Community, to me, means an opportunity for collective growth and becoming. It is about friendship, support, and encouragement to keep going and showing up courageously even when things get oh so difficult.
I’ve had a chance to connect with lovely humans all over the world on the internet and one thing that we all had in common was the loneliness.
I know, how lonely and scary it can be.
Because nobody in the ‘real’ world around us (yet) understands what we are doing and striving towards and that makes total sense. It is all very new, an enchanted territory which didn’t exist before and has its potential but it hasn’t become that common or acceptable yet. We can see the potential and that is why we are eager to explore it. That is why we don’t have any role models in our real lives (just yet).
There is no blueprint, no ‘right’ way of doing things. It is a lot about trusting yourself and the journey and trusting that you’ve what it takes, trusting that you’ll figure it out as you go and that can sometimes understandably be scary and lonely.
My blog turned two years old this August. While reflecting my journey so far one thing that sticks out for me is having some kind of support system. I have craved that support while I was struggling to figure out how everything works these past two years. I still don’t feel like I have figured it all out. But I honestly don’t think anyone has. We are all learning what opportunities the internet holds for us and our creative work and what that means for the way we want to spend our lives.
I crave some support now at times when I need reminding of what my work is capable of and what good is it already doing in the world. A community to support me when I feel all hope is lost, to cheer me on, help me challenge my existing patterns, disrupt and dismantle the way I’m seeing the world and grow along the way.
I crave the feelings of wonderment, joy, and excitement that can come from having a support system of community of brilliant creatives by your side who are working on something similar, going through something similar, creating and struggling with something similar.
Being a woman with ambitions is not easy even in this era. It is far better than ever before but it still isn’t easy. It comes with huge baggage and expectations. In moments of despair having examples of ‘normal’ daily-life people (people like us who we can relate to) around you claiming their spaces online helps you in imagining yourself in those places. We all need people and stories that we can relate to. Our deepest desire is to belong somewhere and someplace. When we don’t find ourselves belonging in spaces we are already a part of, we need to look outside of those spaces to find a place where we can belong to.
I have invested a fair share of money online on e-courses, workshops, and other things online that I felt like I needed. I have invested in a coach that helps me listen to my voice and reduce the outside noise. Where I’m still finding a gap is having a close-knit community that is willing to learn and grow along with me. I’m learning through experience that no matter how many courses or workshops you invest in, the real work starts with you taking some action towards making your goals happen. This is where I believe accountability and support of a community can come in and this is why I believe in the power of having community’s support by your side.
