How to Bloom Like the Brilliant Blossom That You Are
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Ashley Macha.
Model and Copy by: Ashley Macha
Creative Direction: Catie Menke
I mean, I’ll forever be 5’2,” and I learned very early on in childhood that no matter how many chunky sandal platforms I wore, I would never actually grow in height.
But, in every other definition of the word: yes, I’ve grown. And it’s been particularly apparent this last year+. I’ve clearly been able to see my resilience for growth, my feelings and desires to want to grow, and all of my actionable steps that supported that decision. I feel like myself again, but also something original. And I know I’m not done growing – because we never really are.
Through the process – which is very difficult – I taught myself a lot about the cycle of growth. I like comparing life and love to the outdoors, wilderness, nature. 1. Because I’m a pretty wild child in my own mind and I love the earth. But 2. Because there are so many metaphors and similarities to pull from. Dirt, wind, fire, air are all so energizing and vibrant, and so are we as humans, including our growth cycles.
This is such a lovely phase because there’s so much promise. It’s fresh, exciting, and energizing to think about all of the new, brilliant opportunities that are ahead. Planting requires space from other plants, depth for roots to grasp, and dirt to pack around tightly. An incubator of safety, trust, and warmth until you’re ready to rise. You can also look at this planting step as one where not everything has to be new, but that what you are holding dear to your heart – the reasons you want to plant and grow and change – can stay with you on that journey. Whether that’s for someone, for a job, or for a place, package those within your little seed. Just keep in mind that you should always remember to plant for yourself first.
“the moon cycles
night after night
complete and incomplete
and just as the moon
you can be happy when incomplete
and sad when complete
so embrace the cycles
full, waxing, waning
with acceptance and love”
Nourish yourself! Just as organisms growing in the dirt need water, sunlight, and maybe to be told a bedtime story, so do you. Fill your body with water and healthy foods; your mind with positive energy, affirmations, and rest; your heart with gratitude and appreciation. Go easy on yourself during this step, for it’s a fragile one. One that takes time to learn just the right routine, the right people to be your support, and the right supply of each.
Now, let those growing pains sink in. Maybe don’t even think about them at all – just be present. This might feel stagnant after all your nurturing, especially if you are eager to bloom and see your successes (like me!).But stay grounded. Have patience. Use this phase as a time when you can just enjoy the place you’re in, whether you’re happy and content or anxious and need to acknowledge your feelings, flaws, and fury, to both push yourself to grow. I’ve been acutely aware of both of these moments – of how uncomfortable they can feel, but also how calm they can feel. Just remember that where you feel uncomfortable is where the changes happen. Where you evolve. Where you outgrow past behaviors, habits, anxieties, sometimes people, and feel centered about your current path, decisions, and feelings. It’s also a very hard phase. Because it can be hard to bloom again when you’re missing the sun that helped flourish you before. There’s no rushing that experience or feeling, but it will happen.
This is probably the most adventurous and fun step within the cycle. Because who doesn’t want to bloom into a dazzling flower, fly away like a butterfly, or finally stretch those branches out to feel the wind. This is where your energy takes over. You sprout from the maturity you’ve gained and the lessons you’ve learned. You’ve earned those sprouts. The end all for this phase is to just smile and be grateful. And even if you bloom just a little – just a tiny little weed – well, even weeds are beautiful.
Once you’ve bloomed, it’s time to harvest, because once again, you never stop growing. And in this re-planting, re-seeding, re-adjusting, some of those vines, roots, leaves, petals – those special, rare connections in your life – will stay. Will grow stronger with you as you continue to grow stronger. You don’t always have to grow from ideas, situations, places, or people – just the ones that don’t serve or support your growth. And that is why this is my favorite step. There are new and old possibilities built within a fresh new seedling.
A few other points about growth is that there are no timelines. Maybe you go through these phases very slowly; maybe you go through them in one month. Every aspect in your life can have a different pace for growth.
Whatever your journey is with growth, improvement, change, remember this: Learn to grow where you are planted. Which is just a more earthly, poetic way to say: love yourself, wherever you are, whoever you are with, in whatever occupation you have. You can and should choose other people, but make sure you’re chosen too.
“the dirt my seeds were planted in
the amount of oxygen i received
my reservoir of water
the rays of sunshine beating down on my space
the neighbor sprouts budding their roots and leaves around me
surviving the storms that blew my leaves, tore my branches
but i still heal, love, grow
learn to feel and reach the sun
for you
for me”
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