It’s the final post for the month of awakening, and for this post I wanted to focus on building a sense of community.

I’ve talked a little about community and connection in previous blog posts – how I’ve tried to build a sense of it, what I’m trying to do. I think it’s something we should revisit every now and then – we should reflect on how and why we build community and consider whether we are serving our community, or if it is serving us.

This post is going to be rather loosely connected to the theme of awakening – I guess it’s more like a ‘discovery’ period than anything else. I hope you find it useful for the final post of the month!

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A sense of community is something I’ve lacked for a very long time. Perhaps not entirely – of course, I’ve had family and co-workers to fall back on. But something that feels inherently mine – a collective of people I feel part of? I started to build that a little while ago.

Community has been a big driver behind the work I’m trying to do at the moment. I think it’s something that is sorely lacking in modern society and something that is becoming increasingly difficult to build in the real world.

I’m certainly not against the prospect of building an online community. Being online has enabled me to reach and connect to people around the world that I otherwise would not have the opportunity to connect with.

However, I don’t think anything really compares to building a sense of community in the real world.

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Ways to Get Involved With Your Local Community

One of the primary ways I’ve been connecting with my local community is by attending free classes and courses.

I began the HeadStart programme, facilitated for people living in my town to build and develop their business ideas. Whilst, to be honest, I went to learn more about changing the direction of the business I’m trying to build and to gain access to support for doing so, I found that actually what was much more valuable to me was meeting other small entrepreneurs with ideas in the area.

It was nice to have a reason to get out of the house, to go and meet with other people, to have them support my ideas and help develop them. It was nice to be able to do the same thing for others.

I’ve also been going to smaller workshops with my local library. These have been invaluable for developing my own ideas – seeing how other people facilitate things similar to what I want to do with my work. To be honest, I enjoy doing the activities I engaged in during those sessions on my own, but doing them around other like-minded people was a much-needed experience.

Not only did I get to replenish my social needs, I got to meet some interesting people I would probably have never crossed paths with otherwise. I’ve also been presented with opportunities because of the connections I’ve made in these workshops.

I even got to make random crafts, like this lovely wall hanging made from some spring branches!

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Giving Something to Your Local Community

A big part of the redirection of my work has been the fact that I feel disconnected from my local community.

I’m now in a position to be able to attend these workshops and classes that are during a typical working day because my working habits have changed. However, I’ve lived in this area for over four years. When I first moved here, there weren’t really any opportunities I could follow because of scheduling conflicts.

It was this realisation – that there aren’t many offers within my sphere of interest in the evenings or during weekends – that spurred me on to create something other people could attend. To provide a space for people to connect in a creative way.

I don’t think that this endeavour is going to be without difficulties, but I do hope that by providing some space for people to meet and be merry that I’ll be providing something meaningful to my local community.

As always, I don’t even think these contributions to building community need to be huge. Sometimes I stop and chat with people as we dig through the pile of yellow-stickered items in Morrisons. I’ll stop and natter to my neighbours when I’m giving them a parcel I took in, or even if we’re just out in our gardens at the same time. I’ll show people what I’m photographing if they seem to be interested, or ask people about their dog if we cross paths walking.

I think taking little moments like this every day can really help build a healthier sense of community. It’s not perfect, of course, but it certainly makes a difference.

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Other Types of Community

I realise that sparking up a conversation with relative strangers can be unnerving for some people. Many of us are more comfortable with online communication now. Many of us are fearful of speaking to strangers in person for a plethora of reasons.

I used to be of the same mind, until I started just putting myself out there and appearing at different events. Be it music, festivals, or community classes, eventually people just got used to seeing my face. I didn’t even need to approach anyone to start a conversation.

It can definitely be unnerving to go to these events on your own. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, other times it’s freeing. It can get a bit boring when the events are long and you have nobody to take breaks with.

That being said, when you’re attending things like music or art events, you’re already going to a place where you have shared interests with the people there. It definitely opens up lines of communication and community more than just wandering around!

This is, again, part of the reasoning behind what I’m trying to achieve and create with my work. Because it can be daunting to go to large-scale events on your own, or because it can be difficult to put yourself out there, I want to use my own experiences to create and facilitate spaces where people can bond over shared activities whilst feeling safe and welcome.

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Utilising Online Spaces for Building Community

Whilst I’m primarily focusing on making these in-person spaces a reality, I do think there’s a lot to be said for online spaces. I think where the problem comes in is that we’re using them as a replacement for, rather than supplement to, our in-person and tangible communities.

I think online spaces can be great for providing the opportunity to learn, to interact with other people, or to find people you otherwise might not have. Using online spaces can be particularly useful for niche hobbies and interests and for putting yourself out there.

However, they are – as I mentioned above – supplements to more human connections. Something is lost in the void of online. There’s absolutely inherent value in it – I wouldn’t be building online spaces if I didn’t think so – but there’s definitely something lacking. I’d much rather be around a campfire with my friends chatting nonsense than sending them Reels all day.

I think online spaces can be incredibly validating and inspiring. Using technology certainly helps me bridge the gap between visits to my family back in Ireland. However, it just doesn’t compare to the energy of inhabiting the same physical space as others. I’d encourage you to use online spaces as an opportunity for connection and inspiration, of finding new things – but I’d also deeply encourage you to take that connection offline if it safe to do so.

I’d love to know more about how you’ve been involved in your local community – always looking for inspiration to get myself more involved! Or even – what stops you from getting your hands dirty with community activities?