WHEN MENTORSHIP HAPPENS
Inspiration to Action
What effect are you having on others?
Can you recall a time you were stuck on a task at work? Or when you desperately needed a thing to complete another thing? And then someone senior in experience effortlessly provided you with just what you needed? Now, remember the feeling of joy! The unabashed glee! The pure gratitude!
When you are a beginner in your professional field, you may only see what you don’t yet have. You can become acutely aware of the years your teachers, boss, and seniors have on you. The path to catch up seems very long and arduous. It can be discouraging. It can even lead to inertia.
I’m rubbing shoulders with that spot. I dove into a career switch, of sorts. And most everything is new to me. So new, it’s easy to think I have nothing to give back. But soon I noticed a pair of eyes watching me closely. And then, a pair of hands began emulating what I was doing.
Mentorship, I’ve discovered, need not come in the form of a formal program. We live side by side and, for better or worse, we watch each other. And if we’re smart, we take cues from each other.
For my final project in Critical Making Class this past Fall, I presented a re-design of traditional German accessories to replace animal products with 3D printed replicas. I dug deep into Rhino, a CAD software tool for 3D modeling and subsequent 3D printing. Leading up to the showcase, my home became a workshop; early prototypes, failed 3D prints, electric exacto knives and shipments of filament were everywhere.
Yet, I didn’t notice the impact it was having
What’s more, I noticed that women-to-woman mentorship is particularly powerful. Add to that, a solid age gap, and it’s a mysteriously potent source of inspiration. To my daughter, I’m an inventor. It reminded me that I have lots to give while I receive. Both just depend on my perspective and my mind-set. And I’m choosing positivity and buoyancy.
