MOLLY: Okay, hello everyone. I wanted to pop in for a brief moment here as you kind of hit this transitional point in the first season of Any Other Anythings? And in many ways, this is a reboot. So we started to record this Summer 2019 and then like life happened, and then happened again, and then there’s a pandemic, and life has continued to happen. So, it’s, it’s been a lot happening in between the first several episodes to the last two thirds of the episodes. So, I wanted to name that. And know that the... most of the episodes in this podcast have been recorded via online in the midst of the chaos that is 2020. And I’ve decided to leave a pretty clear distinction between the intense recording periods that we had summer 2019, and then kinda late summer 2020; and I’m going to continue with keeping most episodes almost entirely unedited, which is partially for my own sanity and sustainability as a human the right now to be completely honest; and also because I believe, I've been noticing this especially in the education world since the pandemic hit, there’s this belief that with technology being used right now we have to be presenting this complete like perfectionism. And there's a whole lot of pressure around editing out every single incomplete thought, or every um, or every pause, and I’d just like to push back against that norm. Allow it to be about the content, and can we start seeing the content for what it is instead of always focusing on these little moments that we have in normal human interaction on a regular basis?
So if you find that that irks you a little bit, unpack it. I've had to do some of my own work around this, especially the summer. Knowing that that perfectionism can be a stress or a trauma response. And being okay with episodes going out, and like pause, or maybe I say something kind of weird, or maybe there’s some questions and self-doubt around it, and knowing that it's not going to be perfect, nothing’s perfect. So, know that I'm keeping that in there. So you get us as humans, as creators, as educators in the middle of a pandemic with technology doing funky things, with pandemic fatigue, and all the nuances that make us who we are. So prepare yourself for that I guess? Brace yourself for that.
In this season, it's a lot of interviews with Grey Box Collective peeps. I think we have nine one-on-one interviews total. And it was just really lovely to sit down, and have a conversation one-on-one. Like set aside this time to just talk about what we do; and every single one of those interviews, and I think I talked about it most of the interviews as well, just, I learn something new, I'm inspired, and it's been this reminder of why to keep going, right? As, as the pandemic has definitely put strains on life and 2020’s just been absolutely wild. It’s this beautiful reminder of what Grey Box Collective is, and what it means to me as well as others. And so I hope that you enjoy those interviews, and that you also find something inspiring in each of them, and some wisdom. There's definitely some really good wisdom in there. Some that I picked up along that way from everyone I talk with.
Other things to know about the episodes moving forward, every single episode includes some moments of grounding down. I now call it resourcing. So I’ve rebrand a little bit since they've been recorded, but know that these moments of grounding down or of resourcing are moments where, are tools and practices where, the hope is that through whatever that practice is that everyone shares, that you can find a way to, yourself feel a little more grounded, a little more present, or maybe feel a little more centered in yourself. Also, in this first season, or second half of the first season, or whatever you want to refer to it as, they're also a bunch of panel discussions on topics that I feel are quite timely around trauma-informed creative practices in the classroom and rehearsals; what does care and creativity look like right now? And I’ll also pop in a little bit with more information about trauma-informed creative practices which has definitely been a lens that has helped me through this wild year. And so I'll share some of the nuggets that I’ve picked up along the way.
Yeah, I think that’s everything that you kinda need to know with moving forward in the rest of this season. I really hope, and I wish that the episodes ahead of us serve you, that they inspire you, and provide some insights or tools, and practices that can really help you through this wild time in our lives. I feel that a lot of arts organizations are figuring stuff out in lots of new ways and in many ways, for Grey Box Collective, what we've done all along, it's like we knew this was coming. I feel that Grey Box Collective, and the way we approach our work, and the way we are organized, like structurally as an organization, has really made it possible to pivot, or to leap ahead, or to just rise to the occasion that is presented, that has been presented to us this year. So I hope that you find some of that as well, okay? All right, all. So, take care of yourself, and I hope you enjoy what's in store with the rest of the season, this first season of Any Other Anythings?