We often think we’ve outgrown the boxes we were placed in, only to realize we’ve built new ones, sometimes tighter, sometimes harder to see. These boxes can look like outdated roles, limiting beliefs, or patterns we keep repeating. They can keep us from exploring parts of ourselves that are already there, waiting to be accessed, nurtured, and celebrated. This reflection isn’t just about stepping outside the box. It’s about looking inside the box too, seeing what we’ve forgotten, what we’ve buried, and what deserves to be reclaimed. It’s about realizing the box itself is a narrative, and like any story, it can be rewritten.

There’s something special about birthdays. They mark time, growth, and transformation—moments to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going. This year, I, Dina Palma, am celebrating not just my own birthday but also the fifth birthday of START Creative Arts Therapy. Five years ago, I took a leap—one that required me to rewrite the story I had been telling myself for far too long.

Many years ago my mentor said something that has resonated with me throughout my personal and professional life: “You cannot ask someone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself.”