Envision:In Vision

When you think back on being a kid or teen, who do you think of? Is that version of your self anything like you are now?

We change throughout our lives but in our youth change seems to be around every corner. There’s novelty each day that keeps our attention. As we get older and manage ourselves within our larger systems it can be easy to overlook novelty. But if we stay aware, there’s more changing around and in us than we realize.

Last night i went to Libélula Books & Co., a queer, Latiné owned bookstore in the Barrio Logan area of San Diego. i’ve attended many events here over the years (including a reading from my friend heidi andrea restrepo rhodes) but never a workshop. i felt called to the space yesterday because of a Zine Making event inspired by “Queer Meditations for Dark Times” by Rosśa Crean. Crean is a queer therapist and magic practitioner who combines therapy modalities with spiritual learnings. i discovered their work for myself this January and adopted several insights and self-care techniques thanks to it; from writing daily “i love” affirmations about myself to learning about Internal Family Systems, “Queer Meditations” is a treasure trove of tips for anyone looking to self-develop. i couldn’t resist a workshop that used it as a framework.

The zine i’m sharing today is a reflection of younger versions of my self that saw the joy novelty brings easily and the truths that rise from experiencing life unfiltered. There are two voices: in crayon is my child self Danny, 6 years old, and in pen my teen self Colette, age 16. They share their perspectives on life and what they understand about who they are.

i hope this can inspire you to see how much you’ve grown and changed while honoring who you are and, maybe, who you’ve always been.