Identity Exploration: Finding Your Gender, Finding Yourself
[Photo Credit: Agustin Farias]
Somewhere between the red dress that made me feel electric and the craving for something more masc, more me, I realized: this isn’t just about clothes. It’s about becoming. Every outfit is a chance to get closer to who I am—not the version others expect, but the one I’m uncovering piece by piece.
Gender, like fashion, isn’t a fixed answer. It’s a feeling. A dance between expression and identity. Sometimes it’s a wedding dress. Sometimes it’s a leather jacket. Sometimes it’s something you haven’t tried yet but know will feel like home.
And that moment—when how you look finally matches how you feel on the inside? That’s gender euphoria.
This journey of identity exploration is about more than aesthetics. It’s a quiet revolution. A reclaiming. A reminder that you don’t owe anyone a label, just your truth. So try things on. Break the rules. Make new ones. And when you find something that feels like you—wear it like a flag.
Because your freedom might just give someone else permission to begin.
Joy as Resistance: Why We Need Joy in Burnout Recovery
[Photo credit: Chris Abatzis]
In the midst of burnout, it can feel like joy is the first thing to go—and the last thing we think we deserve. But joy isn’t a reward for healing; it’s part of the healing itself. In a world that constantly demands more, choosing joy becomes a radical act. It’s a way of saying, I am more than what I produce. I deserve to feel alive, even when the world is on fire.
This piece explores how joy not only sustains us in our burnout recovery, but actively resists the systems that benefit from our exhaustion. Whether it’s dancing in your kitchen, laughing with a friend, or finding softness in silence—joy is proof that hope is still here. And that’s worth holding onto.