CULTURES OF ART, POETRY & STORIES

I didn’t choose this cover because it looked the best. I chose it because it told the truth. I went through multiple directions, each one strong in its own way. Some were clean. Some leaned heavy into culture. Others pushed symbolism. But none of them held the full weight of what this issue represents. This one did. It stayed with me because it captures both sides of transformation. Not just what we become, but what it takes to get there. What you see is the butterfly, but I don’t stop there. I think about the cocoon. That quiet, unseen place where change happens without recognition. That cocoon can exist anywhere. In any field, any culture, any tree, any environment. It doesn’t matter where it forms. Growth is not limited by where it starts. What matters is what comes out of it. The butterfly carries that truth. It reflects evolution shaped by pressure, experience, and identity. The world around it matters too. The colors, the layers, the different cultural expressions. They are not j...