and sweet Lobby Now When I get to the lobby the Teen Design Diva judges Jasmine Hunter and Missy are already there standing by a large opaque screen As usual they’re surrounded by producers and the camera crew One by one the remaining designers trickle in There are only seven of us left now and we’re all wearing the same look of nervous anticipation It’s good to see you all again Missy says I hope you all used the past two days to replenish your creativity because there are only three challenges left before we get down to the top three designers That means the grand prize an internship with a famous designer is almost within reach The next two weeks she finishes will be intense And because of that we’ve decided that for the next few tasks you’ll be getting some help Hunter chimes in
At his words my fellow designers and I exchange confused looks What kind of help I wonder Thankfully the judges don’t keep us in suspense for long Our goal in this competition is to help you become stronger designers Jasmine says What better way to do that than to learn from other success stories So after careful screening of your skills and personalities Hunter says we’ve paired you with willing mentors Just to be clear your mentor is not here to do your work for you But their expertise will help you greatly Especially because not too long ago they were in your shoes Missy adds She points toward a nearby screen When the screen moves you’ll see your mentor on the other side holding a sign with your name
With that Jasmine waves her hand and the screen drops Standing behind it are contestants from past seasons of Design Diva The cameras are poised to capture our reactions but when I see who’s holding my name I’m so excited I almost forget all about the filming It’s Liesel McKay my number-one Design Diva role model I met her once before back in California Her son Jake introduced us at the final round of auditions for the show I went to her store when I first got to New York but she wasn’t there At least I got to see Jake though That made the trip worth it Liesel I exclaim I mean Ms McKay Liesel please she says with a smile as she walks toward me Ms McKay makes me feel old Is this okay I ask Do the judges know we’ve met Liesel nods Yep that’s why they thought I’d
make the perfect mentor for you she says We already know each other Ready to head out and discuss strategy Definitely I say Where to Liesel walks toward the doors leading out of the hotel lobby We’re headed to inspiration I keep a notebook with me all the time Liesel tells me as we stroll down the crowded sidewalk I write down everything You never know what might come in handy I’ve woken up from dreams jotted stuff down and in the morning found banana peel in my notebook Then I spend all day trying to figure out what it means She laughs Do you always figure it out I ask Not always but it’s worth writing down anyway
