What are you ‘into’? Do you have a particular ‘field of interest’? Where do you dance ‘off the floor’?

“A boys gotta have a hobby!” an odd friend of mine used to say. Of course, not everybody has one, and what exactly qualifies as a hobby is up for debate.

As it is, proclivities, pursuits, and passions are part and parcel to the human experience. Most likely you have something you like to do in addition to however you make your living.

Think about what you’re “into“ for a moment. You might be curating a collection of some kind. Perhaps you’re a creative who enjoys making stuff with your hands, playing an instrument or using your voice.

You could be choreographing a performance, improvising movement, or facilitating a dance. You’re known as creative cook that astonishes with your flavors. Maybe you work with ones and zeros to build castles in the air in the digital realm.

Perhaps you’re a connoisseur of fine dining or outdoor adventure experiences, or someone like my brother, who has an astonishing knowledge of film history because he’s seen practically every movie ever made.

Whatever the field of energy may be, there’s a jargon, a lore, a pantheon of heroes, a unique shared language and a set of methods and methodologies.

Beyond all of that is another important dimension, in that certain kinds of special interests create the opportunity for community building.

The modern media environment makes it all too easy for folks to simply stay in some sort of an online bubble without real world interaction. Communities that coalesce around creative activities are an antidote.

At the center you’ve got a cadre of people who are teaching, facilitating, innovating, making it their life’s work. Next are the people that are enthusiasts; learning about it, learning how to do it, getting familiar with the language.

Then you’ve have the folks that are adjacent by virtue of being partners with somebody who’s involved. Other people are part of the constellation by participating in one of the ancillary activities. And then there are the ambassadors, the cheerleaders, the folks around the edges bringing newcomers in.

The end result is community. I’ve been observing a number of different thriving communities and find it encouraging the way healthy connections emerge.

Last weekend was an event in San Francisco called the Puzzle Quake. Started four years ago as a single afternoon of swapping and showing off wooden jigsaw puzzles with about 20 people showing up, this year it ran two full days with nearly a hundred folks in attendance.

Several highly respected artisans came out from the East Coast, putting the Quake on the map as a true destination event. Isabelle won Best-In-Show, meaning that now she is an award-winning puzzle cutter!

Watching this community coalesce over the years got me thinking of the commonalities shared by so many different special interest pursuits. It’s not just what folks are doing, it’s what happens to folks as they do it.

Friendships form, connections are made, knowledge is shared, newcomers are mentored — the field of energy is enriched. Whatever the field, once you’re in it, you have a reason to share, contribute, and most importantly, show up.

At the end of the day, meaning makes the world go round. Look for it in your creative community..

Much love till next Monday!

Merci et à bientôt!

M+

ML #679

Mark Metz
Monday Love Movement Calendar