The short answer is that an Omnigirl is a girl who is in the process of finding wholeness.

I feel like the current cover of my Pinterest account describes it perfectly: “The girl who is becoming all that she is.”

It’s important to clarify that an Omnigirl is NOT perfect.

She doesn’t have things all figured out. She’s not good at everything. She’s not an “IT Girl.” She’s not an aesthetic or a trend. She’s not always her best self because she’s not perfect. But despite all of that, she is still aspirational because she is fearless in owning what makes her human. It’s not about trying to be someone or something else. It’s when a girl decides to become all of who she is in this season of her life.

An Omnigirl is deeply aware of her imperfections, but yet that doesn’t stop her from making the most of her strengths, learning and growing, and moving towards what feels the most authentic and healthy for not only her own well-being, but also for the well-being of others, regardless of external expectations.

She is not afraid to be in the process of becoming, even if it’s messy sometimes.

That’s my basic definition of what Omnigirl means as the writer of the novel, Omnigirl. But there are many more fascinating levels to this definition, especially when explored through the lens of the novel itself.

So this post is going to be a full on deep-dive into the meaning of Omnigirl by looking at its history and use in my novel. And my hope is that this exploration keeps the meaning of the word “Omnigirl” flexible instead of something etched into stone. At its core, Omnigirl is about finding freedom through becoming honest and multifaceted instead of becoming (or staying) flat, one-dimensional, and being mired in denial and even perfectionism.

As a heads-up, if you’re sensitive to spoilers, this post might spoil my novel some. Yet, I feel like knowing this background information could add richness to the reading experience, even if it does spoil the story. I think deeply understanding the meaning of the term “Omnigirl” is worth it. In many ways it’s beyond a static definition—it’s a living concept.

Why Does the Meaning of Omnigirl Even Matter?

It matters because we are experiencing a time where so many levels of life have been disrupted. And because of that, more than ever people are burned out and out of touch with what works for them. So many are asking questions like, “Who am I, really? What actually matters now?” and “Does the life I built still fit the person I’ve become?”

So I feel like the answer to the question “What does Omnigirl mean?” actually touches on the answers to these questions.

The definition of Omnigirl explores what it means to know who you really are and what it takes to do so.

So that’s why it matters.

History

When I was fourteen, I was trying to figure out the name of the all-girls private school that Lila, the main character of my novel, wanted to go to.

I don’t remember how the name “Omni” came across my radar. It could be because I loved reading manga, and I found the term “Omnibus” fascinating. Or I could have come across it through an ad. But regardless of how that first showed up for me, what I do remember was looking up the word “Omni” in my parent’s large, red Webster’s dictionary.

Omni is a prefix that simply means all or “everything”. Something about it felt just right for the name of a prestigious girl’s school where the students graduate after meeting the fullness of their potential. So I went with it.

A girl who goes to Omni High School for Girls is an Omnigirl.

Lila and The Role of Play in Being an Omnigirl

Lila Collins is the main character of Omnigirl. Her name came intuitively to my fourteen-years-old self. It just felt and sounded right.

But as an adult, I’ve learned that the first name “Lila”, and Lila’s character in general, reveals a lot of what it means to be an Omnigirl.

So Lila’s name is pronounced “Lee-la,” and she is that quirky but confident creative girl. She loves music, singing, dance, writing songs, taking art classes and playing the guitar. In the story, she’s often in art class working on paintings or in drama class. Much of her growth as a character comes from her experiences in drama class. Overall, Lila has a deeply creative and playful nature, often getting into trouble due to her witty comebacks.

At the beginning of the story she’s struggling to own her gifts at Bridgeman Public School, but when she gets accepted at Omni, she finally steps into the fullness of her creativity, despite the obstacles.

Bridgeman is her “bridge” to getting accepted at Omni where she can finally start becoming who she truly is.

Taking a much wider view, Lila (or Līlā) is a Hindu term that means “Divine Play” or “Cosmic Play.”

This concept contains so much that it’s absolutely impossible for me to go into all of it here. Also to be honest, I’m still learning about the meaning of Līlā, and I think it’s the kind of concept where its meaning unfolds more the longer you live.

On one hand it’s about the playful nature of the universe we live in—the playfulness we see in nature and in children and how that is an intricate part of existence. There is a reason why this story came to me when I was fourteen. I was writing to remind myself of what it means to be playful as I started entering the “serious” world of being an adult.

The concept of Lila has a Shakespearean side as well:

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players…”

So that leaves the question, “Who am I in this play of life? What role am I inhabiting? What is my impact on the story?”

Reflecting on this, I can’t help pointing out that children don’t really worry about their role. A child’s focus is on engaging with life: the curiosity, the exploration, and the learning about what is around them.

I’m definitely not saying that asking what role one plays in life doesn’t matter—it definitely does. But using play to discover that role is much easier and more fun (and fulfilling!) than forcefully trying to figure it out. When you focus on the play of life instead of agonizing over what your role is, one day, your role will come to you. It just…arrives.

So at the start of the story Lila has no clue where she belongs or what her role is. But as she goes to Omni High School, exercises her gifts through play, and builds relationships with others through those gifts, she is naturally invited into the roles that are perfect for her.

An Omnigirl uses play to discover and improve her natural gifts. She finds those gifts through staying open and curious to what she finds fascinating. And from playing and experimenting with those gifts, she builds connections and naturally comes into her place. Play is the key to letting go of rigid external expectations and uncovering the true self that’s hidden underneath it all.

But before Lila discovered the Omnigirls of Omni High School, she had a longing. It was for the ring with the Blue Pearl.

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Lila, The Blue Pearl, and the Oath

The mental image that inspired me to create the rough draft of Omnigirl from the start was the one of Lila discovering the blue pearl for the first time. It was a scene that was burned into my teenage mind.

“I looked at her again and smiled timidly. She shyly smiled back and reached out her hand for me to pull her up. On one of her fingers was a beautiful ring with a bluish pearl-like stone in the center.” - Omnigirl Chapter One

And then later…

“The next day before classes started, I walked around with Julie like I usually do.

“Wow, they actually gave you the ring?”

“Yeah,” I said proudly.

“Let me get a better look at it.”

I flashed the ring with the blue sparkly stone in front of her face.

“Wow,” she said again, but with more of a sigh. “Some girls get all the breaks.” - Omnigirl Chapter Six

And even later…

Cheryl got up in my face, and we stood as eye to eye as we could get. Then in one quick motion she grabbed my hand and pulled the ring off. I didn’t flinch. I stood there with the intention of killing her with the look in my eyes. Her hand closed over the ring, hiding its relentless sparkles. - Omnigirl Chapter 12

So in the fictional world of Omnigirl, the ring with the blue pearl stone is a big deal. All of the girls at Omni High School are focused on learning how to be all that they are, but what is held as the pinnacle of being a student at Omni High is being inducted into an elite group of girls called “The Five.” The girls of The Five wear rings bearing the blue pearl.

However this blue pearl is much more than a fashion statement. This ring signals belonging—as being a part of something special and bigger than oneself. When an Omnigirl receives the ring with the blue pearl, she is no longer focused on her own play. She becomes aware of how the way she moves through life interconnects with others.

An Omnigirl only receives the blue pearl when she steps into her gifts at such a level that they start working for the benefit of the whole—the whole being the world of Omni High School and even the world outside of it. And receiving the blue pearl comes with an oath. It’s easier if I just share it from the novel:

“This ring shows that you are now part of our group,” said Cheryl, holding out the case. “But you must do one thing before I give it to you.”

My heart stopped. I knew there was some sort of catch.

“Raise your hand and repeat after me. I, Lila Collins…”

“I, Lila Collins…”

“Promise to uphold the rules of this school…”

“Promise to uphold the rules…”

“And use my creativity and talent…”

“And use my creativity…”

“To help others.”

“To help others.”

…I was in. At that moment, I realized that I wasn’t only here to be different. There’s more.

Now I’m no longer Lila Collins, the weird new girl. I’m Lila Collins, a student at Omni High and one of The Five. I am now a true Omnigirl.

Unknown to my fourteen-years-old self, I was actually tapping into some seriously deep symbolism here. It is literally impossible to ignore the parallels between the ring with the blue pearl in Omnigirl and the concept of the Blue Pearl/Bindu or Nīleśvarī in Yoga. Obviously, I didn’t have this in mind while creating Omnigirl, but pointing out the parallels in meaning is key to understanding what being an Omnigirl means.

In Yoga, when the blue pearl appears during meditation it is seen as getting a glimpse into the innermost self and experiencing the core of one’s true nature. The blue pearl is also often described as “sparkling,” and it’s the sparkles that catches Lila’s attention. This highlights that the “gifts” aren’t just about raw skill or knowledge. The Omnigirls who are part of The Five are deeply in touch with their true nature. Their true nature guides what they do, the way they work, and how they create. That’s why they wear it as a ring on their hand.

In this story the blue pearls worn by The Five come out of the ocean of consciousness—from an underwater city named Avila. And it just so happens that it’s the job of the members of The Five to protect Avila, which I like to refer to as “The Inner City of the Self”. Avila is described as being a city housed under blue glass domes, which makes it a kind of blue pearl as well, but that’s a topic for a whole other blog post.

So all of this is to say that being an Omnigirl means not only promising to be true to yourself, but allowing the gifts of your authentic self to ripple out into the world around you, not only to do good towards others but also to protect the harmony of the inner self. It’s not just about learning who you are through play or Līlā, but also putting that knowledge to work through your hands—from your actions and creativity. The ring with the blue pearl is symbolism for authentic action.

Being an Omnigirl means owning the sparkling beauty of one’s true nature and letting that inspire others in a way that helps, uplifts, and protects. Even the imperfections of one’s humanity can inspire others.

The Wholeness of The Five

At the start of this essay, I said an Omnigirl is a girl who is in the process of finding wholeness, and that’s true. However, the “wholeness” of the Omnigirl is not the kind of wholeness we normally think of.

When people typically come across the term “whole” they visualize that in a way that is homogeneous. Like a whole apple versus a slice of an apple. Or a whole cake versus a piece of cake. This is not the kind of wholeness I’m talking about.

When an Omnigirl is finding “wholeness,” it’s about discovering how multiplicity can come together to work as one harmonious thing. Like a car is made up of many different parts that do different things individually, but when they come together they create a whole, working car. The physical human body has a similar thing going on.

When Lila qualifies to become part of The Five, she enters another level of wholeness. She is going beyond focusing on her own talents and steps into not only seeing how her gifts add to those of the group, but she also starts taking in the gifts of others as her own.

Simply, she sees herself in the other.

Even before Lila officially becomes a member of The Five, she is already learning from the girls that are part of the group. As she learns skills from them and makes those skills uniquely her own, her reputation in school skyrockets. Another thing I want to point out is that before Lila is inducted, these girls call themselves “The Four.” They don’t become The Five until Lila joins, and five people is the full number of the group. They aren’t whole until Lila becomes a part of them.

Calling this group of girls “The Five” also holds another layer of meaning because the number five is often used to convey a kind of wholeness. Each hand has five fingers, and we have five main senses. One of my favorite ways of exploring this is through The Five Elements of Chinese medicine (Wu Xing).

The five elements in Wu Xing are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. My favorite thing about this system is that each element isn’t a static and stationary thing. The Five Elements work together as a cycle, and each one can either feed or diminish the other. This reflects the inner workings of “The Five” very well. Each girl has a gift that stands out as unique to her, and each gift can be used to build up the group or tear it down.

And eventually, the group does break down. Lila is kicked out, and Cheryl, the leader of the group, stops caring about the interests of the others and abandons them. But things come back into balance when Lila is brought back in as the new leader of The Five and she picks a new member. The Five has a dynamic cycle of destruction and rebalance.

So all of this is to say that “wholeness” isn’t something someone achieves. Wholeness is actually the process of keeping the different parts of one’s inner self working together in dynamic harmony. Someone can go for a while where everything inside of them is humming along fine, but then circumstances change, and the parts that can’t flow along with that change either need to be removed or replaced with something new.

An Omnigirl is aware of how the many different aspects within herself can become one by working together. And she knows that despite being one person, she can still contain lessons and skills gained from many. She can contain many.

The Omnigirl contains an universe, but the universe also contains her.

Lila and Omniscience

When looking at the prefix, “omni” it’s very easy to think of the word omniscience. Especially when it comes to my novel, which is about going to school and gaining knowledge, it seems like omniscience is a thing that an Omnigirl is striving for. And when I look at this story, in a way omniscience is the goal, but just like how this story approaches the concept of wholeness from a different angle, the same goes for omniscience.

So in general omniscience means “all knowing.” And as I covered at the start, an Omnigirl isn’t perfect and doesn’t know all the facts and all the knowledge. But as an Omnigirl steps into wholeness she does become all seeing and knowing in a unique way.

What an Omnigirl sees is connections. She sees all of the connections. She sees all of the connections outside of herself, and she sees all of the connections within. And she sees how they’re not that different from each other.

Lately my husband and I have been listening to an audiobook of Paper Towns by John Green, and much of the story centers around the main character completely misunderstanding the poem, Song of Myself, by Walt Whitman. In the story, the main character mistakenly thinks this is a poem about death. But in reality, this poem is a celebration of life. I highly recommend reading it. And this poem is literally the kind of omniscience that I’m talking about in reference to the meaning of Omnigirl.

Simply, it’s about understanding how each thing we interact with in the outside world becomes a part of us, and conversely how when we interact with things we also become a part of them. We’re not so separate from life as we think we are. The outer world of life is a part of us, even in the little things, and we become a part of things we touch. And maintaining a playful and curious outlook—seeing life through the lens of Līlā—makes it easier for those connections to reveal themselves to us, even through hardship.

There is a unique kind of joy that comes from engaging with life in a way that is in harmony with completely understanding how we are a part of that dance. It’s being deeply aware of how life touches us and our life touches others. I think this is why, despite all of the hardships and struggles presented in Omnigirl, it still carries the frequency of joy. Not the emotion of joy, but the frequency of it. That’s what play is.

Being a Woman and Owning the Omnigirl Within

As an adult woman, I have no desire to be infantilized, and I can’t stand when people treat me in a way that undervalues my maturity. But at the same time, I don’t get offended when someone calls me a “girl.” I call my friends “the girls,” and when my husband gets with his friends sometimes I call them, “the boys.” I think this acknowledges something about human nature. No matter how old we get, there is always a part of us that is still a child. Always.

Unfortunately when people grow up without having much of a childhood or are forced into taking things too seriously for too long, they often lose contact with who they really are and what fits them best.

As girls grow into women, they often still have a little girl or even a teenage girl inside. Usually that girl is hurt, abandoned, burdened with shame, and just needs a little love. Sometimes the girl within needs room to play, discover her gifts, find what fits her, and just simply see how the dance of life is an intricate part of her being, and how by playing, she’s wholeheartedly participating. When a woman takes time to nurture her inner child, the gifts of that effort are passed down to her children, be they biological children or simply young people she decides to bring under her wing.

So I think it’s important for mature adult women to nurture the Omnigirl within—the girl who is learning how to play, how to let her gifts overflow and spill into the world outside of her, and who is learning to be and love all that she truly is.

In Summary, an Omnigirl…

• Is a girl who is in the process of finding wholeness.
• Is deeply aware of her imperfections, but yet that doesn’t stop her from making the most of her strengths, learning and growing, and moving towards what feels the most authentic and healthy for not only her own well-being, but also for the well-being of others, regardless of external expectations.
• Owns the sparkling beauty of her true nature and lets that inspire others in a way that helps, uplifts, and protects.
• Is not afraid to be in the process of becoming, even if it’s messy sometimes.
• Knows that she is multifaceted in nature and that all comes together as one within her. But she also knows that her inner harmony—her “one-ness”—is made up of many things, not just one thing.
• Understands that play means creating from the frequency of joy.
• Allows the gifts of her authentic self to ripple out into the world around her, not only to do good towards others but also to protect the harmony of the inner self.
• Attends the Omni High School for Girls. (But honestly, any woman who starts this kind of inner journey is a student of Omni High ✨)