The Right Ones Are Finally Showing Up: On The Beauty of Collaboration

One of the hardest things I’ve had to navigate in my creative journey is collaboration. Not the fun, “let’s do this!” kind of collaboration that exists in theory, but the real, messy, often demanding work of building something with other people.

For years, I’ve struggled with finding the right collaborators. I’m talking about the kind of people who really get it. Who see the vision not just as an idea, but as something they want to invest in. People who bring their full selves to the table, who care as deeply, show up as consistently, and obsess over the small details like I do.

Let me be honest: I’ve had a lot of false starts. I’ve had people nod along excitedly in the beginning, only to slowly disappear once it was time to actually do the work. I’ve had to carry entire projects on my back. I’ve been ghosted in the middle of collaborations. I’ve been left in charge of the vision and the execution, which if you’ve been there, you know is a fast track to burnout and frustration.

There were moments I genuinely thought I was the problem. Maybe I expected too much. Maybe I was being too perfectionist. Maybe I wasn’t a good leader. Maybe I needed to tone things down and just accept “good enough.”

But something in me refused to settle. I knew what it felt like to be in flow. I knew the power of synergy, those rare moments when you and someone else are just locked in. I wanted more of that. I craved it.

And then something shifted. Not suddenly, not dramatically, but quietly, almost like magic. The right people started showing up. No convincing. No chasing. No constant reminding. They just got it.

People who asked the right questions. Who shared ideas that made my work better. Who followed through. Who respected the deadlines. Who offered thoughtful feedback. Who brought the kind of fire that made me feel less alone in my passion.

People who didn’t treat the work like a side thing, but as something worthy of their full attention and energy. It’s been surreal in the best way.

I don’t think I realized how much I needed that; not just help, but alignment. People who matched my energy. People I didn’t have to shrink myself around. People who made me feel safe to dream even bigger. And honestly, it’s healing something in me.

Because I’d gotten used to doing it all myself. I’d convinced myself that maybe that was just the path. That if I wanted something done well, I had to do it alone. And now I’m learning that it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can find people who hold your vision with care. Who understand the stakes. Who bring brilliance, heart, and commitment.

It’s taken time. It’s taken a few heartbreaks. It’s taken me learning how to articulate my vision better, how to set clearer boundaries, how to say no to the wrong fits, and how to leave space for the right ones to enter.

But I’m here now. And I’m so grateful. So this is a little love note to the collaborators showing up in my life right now, you’re a gift. You’re making me better. You’re making the work richer, deeper, more joyful.

And to anyone still in that space of waiting and searching, hold on. Keep showing up. Keep refining your voice. Keep being honest about what you want. Don’t settle. The right people do exist. Sometimes they just take time to find you.

And sometimes, you have to become the version of yourself that’s ready to receive them. But when it happens? It’s magic.And it changes everything.