1 Nancy W

My cocoon contains nasturtium seeds. They represent growth and transformation to me. Fifty years ago this month I graduated from a baccalaureate nursing program. From that day on I was offered the most fertile grounds for growth possible. From my clinical and leadership experiences and mentorship. I gre in more ways than I could have imagined through clicnial knowledge, and growth friendship and love. Along the way the seeds of growth allowed me to be open in a growing season and to find time to recharge when it was not. I've met patients and colleagues who have inspired me and left an indelible mark on my heart.The parne tplant that created these seeds came from previous generations of a plant one of my home health patients had given to me. I've kept this line going since sometime in the 1980s and it provides beautiful flowers every years. Hopefully, I have inspired others along the way to journey with me.

2 Teri Terasaki

Returning to a beginner mindset, retired, renewed in a commitment to art, "I found a picture of you and it highjacked my world at night."* The you in the picture was me at age 21 in the moment that I took chancesa nd pursued my love of art at ASU. As 21, I also made mistakes that shadowed my mind. I'm cocooning my 21 year old self, forgicing her, loving her, and allowing the light to illuminate all the years of me.* Quote from The Pretenders song "Chain Gang"

3 Donna Forst

A beautiful memory of a friendship that developed through the love of the outdoors, a friendship that developed through time, but due to life's ups and downs, no longer was suitable.

4 Anonymous

My cocoon transforms a couple of the pieces of jewelry I somehow became guardian of from my mother's side of the family. None of the pieces were valuable (except sentimental value) and we didn't have much history for the pieces. Since I would never wear most of them, I've been wrapping them into Cocoons to transform them into something with lasting value as a piece of art.

5 Li Rothrock

I collect rocks everytime I visit a beach, hike, or visit a new place. My partner and I drove up the California coast a few summers ago and I picked up this rock on that journey. I'm about to leave the country, and that means leaving behind a lot of things–physical things, like my rock collection, and also my friends, my cat, my car ... I don't know the future for my partner and I. But I want to cherish and protect all the memories we've made together.

6 Anonymous

One half of a "best friend" charm. The charm is from 1984, and the other half belonged to my best friend at the time, Kathy. We wore our halves on necklaces. We were 16.I'm letting it go now, because it has served its purpose—symboling friendship and the way we label each other in childhood and onward. No longer need to so that. Friendship flows. Evolving with the ages.

7 Anonymous

There was a time when my sisters and I didn't have a lot of toys but we had marbles. This is a memory of hours spent imagining herds of horses and dreaming of more.

8 Heidi Bambauer

Inside this cocoon are German phrases my mother still speaks—familiar words that carry the rhythms of her childhood, our family's history, and a part of her identity that remains even as Alzheimer's changes so much else. Each phrase I write down feels like an act of preservation, a way of holding onto memories that might otherwise disappear with time. I worry that if I don't capture these words now, they may be lost to future generations, taking with them pieces of our family's voice and story. As I wrapped these phrases in yarn and embroidery, each stitch became a promise to protect not only a language, but the memory and connection it carries. This cocoon holds the quiet labor of remembering for someone whose memories are slowly fading, transforming words into something that can be held and passed on.

9 Heather Kirschner

Heartstone:I am an identical twin and our lives have been intertwined and connected for all of our existence. My sister collects heart=shaped rocks and donated one to me for this project. It is labelled with our names, DOB, and this small sentiment: Without you, I am not me. Brief and succint, the message fits physically, emotionally and spiritually.

10 Anonymous

Inside is a sample of Rodin Olio facial oil. Linda Rodin inspired me to let my hair go gray. She is fiercely independent and a free spirit.

11 Russell Hunchar

My object was an old wind up key for a toy. It was given to me as part of an art project as "everyone had their own key to unlock their potential." I have carried it with me for almost a decase as a motivator. However, it was given to me during a period of life where I was not doing well and my drinking was out of control. At this point in my life, I am six years sober and finding success in my career, so it feels good letting it go.

12 Anonymous

Story withheld by maker

13 Nancy W

The seashell represents resilience to me. In 2020 I had to be resilient as I healed from surgery with three organ transplants. There were so many up and downs in the following year that I needed to find my resiliences while I healed and became whole again. The seashell is tumbled about in the ocean ... back and forth. and that represents my recovery.