The Metamorphosis of the Mind Challenge Winners

For this challenge, we asked you to share a moment of deep personal transformation. Not the polished, triumphant kind—but the messy, vulnerable kind. The kind that begins with unraveling and ends with something closer to clarity.

These pieces don’t just tell us what changed—they let us feel it. Through surreal metaphors, raw confessions, and moments of quiet reckoning, you mapped the terrain of the mind in motion. The result? A body of work that’s unfiltered, moving, and a reminder of how much strength lives inside the act of reflection.

🏆 $500 Grand Prize Winner: Dark Chocolate by Jeannette

Jeannette's winning piece about postpartum depression is raw and powerful. The way she threads imagery from her journal into the emotional arc gives the whole piece a vivid, lived-in texture. It’s deeply personal without ever feeling forced—and by the end, there’s a hard-won sense of peace that really stays with you.

🥈 $200 Second Place: 4 Million Steps Of Transformation And Healing by Imola Tóth

Imola Tóth's second-place entry reflects on escape and self-acceptance with quiet strength. The Camino metaphor grounds it beautifully, and the moment of sitting still on a warm stone feels like the heart of the story—simple, but full of weight.

🎖️ Runners-up: $15 Each

Now Is Not Always by Altum Veritas

Altum Veritas' captures the chaos of mental struggle through that spinning playground imagery, and the shift to stillness is really effective. The final line—“Now is not always”—lands with gentle power.

When the Cable Snaps by Alyssa Nicole

Alyssa Nicole's reflection on professional upheaval feels honest and unpolished in the best way. The elevator metaphor works, but it’s the car moment with Linkin Park that really brings it home.

The Kiss of a corpse and Graduating into Trauma by Cadma

Cadma's piece is heavy and unflinching, but it never tips into hopelessness. The way she turns pain into something solid and self-owned feels like the real transformation.

Becoming My Own Gravity by Xine Segalas

Xine Segalas' writes about grief and meditation in a way that feels grounded and real. The idea of becoming your own gravity is simple but sticks with you.

My Ketamine Journey by J. Otis Haas

This piece stands out for its honesty about depression and the strange clarity that comes with ketamine therapy. There’s a lot of vulnerability here, and it’s handled with care.

a kindle inspired breakdown by Chloe Rose Violet 🌹

Chloe Rose Violet's uses a broken Kindle as a surprisingly powerful symbol for loss. It’s a quiet piece, but the emotional undercurrent is strong and clear.

The buzzard and the squirrel by E. L. Stacy

E. L. Stacy's piece gets under your skin. The shift from being a “squirrel” to a “buzzard” is bold, and the underlying message about identity and strength really lands.

I am by kateresa

kateresa's writing has a strong rhythm to it that mirrors the emotional highs and lows she’s describing. There’s a real sense of grit here—like someone pushing through and figuring it out as they go.

Brittle by Emily McGuff

Emily McGuff's piece explores body image and reflection with a quiet honesty. The mirror imagery isn’t just a device—it feels earned and emotionally layered.

The Year I Grew Up by A. J. Schoenfeld

This reflection on family illness and growing up sneaks up on you. The milkshake moment is understated but really moving—a reminder of how small things hold a lot.

Motherhood by Jyoti DiClemente

Jyoti DiClemente's writing about motherhood and medical hardship is incredibly personal. It balances vulnerability and strength without tipping too far in either direction.

The Power of Rock Bottom by Chantal Christie Weiss

Chantal Christie Weiss' reflection dives into the depths of depression without trying to tie things up neatly. There’s a quiet strength in the way she shows what it means to slowly rebuild a sense of belief.

Teacher by Marie Wilson

Marie Wilson's piece feels nostalgic in the best way. Her description of a teacher’s quiet encouragement is simple and lovely—it captures a turning point without making a big deal of it.

Why It (Always) Counts by angela hepworth

angela hepworth's writing is painful but quietly brave. She explores confusion, blame, and the slow work of understanding trauma with an honesty that really sticks with you.

A Million Tiny Diamonds by Rachel Deeming

Rachel Deeming's piece captures the intensity of a youthful mistake with honesty and heart. The image of “a million tiny diamonds” is a standout, it says so much with just a few words, and the whole piece feels like a quiet reckoning with the past.

🏅 Honorable Mentions

As our challenges continue to grow, we are celebrating even more incredible writers with Honorable Mentions—a special spotlight for stories that stand out for their creativity, originality, or emotional impact. Writers who receive an Honorable Mention get a special badge that appears on their profile, showcasing their achievement and contributions to the Vocal community.

• On Fearlessness and Terror by TheSpinstress
• The Meat, the Bones, the Skin by Nicky Frankly
• Neon Blood Memory by Iris Obscura
• Diary of a miscarriage by Ian Vince
• I Didn't Write This For You To Read by Hannah Hess
• Homunculus by Gerard DiLeo
• It's March 25 by Aaron Calloway
• I Died in My Mind by Everyday Junglist
• The Moment I Froze Free by Cristal Beikd
• Was It A Breakdown Or A Breakthrough? by Denise E Lindquist

To explore more Challenges, please visit Vocal Challenges.