My story: Anteatypes
Jun. 21st, 2024 12:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nimdreamsI have seen more people talk about their fluidity in alterhumanity lately. How some of us have had 'types that we do not longer identify as, but unlike how the community in the past has pushed that you are your 'type from birth and for forever, we are embracing that an identity just isn't us anymore. We are saying; no I wasn't wrong about this, it didn't turn out to be something different than I thought I was -- I just don't identify this way anymore, where I once did.
For this reason, I tried to coin the term anteatype, with help of a friend and a tumblr poll to ask the community what kind of term they liked. The meaning of the word anteatype, I described as follows; "A type that used to be very important to you, or that you identified as for a long time, but no longer identify as."
I have since been using this label for my own elven identity, but not without analyzing this identity from time to time. The connection to this old identity of mine is still so strong sometimes, that I question if I am not an elf still. I do wonder if it is true that if I was once an elf, so fully and as such an important part of my self identity, wouldn't I remain an elf always? I would self reflect and journal, even got another noema at one point, but the conclusion remains for me that I am not an elf anymore. I tried to be an elf, because when I identified as one from around age 9 to 20, I was closeted and not in the community. I was an elf all alone, in secret, hiding my true self from everybody. It felt like, this was my time to fully embrace being an elf, be open about it, heal my younger self. Write about being an elf, talk to other alterhumans and elves about being an elf, it felt like this was my time to shine. But I can't. What was there before, the identity of elf that was such a big and important secret part of me, just wasn't there anymore.
And I wondered why. I wondered how that could be, and within the community, I didn't really find answers. I didn't see anyone else talking about losing an identity, except for those who left the community, and some would say those hadn't been nonhuman to begin with. I did however find out I wasn't alone in my experience, friends and mutuals I talked to had past identities too, and now I see fluidity in 'types and identity being talked about more often. Maybe that is because it is a topic close to my heart and a big part of my own identity, so perhaps I focus on such topics to the point of noticing them more.
During my 6 years in the community, I have tried on many labels and 'types and have been very fluid. I felt like I had no choice but to start calling myself a shapeshifter at one point, simply because of my many forms. It was very difficult for me to accept, because I desperately wanted to be only one thing and that thing be static. I have found a great sense of community among other shapeshifters and polymorphs though. Still, my labels switch around multiple times a month, as I try to find the best ones for my experiences. I guess that is just how my brain works, I want it all neatly categorized and put into boxes. Coming up with the term anteatype helped me with that. I have been remembering other identities I had as a child, gaining fox spirit and phoenix spirit as two more anteatypes. I didn't consider having more anteatypes at first. As focused on being one thing as I was, I applied the same to my past. That I was only the one thing for a decade rather than experiencing more in that time, but I am starting to remember more and more of my childhood alterhumanity and it has helping me accept my alterhumanity now. I have had these fluid and multiple experiences my entire life, it is part of me, and instead of embracing being an elf, I can embrace that part of me.
That is all I can think of for now. Thank you for reading, and please do share your experiences with anteatypes or fluidity if you have them! Opening up about these topics, shows others they're not alone, and hopefully helps our community grow to more acceptance.
For this reason, I tried to coin the term anteatype, with help of a friend and a tumblr poll to ask the community what kind of term they liked. The meaning of the word anteatype, I described as follows; "A type that used to be very important to you, or that you identified as for a long time, but no longer identify as."
I have since been using this label for my own elven identity, but not without analyzing this identity from time to time. The connection to this old identity of mine is still so strong sometimes, that I question if I am not an elf still. I do wonder if it is true that if I was once an elf, so fully and as such an important part of my self identity, wouldn't I remain an elf always? I would self reflect and journal, even got another noema at one point, but the conclusion remains for me that I am not an elf anymore. I tried to be an elf, because when I identified as one from around age 9 to 20, I was closeted and not in the community. I was an elf all alone, in secret, hiding my true self from everybody. It felt like, this was my time to fully embrace being an elf, be open about it, heal my younger self. Write about being an elf, talk to other alterhumans and elves about being an elf, it felt like this was my time to shine. But I can't. What was there before, the identity of elf that was such a big and important secret part of me, just wasn't there anymore.
And I wondered why. I wondered how that could be, and within the community, I didn't really find answers. I didn't see anyone else talking about losing an identity, except for those who left the community, and some would say those hadn't been nonhuman to begin with. I did however find out I wasn't alone in my experience, friends and mutuals I talked to had past identities too, and now I see fluidity in 'types and identity being talked about more often. Maybe that is because it is a topic close to my heart and a big part of my own identity, so perhaps I focus on such topics to the point of noticing them more.
During my 6 years in the community, I have tried on many labels and 'types and have been very fluid. I felt like I had no choice but to start calling myself a shapeshifter at one point, simply because of my many forms. It was very difficult for me to accept, because I desperately wanted to be only one thing and that thing be static. I have found a great sense of community among other shapeshifters and polymorphs though. Still, my labels switch around multiple times a month, as I try to find the best ones for my experiences. I guess that is just how my brain works, I want it all neatly categorized and put into boxes. Coming up with the term anteatype helped me with that. I have been remembering other identities I had as a child, gaining fox spirit and phoenix spirit as two more anteatypes. I didn't consider having more anteatypes at first. As focused on being one thing as I was, I applied the same to my past. That I was only the one thing for a decade rather than experiencing more in that time, but I am starting to remember more and more of my childhood alterhumanity and it has helping me accept my alterhumanity now. I have had these fluid and multiple experiences my entire life, it is part of me, and instead of embracing being an elf, I can embrace that part of me.
That is all I can think of for now. Thank you for reading, and please do share your experiences with anteatypes or fluidity if you have them! Opening up about these topics, shows others they're not alone, and hopefully helps our community grow to more acceptance.
