwind.

Looking back at what I've written over the past few days, I'm noticing something I hadn't seen before—there's a pattern forming in my growth. It's like I've been working on a design where I could only see individual stitches, but suddenly I can step back and see the whole garment taking shape.

First came the vulnerability hangover (still cringing a bit at how much I shared), then recognizing how relationships shape me, and finally seeing obstacles as opportunities. These aren't random insights—they're connected threads in the same fabric.

I'm realizing that growth isn't this neat, linear process I imagined. It's messy and cyclical. I don't just learn something and move on; I spiral back to the same lessons but see them differently each time, with more depth.

Take the fabric crisis I mentioned yesterday—I found a solution! This amazing textile artist who works with reclaimed materials is going to collaborate with me. What started as a panic-inducing obstacle has turned into something way more interesting than my original concept. But I wouldn't have even considered this option a month ago before I started embracing vulnerability and valuing different relationships.

That's the pattern I'm seeing: each step builds on the last in ways I couldn't predict. The courage to be vulnerable opened me to deeper connections, which gave me the support to face obstacles creatively.

Professor Martinez caught me sketching before her office hours yesterday and said something that stuck with me: "Design, like personal growth, reveals itself in patterns. Your job is to recognize them and decide which ones to keep."

So that's what I'm doing this morning—recognizing patterns and choosing which ones serve the person I'm becoming. Not just in my design work, but in how I show up for myself and others.

This evolution thing isn't as Instagram-perfect as I thought it would be. It's subtle and sometimes uncomfortable. But sitting here, watching the Saturday light change through the coffee shop window, I'm grateful for the messy, beautiful pattern that's emerging.

Now excuse me while I go sketch some new ideas inspired by this revelation. Or maybe I'll just enjoy my coffee and the moment. Both feel equally important right now.