THE METAMORPHOSIS IN MAY

nessart16
May 7
4 min read

Welcome to The Metamorphosis in May, the fifth blog post in my 2025 Calendar Blog Series. Over the rest of this year, I’ll be taking you behind the scenes of each month’s illustration, sharing stories, memories, and reflections that continue to shape my creative journey.

For 2025, I created a collection that bridges my childhood art with my current skill level - I’ve revisited some of my old oil pastel drawings and watercolour paintings, recreated them digitally, and added reflective thoughts, messages, and affirmations that connect what they meant to me then with what they mean to me now. Each month is crafted with care, representing both the season and a personal story.

And a quick plug: my 2025 calendar collection is available at a lovely discounted price till I run out! From tabletop and wall calendars to mini calendars, calendar cards, wallpapers, and bookmarks, there’s something for everyone in my shop.

MAY PHONE WALLPAPER CALENDAR

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GROWING IN 2025 WALL CALENDAR

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GROWING IN 2025 TABLETOP CALENDAR

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We’ve all been there: that moment when we find ourselves stuck in the trap of “I need to be there.” I’ve fallen into this mindset more times than I’d like to admit, and it’s something I’m sure many of us can relate to.

As a child, I distinctly remember one of my English textbooks featuring a poem about metamorphosis. Although I can't recall if the word itself was part of the poem, I vividly remember adopting the term "morphometasis" into my mental vocabulary. It became something my inner voice was deeply familiar with, a word that made perfect sense in my world. To me, metamorphosis was the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, so naturally, morphometasis must mean the butterfly reversing the process, turning back into a caterpillar.

That image stuck with me, clear as day. Whenever I felt down, or like I was falling behind, or simply "off," I would picture myself as a butterfly and say to myself, "I’m going through morphometasis." It became my way of expressing the opposite of transformation - the feeling of moving backward, or of being stuck in place while everyone else seemed to be moving forward.

I was a little girl in a new city, learning to English, struggling to make lasting friendships, surrounded by little peers who seemed so confident in themselves, even at that age. I can still hear the quiet thoughts that passed through my mind back then - “They’re metamorphing, but I’m morphometa-ting."

And now, as an adult, I still catch myself in those thoughts. It’s so easy to look around and see others seemingly transforming, stepping into their next phase with confidence while I feel stuck in the cocoon. It’s tempting to ask, “Why am I not moving ahead? Why aren’t I changing? Where are my wings?”

But here’s the truth: metamorphosis -true, meaningful change - takes time. It’s a process, not an overnight event. Just like a caterpillar entering its cocoon, the journey of transformation is a messy one. The caterpillar literally breaks down into an enzyme soup (the flash reference, anyone?) before it can emerge as a butterfly. It needs the right conditions to undergo this transformation, and so do we.

It’s easy to forget this, especially when we feel like we’re falling behind or not moving fast enough. But the reality is, our time to take flight will come, and it will come at the right time. And until then, instead of rushing the process or wishing it would hurry up, we can focus on preparing ourselves. Like the caterpillar chomping on leaves, we can work on building our lives and our strength, so we’re ready when the time comes for us to spread our wings.

For the original illustration of May, I drew inspiration from a past piece I made during one of my classes. It was an oil pastel painting where I had just learned the technique of blending. At that time, I was obsessed with gradients and used them everywhere. Bright, vibrant colors filled my work, and I was thrilled to finally step into the world of semi-professional oil pastels - such a huge milestone for me.

For this calendar illustration, I wanted to capture that same essence and energy but put my own spin on it. I recreated the bright colors and the beautiful blue background, but this time, I had a bit more practice with drawing butterflies :)

The story behind May’s illustration is incredibly personal to me. It reflects a message I have to remind myself of every day: change takes time, and growth is a journey, writing this blog is another way im doing that. Though I’m not always great at remembering this, I’m getting better. And my hope is that this message resonates with you too.

For me, art is so much more than just creating beautiful visuals. It’s about sharing pieces of my heart and my journey, hoping that it will bring someone else a little comfort or inspiration. A lot of my work is a way for me to say, “I'm okay, and you’re okay.” It’s a little reminder that we’re all in this together, and it’s okay to move at our own pace.

So, if you’re feeling a little stuck today, know this: Your metamorphosis is happening. It may take time, but when you’re ready, you’ll spread your wings and take flight. In the meantime, keep building. Keep growing. Your time will come, and when it does, you’ll be more than ready.