A reflection from Val Watson

As Val Watson comes to the end of her term as Chair of Lapidus, she shares a reflection on her time in post, and looks ahead to the future.

I first heard about Lapidus in Summer 2019. It sounded like an interesting organisation and community, but not for me. I have always known that writing out and down my feelings and thoughts helps me. Clients I have worked with told me and showed me how writing and expressive arts helped them understand their feelings and experiences.

However, I had no plans to write for publication or join a group and did not assess my many jottings in journals, scratchy notes, occasional diary entries and random writing moments as worthy of exploring further.

Come 2020, Covid and Lockdown the world was changed. Invited to offer a workshop in February 2021, Lapidus community found me when we needed each other most. Before long and through happenstance we were on a turbulent journey together.

From being co-Chair in July 2021 I became sole Chair in January 2022. There followed many changes within the Lapidus Board of Directors. At times, it has been a very shaky ride. It is 2024, we have arrived safely and with renewed energy, capacity, and exciting ideas for the future of Lapidus. Without the support of the team of board directors especially Dr Kim Etherington, Richard Axtell, Sarah Jackson, and Rick Wilson it would have been impossible.

My term of office is up, I am delighted to be handing on the baton to the new Board of Directors. All of whom are highly skilled, enthusiastic, creative, and ready to take Lapidus to the next level, ably supported by a great administrative team.

With a smile and fond farewell, I am reminded of a Jamaican saying which has universal and international counterparts: ‘Bud kyaan fly pon one wing’ meaning, the wings of a bird need to work together to fly. Similarly, if people work together, they can achieve uplifting things. This is and always has been so true of Lapidus international community and its new Board of directors. Fly Lapidus fly.