From Plaid to Progress

Photo by Henrik Hjortshøj on Unsplash

Recently, while doing some research for a social media post, I read an interview with Vera Wang where she was asked if it was hard to stay innovative. While answering the question, she described one collection she did that was based on a plaid fabric. I realized as I read it that I had never thought about fashion design being centered around a fabric. She described getting this big bolt of fabric and then working with her team to design an entire line around it. It was interesting to me, this idea that you need to work with what you have; the bolt of fabric comes first, then the ideas come later.

She had a vision of what she wanted to do with the plaid, of course, but all the details? Each outfit? All that came later. She took a leap of faith with her idea, ordered the bolt, and then worked hard to turn it into a collection. It is this way with writing too; you cannot edit what you have not written. The first draft is always a mess, but we need to put it to paper, we need to get the bolt of fabric so to speak, before we are able to make something amazing from it.

That leap a designer takes when they order the fabric, the vulnerability a writer experiences when they put crappy words to paper, it is the step we all need to get comfortable taking if we want to move forward into greatness.

Psychologist Dr. Krystine Batcho writes that “inertia can inhibit personal growth,” especially when fear or uncertainty keeps us stuck in place. But the antidote isn’t perfection—it’s movement. Even a small, imperfect step can restore our sense of agency and shift us out of hesitation. Like ordering the bolt of plaid or writing the messy first draft, the act of beginning creates momentum. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about trusting that clarity and confidence will come as we engage with the process.

So, whether you’re staring at a blank page, a new opportunity, or a challenge that feels bigger than you, remember: the first step doesn’t need to be brilliant. It just needs to be taken. Because once you start, you’re no longer stuck—you’re building. And that’s where growth lives.