For this Year-in-Review, I am reflecting through the form of a self-portrait art piece to properly visualize and express how challenging and rewarding this year was. This art piece utilizes symbolism to visualize these difficulties.
This past year, I made mistakes, learned from them, and set even more goals to integrate lessons into deliverables. Through this reflection and understanding, I found that the only way to properly represent this was through a lotus. A lotus is symbolic of strength through change. The lotus flower appears to be this beautiful flower, with symmetric petals and varying shades of a gorgeous pink once it’s in full bloom. Yet the lotus doesn’t start out in this beautiful form we all recognize; it grows from roots found at the bottom of streams and ponds and journeys its way to the water’s surface as it grows. This journey symbolizes obstacles that we all face in becoming and flourishing into who we’re meant to be. I put this in my self-portrait to recognize and celebrate the obstacles that I have faced this year on my journey to becoming the professional I’m meant to be.
Not only does a lotus symbolize an aspect of strength I carry with me, but a bear does as well. My middle name is Barrett, meaning “strong as a bear.” Throughout this past year, I had to regularly celebrate the strength that I carried within myself as I pushed through the obstacles I was facing. There were many times when I felt that I couldn’t persevere through a difficult course, through an issue that arose with a member of one of my organizations, or with a resident on my floor. I was challenged and found myself in a corner on multiple occasions. Ultimately, the easy route would have been to produce a lower quality result, decide not to invest emotionally in my involvements, or quit altogether. But true character presents itself in times of uncertainty and discomfort, and I chose to be “strong as a bear” to persevere through the lows I was experiencing. Despite these struggles, the self-belief that I’m worth achieving everything I’ve ever dreamed of was reinforced. I learned that a 4.0 doesn’t define the level of success I will experience one day, that discomfort is necessary to grow, and most importantly, how necessary it is to give oneself grace during difficult times.