BEing Community: A Sacred Space to be 1000% Unreserved, Raw, Purely You (#Reverb10)

I think my rootedness in community was actually birthed in a space of fear, or maybe better stated, was birthed in a space of replacing fear with love.

I became a community builder because I didn't want to be alone.

My extended family has, over the years, either disengaged with me or I disengaged with them because I thought they didn't want me around. In order to thrive, I tuned into somewhere deep within (now that I write this, I know it)was a Divine voice that said, "You need a sacred space to be 1000% unreservedly nakedly you, my love.".

Ever since then, I have actively worked to create community: safe havens for souls to create, collaborate, think and share their thoughts openly without fear of being outcast or laughed at or minimized.

I have been reflecting on today's Reverb10 prompt and for me it is less a "discovering community" as much as it is BEING community myself so that others respond to that invitation and join me and THEY become community, too.

So, what does that mean?

Some simple ingredients:

Transparency: a willingness to be 1000% who one is without apology. Vulnerabilities & strengths equally encouraged.

Clarity in communication. Shared vision. Shared hopes, dreams, encouragement is ongoing and continual. Compliments and constructive guidance are offered often.

Mutual admiration and benefits come from active participation in the community.

There is a greater reason, cause or creative project at the center of the community.

I am a community builder with the productions I direct: First Kisses is a clear example.

Relationships between actors, crew and the director are deep. I am still friends with each person from this show: I could call on any of them and know they would respond to me quickly and with heart. There is one cast member I don't necessarily trust - but this disengagement was present during the production itself. When it came time to strike (when everyone gets together to take down the set and clean the theater) I had in my mind a list of people who may not show up for strike. Sure enough, this one cast member texted me with an excuse I didn't believe then and I still don't believe now.

Our First Kisses strike was cheerful, it was thorough and it was quick. Our hearts hurt when it was over. And there was that sense of satisfaction that we had done our job well, that love - and a vision - had been created. One of my longtime friends who was in the cast said, almost prayer-like,  "This is the best experience I have ever had."

I also created some instacommunities this year: in our Writing Camp along the River: in this community we started with writing buddies. I partnered writers with other writers they didn't know and the couples spread out among the camp together. There were two reasons: we were in the wilderness and it felt safer to have people in groups and secondly, sharing happening between two people paved the way to being comfortable sharing with everyone else.

 

 


I created Instacommunity with my La Femme Poetry Performance when we wrote a collaborative poem and I did some Improv Haiku writing. It wasn't "only" a performance, it was an experience. Everyone participated, everyone felt treasured, people who wanted to, got to share the spotlight. Communities are strongest where egos aren't involved, when leadership is shared and love is abundant.
 

I participated in community, too. At the Mercy Art and Spirituality Center. Oddly enough, an educational committtee I am on is becoming a community: I can completely feel the vibe changing as we continue to work together for children with special needs in our school district.

 

 


Online, I love the communities created by Jamie Ridler and her Wishcasting folks; Leah Piken Kolidas and her Creative Every Day adventure. I grieve the ReadWritePoem community and have worked to replace it with the Magpie Tales Writing community, the Jingle Poetry community, the Three Word Wednesday community. , The Big Tent Poetry Community.

Community is an environment, a place, a group of people where its members may simply "be" - with their hair let down, no make up necessary, honoring one another without masks or armor or fear. Communities are places where we are free to speak and be heard. Where no idea is seen as less than, where others respond.

Wow. This post is way longer than I knew it would be.

I clearly LOVE being community.

I want to create community and be community in the two theater projects I have planned and the Poetry Slams I have planned.

I want to be community through more writing camps and artist residency programs.

I want to be community through teleclasses and online programs I create.

Where and how will you be community in 2011?

follow me on twitter: @juliejordanscot

Comments

[Tia Sparkles Singh]

"less a "discovering community" as much as it is BEING community myself so that others respond to that invitation and join me and THEY become community, too."

Goosebumps goosebumps goosebumps!! Oh Julie, look at you create! Your post really spoke to me - community is so a part of who I am that I know my post will be 10 feet long .. ha!

So glad to have found this post. Thank you!

[Julie Jordan Scott]

Thank you so much, Tia, for what you do and mostly who you are. Your words today affirm me so much.

THANK YOU!

[wholly jeanne]

julie, this is the very kind of honest writing i've come to expect from you over the past year. when i first saw today's prompt, i immediately set about writing in my journal. then a phone call with another friend from twitter. then tweets from several people who apparently feel strongly about community - being community, being part of community, staying out of community. i may have to create some kind of round table. i've just gotten in after being out all day, so i am winging it here. can i be back in touch with you once i've "talked" to a few others who've contacted me? (say yes, please) thank you for this post.

[Brooke Farmer]

I love your use of the word "naked" here. Maybe because I recently used it in a similar way but it is such an excellent descriptive term for the total honestly you are referring to.

[Christine]

I remember reading your posts from last year's #best09! Nice to find you again this year for #reverb10.

[Lori Race]

I love this post, Julie! Just as Tia said the part about "BEING community" really spoke to me!! Wonderful #reverb10 post.

[Alana]

Beautiful. Another voice to add to the chorus of "Yes!" when it comes to "being community".

[mark]

Julie, one of the reasons I enjoyed and now lament RWP is you. You were very vocal in your support of everyone who came to the table. Your spontaneous and honest enjoyment of what you found was so refreshing.

I am quite grateful for that.

[melanie]

Hi Julie,

Thanks so much for stopping by my site. I forgot how much community is built while working on a play - which is where my life was 10+ years ago. Great post!

[Nellie @ Wired, Witty, & Well Dressed]

Saw your tweet on #reverb10 thread. I'm so glad I clicked over. "it is less a "discovering community" as much as it is BEING community myself so that others respond to that invitation and join me and THEY become community, too." That is really beauitful. I think you're so right. There's more to community than merely discovering. We must go beyond discovery to creation and innovation. Bravo!