Community—how to have it? how to find it?
Hello hello!
Hope you are having a restful and gentle February so far.
- News (a new story! an event!)
- Pep talk: A doot about community
News
The animus wants a particular girl, a perfect girl. It has never found her, so it settles for decent girls. It will rattle inside her ill-fitting casing for years, before it wrenches all the pieces of her soul apart.
It has been with their family for generations. A legend claims the animus gave them mystical powers in times of ancient war. Another claims it brought good fortune, fat vases of gold coins amidst the worst drought of the century.
Yet another says there was no reason at all. The spirit just liked the shape of their great-great-great maternal grandmother and decided to try her on.
My latest story, "A Proper Vessel, A Perfect House", is available for all to read in Apparition Literary's Blight Issue. Please check out all the wonderful stories and poems within, I believe all or almost all of them are online now. If you prefer an ･✧ auditory ✧･ experience, there's a recording up top, just like me reading it to you.
Or! Better yet, come to Story Hour on February 28th, and hear it live. I'll be reading with the awesome Jo Miles! Story Hour is hosted by my dear once-workshop-mate Laura Blackwell and Daniel Marcus. They always have an incredible lineup. It's at 7pm Pacific time, and I'd love to see you there. I'm pretty sure you don't have to RSVP—just come!
And now for today's pep talk:
Community
I've been having a lot of conversations about community lately—how to have it, how to be better at it, how to know when you've found it. I myself am in a regrettable season where my community involvements are not as wide as I like, though I am clinging onto the depth I have in a few select spaces.
That's why I appreciate these conversations. It's easy to believe that most people (every person but you, basically) are gathering somewhere in a constant, engulfing, effusive way that solves all feelings of isolation. My experience is that most of us, even the most active, commune in precious snatches of connection.
There's different flavors of community. I especially have to remind myself to appreciate the ethereal flavor when it comes. Some events like conferences or workshops produce long lasting small cohorts, but others you convene for four days, bask in each others' work, and then see each other on the internet from time to time. This is also community, and it is also valuable. Not every person you meet becomes a bestie, and that's a natural part of being in community.
My only real wisdom here is that when you're looking for lasting community (think years-long timeline), the one factor I think is helpful besides the obvious (personalities don't repulse each other, interest in each others' themes and voice) is level of seriousness. I honestly don't think it's important that everyone has hit similar milestones, or that people are running at the same level of craft, even. If this is really a years-long commitment, you will watch your crew come into their own. You will see them win eventually and it will be the most amazing feeling.
If you've read any of my other pep talks, you know I value perseverence more than any other trait, because that's the common denominator I see in all artists, across all media. Community helps us persevere more than improve I think, because artistic ventures are all about figuring out how to make art like yourself.
When you're evaluating whether or not to full on join a community, or if you should take a stronger hand in wrangling your ethereal compatriots together into something formal, put seriousness at the top of your list. Does this group feel way too hardcore for where you want to be right now, with spreadsheets and social? Are they writing a page or two every few months when you are winning multiple NaNo's in a row? Find the group that runs at the same seriousness speed as you, or build it yourself.
Put yourself in situations to find people who are as serious as you—where do they gather, and where can you join in? Most of my community comes from events and conferences, which is not too surprising. There are people who are looking for you out there.
February in the Bay Area is one of my favorite places on Earth. Here are a few pretty skies for you. Until next time!
xoxo Ash
