Connect: The 20s Cocoon – Navigating your 20s with patience and purpose

Is it just me, or does anyone else in their late 20s feel… kind of stuck sometimes?

Lately, that feeling has been hard to ignore. But instead of just sitting in it, I decided to do something about it. Drumroll…I have started an art journal! This means that instead of writing down my feelings, I am going to be painting them. 

For my first entry, I found myself drawn to blue butterflies. I’d been seeing them everywhere, and after a little reflection, it made sense. Butterflies symbolise transformation, something I think a lot of us in our 20s are quietly hoping for.

For a long time, I believed that if I worked hard and made the ‘right’ choices, I would eventually become this perfect, evolved version of myself: “the butterfly.”

And truthfully, I feel like I’ve done the work.

In my 20s, I’ve let go of habits that didn’t serve me, changed careers, walked away from unhealthy friendships, and shifted from chasing external validation to building a more purpose-driven life.

But if I’m being honest, it still feels like I’ve spent most of this decade in “the cocoon.”

In-between.
Unseen.
Still becoming.

There are days when I feel like I might be stuck in the cocoon, and impatience creeps in. I find myself wondering when my life will “click” and when I’ll finally feel like I’ve arrived.

But while painting this butterfly, something shifted.

I realized how much of my energy has been focused on the final, ideal version of myself, “the butterfly”, and in doing that, I’ve been overlooking the importance of "the cocoon."

Because the cocoon isn’t just a waiting room.
It’s where the transformation actually happens.

It’s where I’ve met myself.
Where I’ve learned, unlearned, and grown.
Where I’ve quietly become more purposeful, resilient, and self-aware.

Maybe this phase isn’t something to rush through or escape from, maybe it’s something to honour.

Because it’s everything I’m learning here, inside the cocoon, that one day will make the flight possible.

 

See the full video on TikTok @checkmatesstudio