Individuals Create Community - a voice musebox
Today, I have a very special blog for you.
Its a VOICE BLOG! (Do they call this a vlog?)
This musebox was taken during a hike back from the St Louis Canyon at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, on a 37 degree November day, crunching through leaves and climbing up and down sandstone bluffs. The video is footage I took on my hike in, the audio is what I recorded on my hike out.
I contemplate questions such as :
What is Community, even?
How do individuals sculpt the communities that they belong to?
How do communities change & overlap?
Why do communities and systems need investment by the individuals who make them up, so they can serve better?
Listen to the audio
Watch it with VIDEOS from my hike!
My whole life I have been privileged to be part of many artistic and collaborative communities.
From the Lutheran church I grew up in, to the arts school my mother taught at, to my dance friends at the 2 studios (where I basically lived), to my art and theater friends in high school, to bellydance communities, the Edible Alchemy Food Co-op, burningman, the Eco collective & our sister collectives, and so much more here in Chicago.
I create communities.
We create communities.
Together.
It’s what I’ve done for over a decade, truly, and what I desired so deeply while studying in art school, and probably what I desired in wanting to get into a dance company in my teens. I create community, and in turn we create it together.
Communities are composed of individuals connected by commonalities - like interests, beliefs, culture, language, region and… almost anything. The desire for belonging of the individual gives rise to connection with others who understand you, and you them, and then as these relationships snowball, community is formed.
photos by Leona Waller
You can’t force relationships - nor can you force community. True connection is as a magnetic attraction, it either happens or it doesn’t, depending on the material. When strong communities coalesce they do so because of the individuals having the ability and desire to invest into these communities with their :
Time
Energy
Attention
Intention
Resources / funds
Rather than asking "where are my friends?" or “where are my people”?, put yourself out there as the magnet for others to be attracted to, and invest your time and energy in the humans who have commonalities with you that you truly care about. And notice, when you feel that depth of belonging, to let it guide you like the needle of a compass towards more community.
So!
Manifest community around passions!
Community needs to be CREATED and CULTIVATED as relationships with those around you. This forms the glue that sticks you to community, and the community to serve you.
Enjoy listening to this vocal musebox, while leaves crunch in the background.
And, if you’re craving community, consider one of the following containers I have crafted: a macro and a micro community…
The Pussy Magic Program
A 7-month container and supportive community for the exploration of burlesque & solo performance art
www.gaealadychicago.com/pussymagic
Ignite Your Inner Flame Retreat & The Ignite Fire Keepers
A 7-day retreat in Costa Rica for Femme-identifying humans, for the exploration of fire dancing, flow arts, and group performance.
www.ignitefirekeepers.com/ignite
it’s truly my pleasure to create communities for you to engage with - it truly stems from my own desire for belonging within a group of humans who desire to live life in artistic, deep, and transcendental ways.
Remember, if you’re feeling called or magnetized, that means that it’s resonating. I hope to see you there - reach out to me with anything at all.
<3
Xoxo
Gaea
