Mirror, Mirror: How My Relationships Reflect My Growth
It's Wednesday morning in LA, just past 9 AM, and I'm having one of those rare moments of clarity while people-watching at my favorite campus coffee spot. Yesterday's design high has mellowed into something more sustainable – not the adrenaline rush of validation but a quieter confidence that feels... different. Steadier.
I've been thinking about relationships this morning. Not just romantic ones (though let's be honest, that's its own spectacular mess), but all of them – friendships, mentorships, even the brief connections with strangers that somehow leave marks on us.
Professor Chen once said that other people are mirrors – they reflect parts of ourselves we can't see on our own. I rolled my eyes at the time (internally, I'm not THAT bold), but watching my reflection in my latte this morning, I realized she was right.
My evolution hasn't happened in isolation. Every significant shift has involved someone else holding up a mirror:
Tara noticing how differently I moved when creating authentically.
Professor Winters seeing "Mandy" in my work for the first time.
Even Zoe, a classmate I barely knew, confirming I wasn't alone in my struggle.
The rejection letter from LA Fashion Week? That was a harsh mirror showing me how much external validation was driving my work.
It's weird to realize how much of my "individual journey" has actually been shaped by these reflections. My authentic voice didn't emerge in solitude – it emerged through connections, through being seen (or unseen) by others.
Maybe that's why dating has always felt so complicated for me. Each relationship becomes another mirror, reflecting parts of myself I'm still learning to recognize. No wonder it feels so vulnerable – it's not just about them seeing me, but about me seeing myself through their eyes.
I'm meeting with my small critique group later today – the one where we actually tell the truth instead of just being politely impressed with each other. For the first time, I'm not preparing my defenses or polishing my presentation. I'm just bringing my work, my process, and myself – messy edges and all.
Because maybe the real growth isn't about becoming a perfectly finished product. Maybe it's about being brave enough to let relationships reveal the work-in-progress that I am, and finding beauty in that unfinished state.
Now, time to finish this coffee and get to my pattern-making class. Today feels like another small step in becoming not a new Mandy, but the Mandy I've always been beneath the carefully constructed layers.