Metamorphosis

As a biological creature, I have the capacity to undergo metamorphosis: i.e. to let an old identity die and to transform into what now needs to arise. This is an exciting idea, which brings a sense of freedom, allowing me to move into a psychic space of experimentation.

It ‘feels’ like there’s so much dying and composting going on with me. Necessary death. I have become aware of the energy expended in trying to keep stories which have died propped up. It seems that culture exerts a lot of pressure with the stories of how we must be. And equally, daunting is the energy required to shimmy out from underneath the cultural stories and diversify the books which line my psychic collection. Maybe becoming aware of the constant death, decay and renewal processes which support metamorphosis is healthy movement. Becoming aware is not to be taken lightly. That’s pretty darn impressive really, in light of all the unconsciousness in me.

Diversifying my stories. What is a ‘good mother”, “successful life” ? What does “connection” mean to me? Whose story am I trying to fit myself into? It seems that diversifying the non-stop stories I tell myself implies positive movement, an unblocking of all that feeling of “stuckness”. More freedom to try new things, to wander without needing certainty.

Humboldt said, “the greatest lesson that nature offered was that of freedom, because nature’s balance was created by diversity”

Adaptation cannot occur without going through a “death” period – a time of uncertainty, of seeming chaos and formlessness. The creative process is the process of adaptation.

The competencies for adaptation support creative renewal. These include: intuition, imagination, creativity, play, humility, reflection, the capacity to learn, introspection, emotional competence, building relationships, authenticity, listening, connection with purpose and meaning, the capacity to let go and let things develop and emerge

Active experimentation inletting what now needs to arise, do just that – welcoming the pain and joy of metamorphosis.