Stitching It All Together: My Maturation Mood Board is Finally Making Sense

Hey besties! It’s Monday, October 20th, 2025, just past 9 AM here in sunny LA, and I’m kicking off the week with a fresh oat latte and a brain full of… well, stuff. After a whole weekend of reflecting on gut feelings, co-designers, and even those pesky unraveling seams, I feel like I’m finally seeing the bigger picture of this "Maturation" phase.

Last Friday, I was all about trusting my gut, treating my intuition like a mood board for my life. Then Saturday, I zoomed out a bit, realizing how much my relationships—my "co-designers"—are shaping my story. And yesterday, after a little friendship hiccup, I dove into the messy reality of things not going as planned, learning to find the pattern in the problem.

And now? Now it feels like all those threads are finally starting to weave together into a coherent design. It's not just about trusting my gut in isolation, or letting my friends dictate my path, or even just fixing problems as they arise. It’s about doing all of it, simultaneously, and understanding how each piece informs the others.

My gut feeling? It’s stronger when I’ve openly communicated with my co-designers and when I’ve learned from past unravelings. Those tough conversations or moments of vulnerability with friends? They’re easier to navigate because I’m learning to trust my internal compass about who to let into my inner circle. And when things inevitably unravel? I’m not just patching it up; I’m looking at the whole garment, figuring out if a different stitch or even a whole new cut is needed, guided by that inner voice and the wisdom I’ve gained from others.

It’s like designing a whole collection instead of just one piece. Each garment has its own story, its own challenges, but they all fit together to create a cohesive vision. This isn't just about surviving college or navigating dating in LA anymore. It’s about intentionally designing a life that feels authentic, resilient, and beautifully interconnected.

I used to think growth was this linear, upward climb. Now I see it’s more like a complex, gorgeous tapestry, with different colors and textures, some knots, some smooth patches, but all contributing to something truly unique. And honestly, it’s a pretty exciting design to be working on. 💖✨