Things to Remember as we Grow

Maria Giergiel is the Lead Artist with Expecting Something in Lochgelly. In this blog she reflects on the last year and some things to remember as we continue to grow.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about growing up. Expecting Something in Lochgelly is now 1 year old, the babies are growing and changing constantly and some are very nearly two years old, some of the parents have moved on to other things too. It’s a total privilege to have seen the group grow from taster session, to those tentative first workshops and now, being a place where around 8 families come to play and relax and laugh each week.

We’ve written songs, played in dens, breakdanced, told stories, played games, made toys, sang together and shared all the ups and downs that come we’ve all changed and grown over the year. It still feels like we’ve only scratched the surface! There’s so much more to play with and try out and make.

As for me, over the part year, I’ve grown from 24 to 25; from trainee artist to lead artist and from graduate to freelancer. I’m thinking about all the lessons that I’ve learned over the past year, that I want to remember as we grow into the next phase of Expecting Something. Here’s a few of my thoughts:

THINGS TO REMEMBER:
– Have fun
– Ask questions
– Be interested and interesting
– Experiments are exciting
– Listening can be hard, but the hard work is worth it.
– It’s important to be present
– The art can be in the small moments.
– Give yourself the chance to take it all in.
– Give it time
– Be kind
– Babies like curtains. A lot.
– Parents like sandwiches and getting the glitter out
– Go with the flow
– Step out of your comfort zone. It’s a bit scary, but ultimately feels really good.