Giddy Garden

Giddy Garden 💕 Performance events
🌈 Transformative workshops
🍃Entertainment therapy

Giddy Garden is run collaboratively by Erica McGinniskin (Costume Creator, Performer and Immersive experience and event developer) and Nathan Power (Lighting and Sound artist, DJ, event and festival extraordinaire and IT developer)

For most of my life, I was terrified of opening up.I was so afraid of the flood of emotions that I thought they would dr...
03/09/2025

For most of my life, I was terrified of opening up.
I was so afraid of the flood of emotions that I thought they would drown me if I let them out.
So I played it safe. I pushed it all down. I became a chameleon, blending into my surroundings, moulding myself into what I thought others wanted me to be. I wasn’t really living, I was just surviving, stuck in a numb state.

I didn’t know myself because I wasn’t feeling my body. I was following logic and other people’s expectations, seeking external validation but never my own truth. I was trapped behind a mask of control, people-pleasing and perfectionism, trying to keep it all together. But the emotions I was trying to escape still found ways to erupt, through anxiety, through bursts of rage that I couldn’t contain anymore. I was a pressure cooker, waiting to blow.

The thing I was really blocking by not feeling was growth.
The real me... raw, unfiltered, unpolished... was desperate to be seen. To be loved as I was, not as I thought I needed to be.
At some point, I couldn’t stay closed anymore. I cracked open. It was messy, ugly, and honestly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I wouldn’t change it.

Growth doesn’t happen in straight lines. It spirals through dark, shadowy pits and then lifts you into skies so expansive you can hardly believe you made it there. Allowing myself to be imperfect gave me more freedom than trying to control ever did. I realised that by numbing myself to pain, I was also numbing myself to joy. When I surrendered to the fullness of my emotions, I found safety and I found myself.

Now, I’m not as scared of being seen. I’m not as consumed by anxiety or driven by the need to be perfect. I can be messy and beautiful and real, without worrying so much about what people think. I feel safe and free in my own skin. I’ve let go of the masks and the layers that were never mine to hold.

I’d choose this honest, unfiltered version of me over perfection any day.

That’s why OUTSPOKEN has become so special to Giddy Garden, me and to the other brave humans who have stepped onto that stage. It’s a space where we can crack open, speak our truths, and be seen exactly as we are... unfiltered, messy, and real. It’s a place where stories that are often hidden find a voice, and that vulnerability is met with acceptance. It truly is a magical container that we’re proud to have created.

The next OUTSPOKEN is happening at Wesley Anne on Tuesday 21st of October. đŸŒ±âœš See event link in bio.

đŸŒ± Day 7: Give a Genuine ComplimentTell someone something kind that you’ve been thinking but never said. Do this as many ...
01/09/2025

đŸŒ± Day 7: Give a Genuine Compliment

Tell someone something kind that you’ve been thinking but never said. Do this as many times as you like throughout the day. Watch how it brightens their day and brings a sparkle of joy to yours.

🌈 We invite you to then share your compliment in the comments and to continue creating play into each day.

đŸŒ± Day 6: Narrate what you are doing in Song for 5 Minutes (or whatever time feels good for you)Make your everyday tasks ...
31/08/2025

đŸŒ± Day 6: Narrate what you are doing in Song for 5 Minutes (or whatever time feels good for you)

Make your everyday tasks a musical!

🌈 We invite you to then share your playful musical moment with us by tagging and using .

Photo credit: _vaschakraphotography_

đŸŒ± Day 5: Do a Silly Walk for 30 Seconds (or longer if it feels good and you get pleasure from it)Make up your own ridicu...
30/08/2025

đŸŒ± Day 5: Do a Silly Walk for 30 Seconds (or longer if it feels good and you get pleasure from it)

Make up your own ridiculous walk, moving in a way you maybe never have before. This could be in a public place or somewhere just for you. The exhibitionist in me loves the idea of doing this on a public street in Melbourne. I get fearcitement (fear and excitement) just thinking about it. Even better
 dress up for it. It always adds an extra layer of fun.

🌈 We invite you to then share your silly walk moment with us by tagging and using .

đŸŒ± Day 4: Ask someone to do a swap story with youFind someone to do a swap story with (maybe you could even be brave and ...
29/08/2025

đŸŒ± Day 4: Ask someone to do a swap story with you

Find someone to do a swap story with (maybe you could even be brave and ask the person close by in the cafe). My sister and I would do swap stories a lot as children and they were so joyful. The idea is that you write a sentence or a paragraph and then give the piece of paper to the next person to complete the next line (or paragraph). It's amazing where they can lead and they can just be silly and non-sensical and that's totally ok. Again, let that part of you that wants it to be a masterpiece take a back seat.

🌈 We invite you to then share your playful swap story moment with us by tagging and using .

đŸŒ± Day 3: Build a Blanket FortCreate a cozy space just for you. Or invite a friend over and do it together. We would love...
28/08/2025

đŸŒ± Day 3: Build a Blanket Fort

Create a cozy space just for you. Or invite a friend over and do it together. We would love it so much if someone did this in their workplace. Have fun hanging out in your beautiful new sanctuary.

🌈 We invite you to then share your playful blanket fort moment with us by tagging and using .

đŸŒ± Day 2 of 7 Days of Play: Create a Tiny Piece of ArtDoodle, paint a rock, cut up some magazines and create a collage or...
27/08/2025

đŸŒ± Day 2 of 7 Days of Play: Create a Tiny Piece of Art

Doodle, paint a rock, cut up some magazines and create a collage or make a composition by laying out whatever’s on your desk. It doesn't need to be pretty. Leave your perfectionist out of this and create for the sake of your inner child. Allow whatever comes out and leave judgement and self critism outside. It's about how it feels to create not about a beautiful outcome.

In case you missed the instruction, here they are again:

Join us for 7 Days of Play! 🎈
One small act of joy each day. No pressure, just a chance to shake off the serious and let your inner child come out to play.

✹ Here’s how it works:

🌈 Follow along each day for a new playful prompt at 8am.
🌈 Do the activity wherever you are... at home, in the park, or on a break. Some prompts might feel more comfortable indoors, but there’s something magical about being playful in public. You never know who might be inspired to join in or feel permission to play just by witnessing your joyful weirdness!
🌈 We invite you to then share your playful art creation moment with us by tagging and using .
🌈 Extra bonus would be to journal or reflect: How does bringing play into your day make you feel?

Life can get pretty serious sometimes. Responsibilities, routines, expectations and it can feel like there’s no space fo...
26/08/2025

Life can get pretty serious sometimes. Responsibilities, routines, expectations and it can feel like there’s no space for play. But what if we changed that?

Join us for 7 Days of Play! 🎈
One small act of joy each day. No pressure, just a chance to shake off the serious and let your inner child come out to play.

✹ Here’s how it works:

🌈 Follow along each day for a new playful prompt.
🌈 Do the activity wherever you are... at home, in the park, or on a break. Some prompts might feel more comfortable indoors, but there’s something magical about being playful in public. You never know who might be inspired to join in or feel permission to play just by witnessing your joyful weirdness!
🌈 We invite you to then share your playful moment with us by tagging and using .
🌈 Extra bonus would be to journal or reflect: How does bringing play into your day make you feel?

đŸŒ± Day 1: Dance Like Nobody’s Watching
Put on your favorite song and dance wildly for one song. Let your body move however it wants, no choreography, just freedom. The weirder the better. Move in ways you never have before. When we move in novel ways this creates new neural pathways, improving coordination, balance, and overall brain function. Breaking habitual movement patterns trains your brain to think in new ways, encouraging more flexible, original thinking.

🌾 Why Play Matters:
When we play, we break free from rigidity and reconnect with joy. We let our creativity breathe. We find pockets of wonder in the everyday.

We’re not waiting for Giddy Garden’s venue to be ready to bring people together because we know growth happens best when...
26/08/2025

We’re not waiting for Giddy Garden’s venue to be ready to bring people together because we know growth happens best when we’re held in community. đŸŒ±âœš

Some healing can only happen when we’re witnessed, supported, and reminded we’re not alone. In our gatherings, someone shares their truth and it lands in your chest like medicine you didn’t know you needed. The weight of shame softens when you feel a shared experience.

This is why we keep creating spaces that are messy, raw, and real, where you can show up exactly as you are and be met with openness. This is the heartbeat of Giddy Garden and why we’ll keep gathering until our home is ready
 and long after. Because growth isn’t just about becoming more you, it’s about being in connection, feeling seen and held by community along the way.

Facilitator: at Giddy Garden Imagination Workshop Festival

I’ve been listening to Stephanie Rigg’s brilliant On Attachment podcast and doing her Healing Anxious Attachment course ...
25/08/2025

I’ve been listening to Stephanie Rigg’s brilliant On Attachment podcast and doing her Healing Anxious Attachment course and it’s been wonderful.

As someone who leans towards anxious attachment, I’ve found her approach refreshingly compassionate. She doesn’t make any insecure attachment style “the bad one” (avoidant attachment often gets unfairly demonised). Instead, she helps you see these patterns for what they are: coping and protective strategies you developed to stay safe in relationships. They’re not “wrong,” but they might not be serving you anymore. And hwer work shows you that you can rewire them.

One of the things I love most about her work is that she focuses on building safety and trust in yourself, so you’re less dependent on external reassurance to feel okay. Here are some of the tools she shares for feeling less anxious and more secure in relationships:

✹ Self-soothing & nervous system care
Learning to calm your body when you’re triggered, so you can respond with compassion instead of reacting from fear. This could be as simple as deep breathing, grounding yourself in your senses, or moving your body to release tension.

✹ Validating your own feelings
Instead of seeking constant external approval, practise telling yourself “My feelings are valid. I can trust my internal experience.” This builds self-trust and makes you less reliant on others to confirm your worth.

✹ Integrity-based decision-making
Making choices from your values helps you feel aligned and empowered, rather than chasing approval or safety through people-pleasing and behaviours that don't feel aligned.

✹ Distinguishing between anxiety & intuition
Anxious attachment can make every pang of fear feel urgent and true. Learning to recognise “This is anxiety” allows you to comfort that part of yourself, pause, and act from a calmer, wiser more intuitive place.

✹ Stretching your comfort zone in safe ways
Growth comes from trying new things, but not at the cost of overwhelming your nervous system. Find gentle edges to lean into, challenges that feel a little scary, but still safe enough to try. This builds confidence and resilience over time.

If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety in relationships, I can’t recommend Stephanie’s work enough. Her tools are both gentle and powerful, helping you move from reactivity and fear towards grounded, secure, deeply connected relationships.

Join us for the next OUTSPOKEN event on Tuesday October 21st at Wesley Anne where I will be telling a story about anxious attachment.

We have great capacity for growth if we allow ourselves and give ourselves permission to be more of who we truly are. To...
23/08/2025

We have great capacity for growth if we allow ourselves and give ourselves permission to be more of who we truly are. To change, bend, expand and shift.
Sometimes that means reclaiming parts of ourselves that once felt too tender, too messy, too real to show. Other times, it means letting go of things that once felt essential, because they just don't feel aligned with our values anymore.

It’s okay to realise that something you once loved no longer serves you.
Maybe a hobby that used to light you up now feels draining.
Maybe an identity that kept you safe for years now feels too small.

Does it still feel aligned with who you are today?
It’s normal to grow out of things. It’s natural to change.
I acknowledge that change can also feel scary as hell so doing it at a pace that is comfortable for our nervous systems is also important.

I am a very different person than I was in my early 20s.
Back then, I loved things that don’t resonate anymore, and I know that will keep happening as I continue through life.
Maybe in 10 years, I’ll look back at what I love now and feel the same. And that’s okay.
Life is too short to hold tightly to things that no longer align with who we’re becoming.

My interests change often... maybe more than most... because I’m always seeking new and exciting experiences.
But I’m grateful I don’t force myself to hold onto things just because they once made sense.
Letting go doesn’t mean you’re losing yourself.
It means you’re making space for who you’re becoming.

Give yourself permission to move on.
Give yourself permission to grow. đŸŒ±âœš

Performer:
Photo credit:

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+61401816608

Website

http://www.giddygarden.au/

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