Caterpillar to Butterfly

Caterpillar, a photo by cicerocat on Flickr.

For several years now, we have raised butterflies as a hobby.  They start out as little yellow eggs, hatch into little black caterpillars, mature into green gremlins, and end up wrapped in green or brown chrysalises.  A few weeks later, they are something else altogether--a beautiful black butterfly.  Then the process begins again. 

Sometimes I think creative arts people go through a similar metamorphosis, perhaps several times over.  I think I am going through one now.  What I knew as writer's block, gently called writer's ennui to take out the sting, may be the creeping stages in my life cycle as a writer.  I feel I am close to something . . . else, but my past is still holding me back.  

You see, I have all these goals, most of which ended up in failure.  Most likely because what I was passionate about, my true goals, were changing.  That is why I need to let go of my past goals, and keep only the essence.  Meaning, I keep only what keeps me writing and striving toward publishing.  Meaning, I may have to change how I write, what I write, and how I seek publishing.  Meaning, like a caterpillar, I have some molting to do in order to grow into my new skin, my new goals, my new future.  But at least now, I know its waiting for me as long as I do my work.

butterfly2, a photo by cicerocat on Flickr.

(This blog post took 43 minutes to create, from conception to posting.)