When Vulnerability Becomes Your Superpower: The Strength in Showing Up Imperfectly
It's Wednesday morning in LA, just after 9 AM, and I'm perched on my windowsill watching the city shimmer under that particular October light that makes everything look like it belongs in a coming-of-age film. My coffee's gone cold because I've been lost in thought about something that happened in yesterday's critique session.
For context: I showed up with my unplanned, intuitive project – the one born from Monday's fabric district adventure where I just... felt my way through instead of overthinking. No detailed sketches. No perfect plan. Just raw creative instinct guided by those materials that spoke to me.
And guys? I was terrified. Like, hands-shaking, voice-cracking terrified.
Professor Chen asked me to explain my process, and instead of delivering my usual polished presentation, I told the truth. I talked about surrendering control, about the space between intention and outcome that I've been exploring this week. About how scary it feels to show up without having every detail figured out.
The silence afterward felt eternal. Then something unexpected happened.
My classmates started sharing their own struggles with perfectionism. Even Zoe (yes, Vogue-internship Zoe who seems to have her entire life figured out) admitted she'd redone her project three times because she was afraid to submit something "imperfect."
It hit me that the most powerful connection happened not when I presented something flawless, but when I showed up authentically uncertain. When I revealed the messy middle of my process instead of just the polished end result.
I've spent so much time trying to appear confident and put-together, not realizing that vulnerability might actually be my superpower. That the courage to say "I don't have this all figured out yet" creates more genuine connection than pretending I do.
This morning, I'm seeing how this applies beyond my fashion projects. How my relationships deepen when I allow myself to be seen in process, not just in perfection. How my creativity expands when I embrace uncertainty instead of rushing to eliminate it.
Maybe that's the next spiral in this growth journey – not just finding the balance between intention and surrender, but finding the courage to let others witness that balancing act. To share not just my finished designs, but the beautiful, messy, uncertain process of becoming.
And honestly? That feels like the most authentic version of myself I've ever been brave enough to be.