An Open Letter to My Collaborators - The Vulnerability of Imperfection Working with you often feels like sculpting clay together. The clay starts a bit lopsided, a bit messy, sometimes even embarrassingly so. And yet, when we throw it back and forth, with each touch it takes on more shape, more definition, more life. I’ll confess something. If you’ve ever received something rough from me, something unfinished or mediocre, know that sending it probably cost me more emotional energy than sending you something polished. Perfectionism is not a good strategy in a world that is anything but perfect, but it is a persistent kind of anxiety. For me, the easier thing is to send good work. The harder, more vulnerable thing is to share something that is not yet there, and to trust you with it. Think of an amateur musician on stage. Playing the song perfectly is easier on the nerves than stumbling through a shaky tune. That shaky tune is terrifying. But sometimes, it is exactly what I hand over to you, not because I want to, but because I trust you enough to see it, to help me get it to the next verse. So if you ever see me send poor quality work, consider it a demonstration of trust. The alternative would be me struggling alone, behind the curtain, silently at a wall. By sharing, I’m saying, “I believe you can help me over this wall.” That is one of my biggest vulnerabilities at work, and also one of the clearest ways I know to keep moving forward. I am a harsh self-critic. I want high quality. And I believe high quality is born from iteration. Iteration only happens when people are willing to be vulnerable, to admit, “This isn’t good enough yet, and I need help.” If you see something of mine fall flat, it isn’t proof of how good the final work will be, only a snapshot of the day. Maybe I was sick, maybe the internet went down, maybe the world was just pulling in too many directions. If anything, let seeing a poor quality draft be an opportunity for us to demonstrate understanding and practice communication...let it be an invitation: for us to create the kind of collaboration where vulnerability is not a liability but a resource. Where your strengths cover my blind spots, and mine cover yours. All great things are collaborative. All masterpieces start as messy clay. Thank you for letting me throw it your way, trusting that together, we’ll sculpt something worth keeping. With warmth, trust, and a little clay on my hands, Em