I loved this piece, I like your writing style! And this sentence struck a chord with me:
"How are we supposed to know how to create a community when most of us have never experienced it?" - profoundly true and now I also understand why it's so hard to build a community.
“We live in an independent culture, where we are taught to believe that we don’t need others to survive and that if we have enough money, we can buy any life we want. But when the supply chains stop and the lights go out, we’re going to wish we had people around us to help.” yes yes yes!!
related to this so much. i feel like im in an in-between stage where i know community-building is good for me and also important for the world but also feeing trapped by anxiety/daily stresses ... but maybe, like u said, i just need to push myself more!
im trying to think of it like exercise -- maybe dreading the beforehand but it feels soo good afterward and is even more important in the long run!
Its so scary but push yourself if poss! I feel its a similar experience as just pushing yourself to be social, obviously it's a bit harder to find than simply joining a club but theres loads of orgs up and down the country that have similar beliefs. I'm currently looking to join my local Transition Network, perhaps this could be a good place to start?
A beautiful read Isabelle! Community is a funny thing isn’t it? I wonder whether you might create community in various ways--not necessarily with the people living in your building, but in other spaces, like a community garden or a class or a coffee spot where you often go and get to know people. x
Isabelle ~ this piece resonates deeply. As a partnered but childless, roaming, remote-working renter-I keep hoping I will find that FAMILY of community at the next place. Truly, my deepest desire is to co -create an intentional community with chickens and bees and all of us hands-in-dirt. I have no idea HOW I will manage this, given the conditions outlined above. There is SUCH a cry out for this type of LIVING arrangement-self-sufficient communities of collaboration and interdependence. WHY do we all live so far apart???????????
My wife and I recently completed community outreach/public engagement training with PLAYCE Studio JKLA. Signing up for the 12-week cohort program was admittedly outside my comfort zone. 😊
However, we then met and helped teams of scientists, ecologists, and environmental engineers with a real-world public engagement/education project to build blue/green infrastructure and water quality improvement/restoration along the Gill Creek corridor in Niagara Falls, NY. We live in Greater NYC Metro, so, it was a road trip and awesome! And – haha – not exactly ‘in town’ – but one of the scientists I met there is meeting me here in October to go to an urban ecosystem restoration conference.
Finding your people, your community, and making a difference can be done! We do need to meet 50 individuals/organizations/potential clients to find 5 that make a difference. I believe staying in the arena is key, breaks are important, and others are always moving us forward. We may never know just how much we’re doing to help and inspire. You are. Thank you for writing Isabelle.
😊 It IS super fun meeting people you know will make a difference, Isabelle. I appreciate that perspective! So, happy to share with your community: I have a dozen new professional friends in the ecological restoration space, and many are local. I spent quality time with them over 3 days, got to know them, and am hopeful to collaborate. Real, kind, boots-on-the-ground people healing the land, at scale.
It was quite surreal to tour large water bodies and wetland habitats by boat (environmentally degraded regions that are getting better), spotting various wildlife and plant species, surrounded by naturalized landfill mountains and the NYC skyline on the horizon.
Thank you for your encouragement and the lovely work you are doing. And please keep recording audio.
Growing a community should be much easier in the city, but it depends so much on the people you have around, and on the city that you're in. I've been taking interest in urbanism lately, and what places created for people can enable, and I'm really looking forward to trying that.
I thought so too, but it must depend on the city, some are definitely set up to be MORE social than others. I'd love to learn more about urbanisms. Not Just Bikes on YouTube is my fave.
I loved this piece, I like your writing style! And this sentence struck a chord with me:
"How are we supposed to know how to create a community when most of us have never experienced it?" - profoundly true and now I also understand why it's so hard to build a community.
Ahhh Monica this is great to hear, I was a lil nervous to post this one with a little bit of a differnt tone but I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
“We live in an independent culture, where we are taught to believe that we don’t need others to survive and that if we have enough money, we can buy any life we want. But when the supply chains stop and the lights go out, we’re going to wish we had people around us to help.” yes yes yes!!
related to this so much. i feel like im in an in-between stage where i know community-building is good for me and also important for the world but also feeing trapped by anxiety/daily stresses ... but maybe, like u said, i just need to push myself more!
im trying to think of it like exercise -- maybe dreading the beforehand but it feels soo good afterward and is even more important in the long run!
Its so scary but push yourself if poss! I feel its a similar experience as just pushing yourself to be social, obviously it's a bit harder to find than simply joining a club but theres loads of orgs up and down the country that have similar beliefs. I'm currently looking to join my local Transition Network, perhaps this could be a good place to start?
oh i recently found them and they seem super cool! thanks for the tip : )
Right there with you, Mia~
A beautiful read Isabelle! Community is a funny thing isn’t it? I wonder whether you might create community in various ways--not necessarily with the people living in your building, but in other spaces, like a community garden or a class or a coffee spot where you often go and get to know people. x
I love this idea Astrid, perhaps it could be much simplier!
Isabelle ~ this piece resonates deeply. As a partnered but childless, roaming, remote-working renter-I keep hoping I will find that FAMILY of community at the next place. Truly, my deepest desire is to co -create an intentional community with chickens and bees and all of us hands-in-dirt. I have no idea HOW I will manage this, given the conditions outlined above. There is SUCH a cry out for this type of LIVING arrangement-self-sufficient communities of collaboration and interdependence. WHY do we all live so far apart???????????
I KNOW RIGHT!!!!!!! Keep the dream alive, Kelley, I believe in you!!!!! And tell me when you've done it and I will come visit, lol.
Thank you, Isabelle!! Right back at you, my friend!!
My wife and I recently completed community outreach/public engagement training with PLAYCE Studio JKLA. Signing up for the 12-week cohort program was admittedly outside my comfort zone. 😊
However, we then met and helped teams of scientists, ecologists, and environmental engineers with a real-world public engagement/education project to build blue/green infrastructure and water quality improvement/restoration along the Gill Creek corridor in Niagara Falls, NY. We live in Greater NYC Metro, so, it was a road trip and awesome! And – haha – not exactly ‘in town’ – but one of the scientists I met there is meeting me here in October to go to an urban ecosystem restoration conference.
Finding your people, your community, and making a difference can be done! We do need to meet 50 individuals/organizations/potential clients to find 5 that make a difference. I believe staying in the arena is key, breaks are important, and others are always moving us forward. We may never know just how much we’re doing to help and inspire. You are. Thank you for writing Isabelle.
This sounds such fun! Well done for taking the leap. I'd love to hear more about how this goes. :)
😊 It IS super fun meeting people you know will make a difference, Isabelle. I appreciate that perspective! So, happy to share with your community: I have a dozen new professional friends in the ecological restoration space, and many are local. I spent quality time with them over 3 days, got to know them, and am hopeful to collaborate. Real, kind, boots-on-the-ground people healing the land, at scale.
It was quite surreal to tour large water bodies and wetland habitats by boat (environmentally degraded regions that are getting better), spotting various wildlife and plant species, surrounded by naturalized landfill mountains and the NYC skyline on the horizon.
Thank you for your encouragement and the lovely work you are doing. And please keep recording audio.
Ohhhhhhhhh I am so jel! That sounds amazing. :)
I hope that juxtaposition filled you with thoughts of what the future could look like, we can have both I believe.
Glad to hear you enjoy the audio recording!!! I will keep it up :)
Growing a community should be much easier in the city, but it depends so much on the people you have around, and on the city that you're in. I've been taking interest in urbanism lately, and what places created for people can enable, and I'm really looking forward to trying that.
I thought so too, but it must depend on the city, some are definitely set up to be MORE social than others. I'd love to learn more about urbanisms. Not Just Bikes on YouTube is my fave.
That's one of my favourite channels, too.
Highly recommend Lior Steinberg and Marco Te Brommelstroet on Linkedin, too.
They're posting highlights about the social aspect of it.
Thank you for bringing this piece to my attention Isabelle. Beautifully written and it finds me exactly where I am today.
Thank you, Ray :)