Shedding Skin
One Day the Cocoon Hatched and Out Popped…
I have been cocooning this year. After about a decade of deconstructing my entire identity—my religious beliefs, the systems we live and operate in, my general perception of reality—I’ve felt like it was inevitable that at some point this big pile of caterpillar smoothie would reassemble itself into a beautiful butterfly—with confidence and KNOWING and power and clear direction, etc, etc.
But although I think I’m slowly emerging from my cocoon, it feels a bit anti-climactic. Like that scene in A Bug’s Life.
You know the one.
A Bigger Caterpillar (or maybe a snake)
I have made some BIG shifts….but in some ways I feel like more of a beginner than ever.
I have a cousin (Shout out to Meghan) who has been on a similar journey, and she knows that snakes and dragons hold deep significance for me. After I started writing this post, she pointed out that maybe it’s not a cocoon I’m hatching from, but a skin that I’m shedding.
I think maybe she is right.
A New Beginning
Last time I was shedding a skin, I started a podcast. This time, I’m starting a Substack. Maybe I will also go back to the podcast format….maybe I won’t. This new version of Kimber very much prioritizes what feels good to her nervous system and as of now, writing is the way that I’m willing to share my inner world with others. As my nervous system continues to regulate, maybe I will feel safe enough to share.
Good news! Since writing this post (I wrote it weeks ago and got nervous about publishing, but I’m over that hurdle, so I published it today), I DID record an episode for my podcast again and it felt SO good! You’ll probably be seeing more from me in that space as well. Anything new (or old) you’d like to see more of on the podcast? Leave me a comment!