Creating Community

May 12, 2024

Hello again friends,

It’s been a while! I’ve been swept up by the speed of life, between work, a design residency, my mom visiting, and honestly doing too much at once. Between it all, I’ve found the importance of community.

red and white coca cola signage — Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

Community can mean a lot of different things, and there are a lot of different types of communities. Just the other day, I was talking to a friend about how adult friendships can feel so separated. At least for me, I have my long-distance best friends, my art/design friends, and my main friend group. Rarely do they intermix.

Throughout schooling, we are surrounded by community for the majority of the time. You’re forced to be around other people, and that naturally creates cliques, friends, and sometimes enemies. You have extracurriculars, between clubs or sports or certain interest classes.

group of people wearing white and orange backpacks walking on gray concrete pavement during daytime — Photo by note thanun on Unsplash

As an adult without this institution, I think many of us forget the importance of these communities.

When I was at the design residency with a dozen other creatives, it was like wow, this is how it feels to be around other people all the time. It felt good, and I almost forgot that. Especially with graduating college right around the pandemic, I’ve never worked full-time in an office setting, and I’m sure that this is the case for a lot of people.

This phenomenon has even been studied and called the “loneliness epidemic.” We could dive down the rabbit hole into why this happens and how isolation feeds into consumer capitalism, but for now, I’ll just say this:

We all need each other.

I’m learning not to be so scared to talk to strangers. Even saying hi to my neighbors can sometimes feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff. But that’s how everything starts. It all starts with having a conversation.

person sitting on chairs with tables — Photo by Adrien Olichon on Unsplash

It’s been a big theme for me this year, to create community. To connect with more people in a genuine and authentic way. To find more in-person gatherings. I would love to hear how you all are creating or fostering communities in your own lives.