By Ira Mickenberg
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Visions and Voices
2-29-12
After years of focused learning, focused producing
We take a respite once we retire’
And begin to look at qualities we admire
No longer finding material wealth so seducing.
Ollie is a community of retirees
Interested in learning and exploring,
Working together in a classroom of peers
Or mixing with youngsters with many more cares.
A sub-community was distilled
When retires responded to the mission
Of submitting writings and artworks
Which were published in “Voices and Visions”.
A community of people whom we trust
Will encourage creativity in areas explored
Before our mature brains turn to rust
From sitting at home and getting bored.
This community of participants can be expanded
Yet continue to be treated evenhanded.
Writers, poets and artists all amateur
Can meet, create and endure.
Out of the drawers and out of the subconscious
Will come products of our perceptions.
To be read and viewed by others
While works of others titillate our sensations
Such constant attention, words and senses
Will improve appreciation and mend those fences
Of preconceived notions and some hostility
Toward the “non productive” retired nobility.
A community of artists and writers
Who find this time of life in fashion
Will inspire others to expand their experience
And exchange their time of lethargy and ennui to one of passion.
While part of a group, each of us is unique
With no sense of failure for expressing our visions
We are exposing our psyches and taking a peek
Hoping to discover the creativity we seek.
Future works may be published or
Enjoyed for the process
At this time in our life
Participation supersedes acclimation.
A “Voices and Visions” community can get together
After speaking with the editors and enthusiastic contributors.
Workshops may follow, while friendships develop
Creativity exudes out of the nascent community.
Showing posts with label University of Connecticut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Connecticut. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Community as Truth Seekers
By John Westcott
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
What:
A child is born, and begins his/her journey to death and return to dust. Learning would seem to be initially almost 100% experience based. But is it? Guardians of the young are quite limiting. Keep the precious one safe! Do not let him be around machinery.
There is the training following the values of the Guardians. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” and “the truth will set you free."
And then begins expansion into the official learning processes of the education system. Guardian influence begins to be in competition with books, instructors and pressures exerted by peers and personages chosen to be mentors and to emulate.
Finally, the acceleration of time leads to the career, the marriage, the children, the passing of the Guardians, and the ultimate end of life.
At all times, the person is with a community and often is in several communities at one particular period in time. However, I maintain that the one community which is most important to inhabit is always be a seeker of truth because decisions are based on one’s perception of truth surrounding each decision.
So What:
Limiting access to machinery means poor knowledge of things mechanical and poor skills in fixing things. American history instructors said America is the land of opportunity. O gee, it was forgotten to mention that one fall day in 1918, the German citizens of the hometown were deprived of their German newspaper with the destruction of the presses by 500 fellow citizens from a neighboring town, and the invaded citizenry was forced to sign loyalty pledges, and further demonstrate their patriotism/loyalty by the purchase of war bonds based on their perceived wealth. O yes, a Guardian did say that, “One day, father came home and said German will no longer be spoken in this house.” No German language skills!
So truth is hidden many times with obvious impacts latter in life as to knowledge and skills. However, there is another element of truth which is even more important. Truth is often obliterated by belief.
Belief is often associated with the egotism of the self. Seeking truth has to develop the awareness of all the capacities of the self. Seek out the opinions of others and explore the possibilities of the roots of others’ positions. Such exchanges will eventually develop the whole human being.
And another outcome is that awareness of issues will perhaps focus everyone to conclude that there really is a problem which does need to be addressed. And more importantly, if the full capacities of the self have been developed, a review of the various solutions will increase knowledge of all, and result in better decision making because the possible positive and negative outcomes of each solution can be reviewed in a more impartial setting.
Now What:
Currently, research indicates that facts which do not fit the beliefs of another will be ignored and the belief will continue to be advocated by the other.
The community of truth seekers will allow for rational decision making based on facts and careful review of possible outcomes of selected solutions to a particular issue or problem. Beliefs will give way to truth. Bad decisions based on possible faulty beliefs will be reduced, which affects all of us -- especially when beliefs impact the economics of all within the truth-seeking community.
Also, there will be an increase in respect, willingness to listen, and creativity in generating solutions. However, this will never happen successfully unless the egotism of the self is completely eliminated or minimized. I believe there is real truth in: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good,” and then “the truth will set you free."
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
What:
A child is born, and begins his/her journey to death and return to dust. Learning would seem to be initially almost 100% experience based. But is it? Guardians of the young are quite limiting. Keep the precious one safe! Do not let him be around machinery.
There is the training following the values of the Guardians. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” and “the truth will set you free."
And then begins expansion into the official learning processes of the education system. Guardian influence begins to be in competition with books, instructors and pressures exerted by peers and personages chosen to be mentors and to emulate.
Finally, the acceleration of time leads to the career, the marriage, the children, the passing of the Guardians, and the ultimate end of life.
At all times, the person is with a community and often is in several communities at one particular period in time. However, I maintain that the one community which is most important to inhabit is always be a seeker of truth because decisions are based on one’s perception of truth surrounding each decision.
So What:
Limiting access to machinery means poor knowledge of things mechanical and poor skills in fixing things. American history instructors said America is the land of opportunity. O gee, it was forgotten to mention that one fall day in 1918, the German citizens of the hometown were deprived of their German newspaper with the destruction of the presses by 500 fellow citizens from a neighboring town, and the invaded citizenry was forced to sign loyalty pledges, and further demonstrate their patriotism/loyalty by the purchase of war bonds based on their perceived wealth. O yes, a Guardian did say that, “One day, father came home and said German will no longer be spoken in this house.” No German language skills!
So truth is hidden many times with obvious impacts latter in life as to knowledge and skills. However, there is another element of truth which is even more important. Truth is often obliterated by belief.
Belief is often associated with the egotism of the self. Seeking truth has to develop the awareness of all the capacities of the self. Seek out the opinions of others and explore the possibilities of the roots of others’ positions. Such exchanges will eventually develop the whole human being.
And another outcome is that awareness of issues will perhaps focus everyone to conclude that there really is a problem which does need to be addressed. And more importantly, if the full capacities of the self have been developed, a review of the various solutions will increase knowledge of all, and result in better decision making because the possible positive and negative outcomes of each solution can be reviewed in a more impartial setting.
Now What:
Currently, research indicates that facts which do not fit the beliefs of another will be ignored and the belief will continue to be advocated by the other.
The community of truth seekers will allow for rational decision making based on facts and careful review of possible outcomes of selected solutions to a particular issue or problem. Beliefs will give way to truth. Bad decisions based on possible faulty beliefs will be reduced, which affects all of us -- especially when beliefs impact the economics of all within the truth-seeking community.
Also, there will be an increase in respect, willingness to listen, and creativity in generating solutions. However, this will never happen successfully unless the egotism of the self is completely eliminated or minimized. I believe there is real truth in: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good,” and then “the truth will set you free."
Community as Family, Family as Community
By Pete Anderheggen
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
My metaphor of "community as family" derives from several sources, the most recent being the one above that accompanies one of Brian Andreas’s illustrated stories.
I have two other sources. The first comes from Museum of Modern Art’s 1955 exhibition of photographs collected by Edward Steichen, entitled "The Family of Man." Published as a book, the collections consists of 503 pictures from 68 countries. At the time, it was considered, and I still consider it, one of the greatest of photographic collections ever assembled. The second inspiration comes from Hillary Clinton’s book title, It Takes a Village, suggesting that no person is raised in isolation from his or her community. The community is therefore, in a sense, the child’s family.
It seems to me that this metaphor of "community as family" gives us a powerful tool for positive caring and productivity. It brings the idea of love into the conversation. We are, after all, expected to love our families and admonished to love one another. Certainly not all, but equally certainly, there are many, many very successful family enterprises. We already begin with a proven tool. Family enterprises can be, and often are, very successful.
And the metaphor works in several ways. If we think of the members of our community as our family members, we are more inclined (in most instances) to "cut them some slack." If we think of them as family members, we are more likely to remember our obligation to love and maintain harmony. Consequently our community, no matter what our enterprise, has a much greater chance of success.
Now, of course, some might immediately want to impose certain structures and strictures on such a metaphor -- parent, child, obediance by children, authority of parents. But the concept of family is much larger than this. When we think of family in the larger sense, we immediately see that family does not even require immediate blood relatives. We have in-laws and we consider them family. We have grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins once, twice and thrice removed. And they are all family. Although I am suggesting family as a metaphor for community, it may be more fact than metaphor. I seem to recall that we have had some high-profile people in the government who have proven to be related.
In an article last September, the Chicago Sun-Times laid out Obama’s ancestry – including the genealogical, if not spiritual, relationship between Obama and Vice President Dick Cheney. According to the newspaper, they are ninth cousins once removed, with their common ancestor being Mareen Duvall, a French Huguenot who settled in Maryland in the mid-1600s. In an Oct. 16 interview on MSNBC, Lynne Cheney confirmed the connection, based on extensive research she did for her latest book, Blue Skies, No Fences. However, she calculates that Obama and Cheney are eighth cousins, one degree closer than the Sun-Times has it (Wikipedia). Whether or not it is eighth or ninth cousin, they are still family. They might do well, and we might all benefit from, their remembering this.
What is it about families that make them special? In close families, there is familiarity -- whether it is positive or negative. And that familiarity allows some sense of ease in a strange and sometimes difficult world. With regard to families that are not geographically close (my mother’s brother’s children some whom I have never met and others whom I have not seen in 40 years), the very fact that we are related, that we are family, gives some motivation to make them special. I am willing to look for and appreciate our connections. If we could give some of that same appreciation and attention to people for whom we are not aware of connection, we would go a long way to developing harmonious community and all the benefits that flow from harmony.
So I suggest thinking of community as family. It has power and it is based in indesputable fact. Both maternal mtDNA and paternal Y-chromosome show that everyone carries genetic code of African origin. Humans’differing physical features – blonde or black hair, round or slanted eyes – are the effects of millennia of climactic influence and natural selection. We share a common genetic ancestry that far outweighs physical differences – 99.9 percent of all DNA is the same. Yet this does not prevent discrimination from infesting all corners of the world. To check discrimination’s advance, teachers could start by sharing with their students such scientific findings mentioned above. While knowledge alone cannot prevent prejudice, its spread can dampen the effect and show that we are interconnected not only through globalization, but also through ancestry. (Wikipedia)
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
“I don’t think of it as working for world peace, he said. I think of it as just trying to get along in a big strange family.”
-- Brian Andreas, Drawing, 2003
-- Brian Andreas, Drawing, 2003
My metaphor of "community as family" derives from several sources, the most recent being the one above that accompanies one of Brian Andreas’s illustrated stories.
I have two other sources. The first comes from Museum of Modern Art’s 1955 exhibition of photographs collected by Edward Steichen, entitled "The Family of Man." Published as a book, the collections consists of 503 pictures from 68 countries. At the time, it was considered, and I still consider it, one of the greatest of photographic collections ever assembled. The second inspiration comes from Hillary Clinton’s book title, It Takes a Village, suggesting that no person is raised in isolation from his or her community. The community is therefore, in a sense, the child’s family.
It seems to me that this metaphor of "community as family" gives us a powerful tool for positive caring and productivity. It brings the idea of love into the conversation. We are, after all, expected to love our families and admonished to love one another. Certainly not all, but equally certainly, there are many, many very successful family enterprises. We already begin with a proven tool. Family enterprises can be, and often are, very successful.
And the metaphor works in several ways. If we think of the members of our community as our family members, we are more inclined (in most instances) to "cut them some slack." If we think of them as family members, we are more likely to remember our obligation to love and maintain harmony. Consequently our community, no matter what our enterprise, has a much greater chance of success.
Now, of course, some might immediately want to impose certain structures and strictures on such a metaphor -- parent, child, obediance by children, authority of parents. But the concept of family is much larger than this. When we think of family in the larger sense, we immediately see that family does not even require immediate blood relatives. We have in-laws and we consider them family. We have grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins once, twice and thrice removed. And they are all family. Although I am suggesting family as a metaphor for community, it may be more fact than metaphor. I seem to recall that we have had some high-profile people in the government who have proven to be related.
In an article last September, the Chicago Sun-Times laid out Obama’s ancestry – including the genealogical, if not spiritual, relationship between Obama and Vice President Dick Cheney. According to the newspaper, they are ninth cousins once removed, with their common ancestor being Mareen Duvall, a French Huguenot who settled in Maryland in the mid-1600s. In an Oct. 16 interview on MSNBC, Lynne Cheney confirmed the connection, based on extensive research she did for her latest book, Blue Skies, No Fences. However, she calculates that Obama and Cheney are eighth cousins, one degree closer than the Sun-Times has it (Wikipedia). Whether or not it is eighth or ninth cousin, they are still family. They might do well, and we might all benefit from, their remembering this.
What is it about families that make them special? In close families, there is familiarity -- whether it is positive or negative. And that familiarity allows some sense of ease in a strange and sometimes difficult world. With regard to families that are not geographically close (my mother’s brother’s children some whom I have never met and others whom I have not seen in 40 years), the very fact that we are related, that we are family, gives some motivation to make them special. I am willing to look for and appreciate our connections. If we could give some of that same appreciation and attention to people for whom we are not aware of connection, we would go a long way to developing harmonious community and all the benefits that flow from harmony.
So I suggest thinking of community as family. It has power and it is based in indesputable fact. Both maternal mtDNA and paternal Y-chromosome show that everyone carries genetic code of African origin. Humans’differing physical features – blonde or black hair, round or slanted eyes – are the effects of millennia of climactic influence and natural selection. We share a common genetic ancestry that far outweighs physical differences – 99.9 percent of all DNA is the same. Yet this does not prevent discrimination from infesting all corners of the world. To check discrimination’s advance, teachers could start by sharing with their students such scientific findings mentioned above. While knowledge alone cannot prevent prejudice, its spread can dampen the effect and show that we are interconnected not only through globalization, but also through ancestry. (Wikipedia)
Thinking about Community ...
By Jeffrey Wilson
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
February 24, 2012 -- Friday morning, 6:30 a.m. and I decided to take a peek at this week's writing assignment, and suddenly I realized I wasn't listening to Steve as close as I should have. I was both distracted and amused at how different people see things. A movie, screened at class, message, and a fine one it was, seemed so clear to me. But a fine gentleman and fellow classmate got a totally different message, and as he made his point, to use a 60s term, "it blew me away." Made me realize that we all see things differently, act differently and are different and I guess that's the beauty of community.
Multilayered, multicolored etc, just "multi" -- in general. His comments were so far from what I thought was a very simple message -- return local economies, think globally, act locally, etc. etc. -- that I got distracted. So I've decided to do a free-form, sort-of-jazz response to your community assignment.
Community, COMMUNITY, community cOmMuNiTy
C Common Good
O Outside, Always thinking and acting outside the box, a smart thinking community is always looking many generations into the future
M Mutual Respect, Mutual respect and caring for the beauty of the different economic, social and ethnic cultures within the community
M Multi Multi-directions in positive ways, social, infrastructure, educational, cultural, and on and on
U User Friendly Easy one, user-friendly
N Nurturing Nurturing, take any good seed from anywhere and grow it. The most important, your most valuable resource, your children. But all resources from any direction if they are good, need to be nurtured. Your community's future and the nurturing of it is the children's future, and yours too
I Interest Interest breeds success and growth. It gets people out and involved
T Transparency Transparency, in the new totally linked world, there can be no "good old boys club" and "backroom politics," if true community growth is the goal
Y Yours Yours, never forget that the community is yours, and that GREAT GIFT brings a stewardship responsibility. Where you live is where you grow, so always aspire to be great, in your people, your infrastructure, your museums, your parks, your schools, and on and on. Wherever your eye takes you within your community and beyond, is where you should be seeking out greatness and in doing that, you end up with community, in its truest sense!
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
February 24, 2012 -- Friday morning, 6:30 a.m. and I decided to take a peek at this week's writing assignment, and suddenly I realized I wasn't listening to Steve as close as I should have. I was both distracted and amused at how different people see things. A movie, screened at class, message, and a fine one it was, seemed so clear to me. But a fine gentleman and fellow classmate got a totally different message, and as he made his point, to use a 60s term, "it blew me away." Made me realize that we all see things differently, act differently and are different and I guess that's the beauty of community.
Multilayered, multicolored etc, just "multi" -- in general. His comments were so far from what I thought was a very simple message -- return local economies, think globally, act locally, etc. etc. -- that I got distracted. So I've decided to do a free-form, sort-of-jazz response to your community assignment.
Community, COMMUNITY, community cOmMuNiTy
C Common Good
O Outside, Always thinking and acting outside the box, a smart thinking community is always looking many generations into the future
M Mutual Respect, Mutual respect and caring for the beauty of the different economic, social and ethnic cultures within the community
M Multi Multi-directions in positive ways, social, infrastructure, educational, cultural, and on and on
U User Friendly Easy one, user-friendly
N Nurturing Nurturing, take any good seed from anywhere and grow it. The most important, your most valuable resource, your children. But all resources from any direction if they are good, need to be nurtured. Your community's future and the nurturing of it is the children's future, and yours too
I Interest Interest breeds success and growth. It gets people out and involved
T Transparency Transparency, in the new totally linked world, there can be no "good old boys club" and "backroom politics," if true community growth is the goal
Y Yours Yours, never forget that the community is yours, and that GREAT GIFT brings a stewardship responsibility. Where you live is where you grow, so always aspire to be great, in your people, your infrastructure, your museums, your parks, your schools, and on and on. Wherever your eye takes you within your community and beyond, is where you should be seeking out greatness and in doing that, you end up with community, in its truest sense!
Community as ... Centering
By Richard Kupstis
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Any kind of community needs compromise and cooperation. I saw a connection from my own art in this poem ... "Centering".
I make pots
Clay and a spinning wheel
My pots are a community
Of vessels from a common source.
Clay, of proper consistency
Can be spun to:
Plates, saucers, bowels, cups, vases and ewers
Other forms as well.
For this to happen
The clay must be centered.
Moved to the center at equilibrium.
A community of dinnerware can only occur
If clay has been centered first,
Then opened,
Expanded and shaped,
Fired and glazed.
To make a community;
A set of dinnerware.
We live in communities
That also require centering
Through compromise and cooperation.
Will our clay be:
The Arts, Local Business, Technology, Education,
Or something else?
Who(m) will center?
An individual or group.
Who will create equilibrium?
Compromise Cooperate.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Any kind of community needs compromise and cooperation. I saw a connection from my own art in this poem ... "Centering".
CENTERING
I make pots
Clay and a spinning wheel
My pots are a community
Of vessels from a common source.
Clay, of proper consistency
Can be spun to:
Plates, saucers, bowels, cups, vases and ewers
Other forms as well.
For this to happen
The clay must be centered.
Moved to the center at equilibrium.
A community of dinnerware can only occur
If clay has been centered first,
Then opened,
Expanded and shaped,
Fired and glazed.
To make a community;
A set of dinnerware.
We live in communities
That also require centering
Through compromise and cooperation.
Will our clay be:
The Arts, Local Business, Technology, Education,
Or something else?
Who(m) will center?
An individual or group.
Who will create equilibrium?
Compromise Cooperate.
Community as ... House Party
By Jesse Bendler
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
A poem
The community is not the house in which it is held
the collaboration of efforts is how it does meld
together are the people for a better evening
a place for enjoyment, happiness and no grieving
so gather them in and ill recant on how
to make fruitful a community it all starts now
The party is a place to enjoy yourself
The party is dead without resources
But in a party care not only for self
Or your buggy has lost all its horses
Come one come all you’re all welcome here
Just have a good time, please pass me a beer
You share one good beer a Samuel Adams octoberfest
Now the host readily remembers that one guy
Who gave his buddy the brew, he shouts “good eye!”
Positive regard for the host providing
an environment so outstanding
now I know there’ll be no fighting
and no need for reprimanding
the people came in to enjoy the time
meet new friends, existence so fine
most brought a couple brew
others couldn’t swing it
those who couldn’t were only a few
they can have this yingling, yeah
Those who didn’t bring a drink to sip
Were not thrown out for lacking the stuff
Because was they who brought the pizza and chips
We understand that times are tough
And sharing what you have is the whole point
Be it a pizza a beer or a toke on the joint
Create the environment that you want to be in,
Cuz the party ain’t over, and you’re not leaving
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
A poem
The community is not the house in which it is held
the collaboration of efforts is how it does meld
together are the people for a better evening
a place for enjoyment, happiness and no grieving
so gather them in and ill recant on how
to make fruitful a community it all starts now
The party is a place to enjoy yourself
The party is dead without resources
But in a party care not only for self
Or your buggy has lost all its horses
Come one come all you’re all welcome here
Just have a good time, please pass me a beer
You share one good beer a Samuel Adams octoberfest
Now the host readily remembers that one guy
Who gave his buddy the brew, he shouts “good eye!”
Positive regard for the host providing
an environment so outstanding
now I know there’ll be no fighting
and no need for reprimanding
the people came in to enjoy the time
meet new friends, existence so fine
most brought a couple brew
others couldn’t swing it
those who couldn’t were only a few
they can have this yingling, yeah
Those who didn’t bring a drink to sip
Were not thrown out for lacking the stuff
Because was they who brought the pizza and chips
We understand that times are tough
And sharing what you have is the whole point
Be it a pizza a beer or a toke on the joint
Create the environment that you want to be in,
Cuz the party ain’t over, and you’re not leaving
Community
By Andrew Beaudoin
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community is as what community does
It’s where I am and where I was
It can be solid or it can be symbolic
But making it your own, now that is the trick
It's neither here nor there
Neither abundant or rare
Something independent
Or something you share
It is what you make it
It is what you feel
Make it your own
Then it will be real
This is a quick poem that I wrote, now some can criticize the lack of poetic figures, like metaphors, symbols, in-depth language, etc. But to me, it gets the point across in an easy way. I wrote it very quickly because I like to use the first ideas that come to my head, exactly how they arrive. Otherwise, you start changing things and it ends up nothing how you intended. I believe to always go with your first instinct because it shows what you truly feel. Basically, this poem describes community as a constant personal change. The first stanza explains and basically says: Community is everywhere you are, and everywhere you have been. It was the house/city I grew up in, all the schools I attended, and where I live and what I’m doing right now. And within these communities, it's up to you to make it your own. By this, I don’t mean change, because you can't physically change the community, but you can change and make the experience. For example, you can't change the city you grew up in, but the way you lived in it, the way you explored it, etc., can make it personal to yourself.
The second verse is an extension of this first. It is basically saying: It is constantly changing and you may be within a community for a long time, or a short time, but there will always be more than one ... and, most times, it doesn’t last forever. For example, my school communities have changed, as right now I am a member of the UConn community, but I won't be forever once I graduate. In addition, what I mean by it being independent or something you share, is that it is also an extension of how you experience the community. If you keep to yourself and don’t explore and make it a unique experience, you will fall under the independent category. But if you explore, meet people, work together for new ideas and change, the community is thus shared. It is basically being by yourself and independent versus experiencing it with the other people around you within the same community.
The last stanza basically bring these ideas together. It's very easy to read -- simple and understandable. Exactly what a community should be to you. It essentially is what you make it, just like life; life is what you make of it. Same thing for your community -- if you ignore it and do not care and treat it as a place you just “live” in or “work” in, etc., then it will be a really boring and bland place to be. Where as if you make the best of it and live in it exactly how you want to, it will be exciting and you will love everything about it. Life is your own choice. You choose the path you wish to walk, and you choose the community you are a part of. Because you have control over what community you wish to join, you should join one you will be happy with and thus you will do everything within it 100% and you can essentially call it you own. Within these concepts is "change," as well. Community, again, is constantly changing and some may last longer than others; and most aren’t forever. Because of this, you can’t just sit on it and expect it to some and be a great place.
Moral of the poem -- and the moral of community itself, just like life -- it is what you make it.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community is as what community does
It’s where I am and where I was
It can be solid or it can be symbolic
But making it your own, now that is the trick
It's neither here nor there
Neither abundant or rare
Something independent
Or something you share
It is what you make it
It is what you feel
Make it your own
Then it will be real
This is a quick poem that I wrote, now some can criticize the lack of poetic figures, like metaphors, symbols, in-depth language, etc. But to me, it gets the point across in an easy way. I wrote it very quickly because I like to use the first ideas that come to my head, exactly how they arrive. Otherwise, you start changing things and it ends up nothing how you intended. I believe to always go with your first instinct because it shows what you truly feel. Basically, this poem describes community as a constant personal change. The first stanza explains and basically says: Community is everywhere you are, and everywhere you have been. It was the house/city I grew up in, all the schools I attended, and where I live and what I’m doing right now. And within these communities, it's up to you to make it your own. By this, I don’t mean change, because you can't physically change the community, but you can change and make the experience. For example, you can't change the city you grew up in, but the way you lived in it, the way you explored it, etc., can make it personal to yourself.
The second verse is an extension of this first. It is basically saying: It is constantly changing and you may be within a community for a long time, or a short time, but there will always be more than one ... and, most times, it doesn’t last forever. For example, my school communities have changed, as right now I am a member of the UConn community, but I won't be forever once I graduate. In addition, what I mean by it being independent or something you share, is that it is also an extension of how you experience the community. If you keep to yourself and don’t explore and make it a unique experience, you will fall under the independent category. But if you explore, meet people, work together for new ideas and change, the community is thus shared. It is basically being by yourself and independent versus experiencing it with the other people around you within the same community.
The last stanza basically bring these ideas together. It's very easy to read -- simple and understandable. Exactly what a community should be to you. It essentially is what you make it, just like life; life is what you make of it. Same thing for your community -- if you ignore it and do not care and treat it as a place you just “live” in or “work” in, etc., then it will be a really boring and bland place to be. Where as if you make the best of it and live in it exactly how you want to, it will be exciting and you will love everything about it. Life is your own choice. You choose the path you wish to walk, and you choose the community you are a part of. Because you have control over what community you wish to join, you should join one you will be happy with and thus you will do everything within it 100% and you can essentially call it you own. Within these concepts is "change," as well. Community, again, is constantly changing and some may last longer than others; and most aren’t forever. Because of this, you can’t just sit on it and expect it to some and be a great place.
Moral of the poem -- and the moral of community itself, just like life -- it is what you make it.
Community as ... People
By Jason Vargas
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
We, as people of the human race, have formed communities in order to establish areas where people of similar ideals or beliefs can live together, essentially forming enclaves that may become a nation. I have learned that people are what makes a community. Communities that have involvement of its citizens in the active care, preparation and entertainment of their town/city are usually the most ideal communities.
In these communities, people work together to create and develop their town/city into a lively gathering of people. The reason that this idea of community matters is because having the involvement of people as a community is such a wonderful quality that every town/city should have. When people work together to better their community, it creates a warmth that everyone wants to be part of. Would you rather live in a community where everyone knows one another and it is a lively, happy place; or one in which nobody actively participates in the community and it is an unsatisfying area to live in?
The more that people are involved with one another and the happier they are in their communities, the more they can accomplish and the better their moods will be. I’m sure many of us have visited a really nice town/city and wished we could live there; not necessarily because it is a rich community, but rather because it is an ideal community to live in.
If all the communities in the world were ones of happiness and involvement, where people helped one another and created things to better their communities, then the world would be a better place. If we adopt this sense of community, then perhaps many people would live happier lives and not stress out so much.
I can’t say that this is the ideal utopia, but at least it is a start. If I talked with others about what I think is the best way for "Community as People" to happen, then perhaps it’ll broaden their views of people in a community and may allow them to become active members.
Humans are social beings by nature and the more socialization we have, the stronger our bonds will be. Strong bonds will lead to friendships ... and, hopefully, friendships will create peace and allow communities to truly shine.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
We, as people of the human race, have formed communities in order to establish areas where people of similar ideals or beliefs can live together, essentially forming enclaves that may become a nation. I have learned that people are what makes a community. Communities that have involvement of its citizens in the active care, preparation and entertainment of their town/city are usually the most ideal communities.
In these communities, people work together to create and develop their town/city into a lively gathering of people. The reason that this idea of community matters is because having the involvement of people as a community is such a wonderful quality that every town/city should have. When people work together to better their community, it creates a warmth that everyone wants to be part of. Would you rather live in a community where everyone knows one another and it is a lively, happy place; or one in which nobody actively participates in the community and it is an unsatisfying area to live in?
The more that people are involved with one another and the happier they are in their communities, the more they can accomplish and the better their moods will be. I’m sure many of us have visited a really nice town/city and wished we could live there; not necessarily because it is a rich community, but rather because it is an ideal community to live in.
If all the communities in the world were ones of happiness and involvement, where people helped one another and created things to better their communities, then the world would be a better place. If we adopt this sense of community, then perhaps many people would live happier lives and not stress out so much.
I can’t say that this is the ideal utopia, but at least it is a start. If I talked with others about what I think is the best way for "Community as People" to happen, then perhaps it’ll broaden their views of people in a community and may allow them to become active members.
Humans are social beings by nature and the more socialization we have, the stronger our bonds will be. Strong bonds will lead to friendships ... and, hopefully, friendships will create peace and allow communities to truly shine.
Community Is ...
By Christina Johnson
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community as friendship ...
Community as belonging ...
Community as unity ...
Community as home ...
Community as work ...
Community as religion ...
Community as education ...
Community as choice ...
When I see the word "community," two other words come to mind -- common and unity. Community is anything that unites a group of people, small or large, around a similar or common ground. As a child, community consisted of where and with whom we would ride our bikes in summer or whose doorbell we would ring first when school was cancelled for snow. It was about the people, not the place. Today, community is who I choose to spend time with, where I choose to be and what I choose to do.
Community is the place where you feel most at home and the people you feel most at home with. It doesn’t stop at the borders of a town. In fact, it’s borderless. The word "community" doesn’t represent a place, but the feeling of belonging. It’s knowing that you are where you want to be, where you choose to be and with the people who also choose to be there. That’s what unites us all -- common ground, common needs, common desires, likes and dislikes. This common ground can bring a group of people together and also push them very far apart.
There is no definition of what or who community should include. I have certainly learned that my family community, the people I know by blood relation, is probably a group of people I would not necessarily choose to know in my life. This is not to say I don’t love or connect with them, but if we did not have that common ground of family relation, we really wouldn’t have much else in common. Our interests lie in other places, but yet we stay bonded because we all came from the same starting point together and that’s what keeps us united. My friends are the people I have chosen to surround myself with, they are a different kind of community to me. They are the people who share my interests, needs and wants and we come together over those things. Our class is a community, had we not all had a common need for this class, whether that need was fulfilling a requirement for graduation or a desire to push yourself past the point that you were at when we started, we most likely wouldn’t find ourselves sitting together once a week having vibrant discussions.
This idea of community gives us all the satisfaction of belonging. When we meet another person or group of people who share our needs and interests we realize that we are not alone in this world and that is a very necessary, very pleasant feeling. Our society can be a very cold place. It can be a battle to get through the mundane work days or to get through a crisis of some sort, which we will all experience at one point or another. Having a group of like-minded people who support you and care about your well being can give you the strength to get through the ugly points in life. Life in general is not easy, many times it’s not at all fun, but having people to lean on or give you a friendly gesture makes it so much brighter. Without that we would all be floating along doing what we must and then we would die. Life without community is not what I would call a fulfilled life at all.
Knowing what we have learned so far about community, as well as all we still have to learn, it’s important that we take this information and use it to our advantage. There is no excuse for not making the most of what we have. Even when we have very little, having people to share it with changes your perspective. Although I believe many have adopted this idea of community, many are not enough. All of us need to adopt the idea that we are not alone, we are responsible for each other and we have others around us who know exactly how we feel and exactly what we need and want. Social networking is an excellent example of taking advantage of community. It allows us to expand our communities across the world. It allows us to reach someone who could be lost without that simple connection to another who understands them.
I once heard a bereavement counselor explain that it only takes one person to make a huge impact in someone’s life. Everything in our lives and in our society is done on such a grand, oversized scale these days that it is easy to slip into the mindset that we are helpless to what is happening around us and around the world. It’s easy to give up and forget that we have the ability to change anything around us if we want to and I can guarantee that if you want it changed someone else does, too. If we all very simply step outside of that and look at the small ways we can make an impact, it will inspire social change. This activity reminded me of the phrase, “the personal is political.” It took me a very long time to understand what that means, but I now understand that if you want to stop world hunger, you have to feed someone. That goes right to the heart of what community is and what it can do. You don’t need to sell your home and donate the money; you just need to share what you can within your community and watch a real change take place.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community as friendship ...
Community as belonging ...
Community as unity ...
Community as home ...
Community as work ...
Community as religion ...
Community as education ...
Community as choice ...
When I see the word "community," two other words come to mind -- common and unity. Community is anything that unites a group of people, small or large, around a similar or common ground. As a child, community consisted of where and with whom we would ride our bikes in summer or whose doorbell we would ring first when school was cancelled for snow. It was about the people, not the place. Today, community is who I choose to spend time with, where I choose to be and what I choose to do.
Community is the place where you feel most at home and the people you feel most at home with. It doesn’t stop at the borders of a town. In fact, it’s borderless. The word "community" doesn’t represent a place, but the feeling of belonging. It’s knowing that you are where you want to be, where you choose to be and with the people who also choose to be there. That’s what unites us all -- common ground, common needs, common desires, likes and dislikes. This common ground can bring a group of people together and also push them very far apart.
There is no definition of what or who community should include. I have certainly learned that my family community, the people I know by blood relation, is probably a group of people I would not necessarily choose to know in my life. This is not to say I don’t love or connect with them, but if we did not have that common ground of family relation, we really wouldn’t have much else in common. Our interests lie in other places, but yet we stay bonded because we all came from the same starting point together and that’s what keeps us united. My friends are the people I have chosen to surround myself with, they are a different kind of community to me. They are the people who share my interests, needs and wants and we come together over those things. Our class is a community, had we not all had a common need for this class, whether that need was fulfilling a requirement for graduation or a desire to push yourself past the point that you were at when we started, we most likely wouldn’t find ourselves sitting together once a week having vibrant discussions.
This idea of community gives us all the satisfaction of belonging. When we meet another person or group of people who share our needs and interests we realize that we are not alone in this world and that is a very necessary, very pleasant feeling. Our society can be a very cold place. It can be a battle to get through the mundane work days or to get through a crisis of some sort, which we will all experience at one point or another. Having a group of like-minded people who support you and care about your well being can give you the strength to get through the ugly points in life. Life in general is not easy, many times it’s not at all fun, but having people to lean on or give you a friendly gesture makes it so much brighter. Without that we would all be floating along doing what we must and then we would die. Life without community is not what I would call a fulfilled life at all.
Knowing what we have learned so far about community, as well as all we still have to learn, it’s important that we take this information and use it to our advantage. There is no excuse for not making the most of what we have. Even when we have very little, having people to share it with changes your perspective. Although I believe many have adopted this idea of community, many are not enough. All of us need to adopt the idea that we are not alone, we are responsible for each other and we have others around us who know exactly how we feel and exactly what we need and want. Social networking is an excellent example of taking advantage of community. It allows us to expand our communities across the world. It allows us to reach someone who could be lost without that simple connection to another who understands them.
I once heard a bereavement counselor explain that it only takes one person to make a huge impact in someone’s life. Everything in our lives and in our society is done on such a grand, oversized scale these days that it is easy to slip into the mindset that we are helpless to what is happening around us and around the world. It’s easy to give up and forget that we have the ability to change anything around us if we want to and I can guarantee that if you want it changed someone else does, too. If we all very simply step outside of that and look at the small ways we can make an impact, it will inspire social change. This activity reminded me of the phrase, “the personal is political.” It took me a very long time to understand what that means, but I now understand that if you want to stop world hunger, you have to feed someone. That goes right to the heart of what community is and what it can do. You don’t need to sell your home and donate the money; you just need to share what you can within your community and watch a real change take place.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Community: Make a Change
By Karen Faass
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
The Respect Quilt idea was brought to Cromwell Middle School to make an awareness of how some people are treated and that all individuals want to be accepted. This was a “hands-on” activity involving every 8th grade student. It was the intent from the beginning to make this project student-driven. We wanted all students to feel important and special in creating a piece of art that brought a very serious message…respecting others. The students needed to see that out of nothing (a blank quilt) so much can be accomplished if everyone works together. Much beauty can occur and positive changes can happen ... they are the leaders and ... they can “make a change."
This very concept was used as a medium in promoting another project entitled Olweus. This program is designed to stop bullying and to bring an awareness of the devastating effect it has on individuals. Implementing this program is a continuation of the solidarity in our school community to “make a change."
The programs do not stop there…conversations are taking place to have students make a video with regard to the Respect Quilt and “bullying” program.
Everyone is a part of this school community and, when working together, it becomes healthier, stronger and cohesive for all. We can “make a change."
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
The Respect Quilt idea was brought to Cromwell Middle School to make an awareness of how some people are treated and that all individuals want to be accepted. This was a “hands-on” activity involving every 8th grade student. It was the intent from the beginning to make this project student-driven. We wanted all students to feel important and special in creating a piece of art that brought a very serious message…respecting others. The students needed to see that out of nothing (a blank quilt) so much can be accomplished if everyone works together. Much beauty can occur and positive changes can happen ... they are the leaders and ... they can “make a change."
This very concept was used as a medium in promoting another project entitled Olweus. This program is designed to stop bullying and to bring an awareness of the devastating effect it has on individuals. Implementing this program is a continuation of the solidarity in our school community to “make a change."
The programs do not stop there…conversations are taking place to have students make a video with regard to the Respect Quilt and “bullying” program.
Everyone is a part of this school community and, when working together, it becomes healthier, stronger and cohesive for all. We can “make a change."
Monday, November 14, 2011
Commentary: Contribution to 'We Are the 99 Percent'
By Matt Kilbourn
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
9 November 2011
We are lucky!
We have a healthy family.
I have a good union job and my wife works part-time.
We have benefits.
We are both educated.
We have shelter.
Layoffs?
Future?
Retirement?
We are the 99%. Thank you for all the Occupy Movements happening around the world! You are being heard.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
9 November 2011
We are lucky!
We have a healthy family.
I have a good union job and my wife works part-time.
We have benefits.
We are both educated.
We have shelter.
Layoffs?
Future?
Retirement?
We are the 99%. Thank you for all the Occupy Movements happening around the world! You are being heard.
Community as People
By Matt Kilbourn
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
When you looked tired, we stepped in
We gave you warmth
You showered
You ran laundry
When you were without, we stepped in
You charged your devices
You checked e-mails
You checked the news
When you needed help, we stepped in
We shared our heat
We shared our showers
We shared our laundry
When we need help, you lent your hand
You helped with yard clean up
We removed fallen branches
We drove away the debris
We opened our home, Our home was your home
Our shared home made you feel human again
We are friends, we are community
- November 2, 2011
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
When you looked tired, we stepped in
We gave you warmth
You showered
You ran laundry
When you were without, we stepped in
You charged your devices
You checked e-mails
You checked the news
When you needed help, we stepped in
We shared our heat
We shared our showers
We shared our laundry
When we need help, you lent your hand
You helped with yard clean up
We removed fallen branches
We drove away the debris
We opened our home, Our home was your home
Our shared home made you feel human again
We are friends, we are community
- November 2, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Community as a Collaborative Home
By Rachel Holden
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Community as Shelter
By Thomas Norman
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community as ...
Shelter. When I think of community it provides me with an image of shelter. A safe haven for those who dwell within the community and call it home. We are all familiar with the definition of home and most can relate to the reality of owning a home or have lived within one. However, there is a greater home that exist outside the comforts of our living rooms and bedrooms. We all dwell in some sort of community. Rather rural, suburban, or urban, or it can be a collection of individuals who share a common interest or some sort of goal. No matter the definition, one can relate a community to a having a family. Typically with family there is level of trust and commitment to the development and nurturing of the family. This concept also exist within the constructs of a community.
A community should embody the same concepts as family based on the premise that a community is a gathering of those who share a common lifestyle. When I think of the ideal community I envision a strong and solid structure capable of protecting its citizens, especially in those times of hardships. Shelter is something we all need to protect us from the natural elements of life. Rather from the rain or the coldness of winter, shelter is a necessity to ensure the safety of the occupants. Within communities there are occupants who are less fortunate than others and those who face difficult life situations. It is during these times that one should be able to lean on the pillars of the shelter that is the community. A community should embody the concept of shared sacrifice and shared responsibility. If one is without, the community should step in to ensure its occupant is provided with what he/she needs. This is what sustains a community and keeps a community viable and strong. A community must provide a trusting shelter to those who live within it. If one cannot depend on its shelter, he or she will find another and abandon the weakened shelter that was unfit to provide a safe dwelling.
There are many weak communities within our society. We have communities that are falling apart due to the lack of trust in that community. If someone does not believe in the community that they live in, why expect them to stay? If someone is living in a home in which they cannot trust the integrity of the roofing, then why would they stay to witness the roof collapse upon them? The same concept is relatable to communities. If one does not believe in the integrity of their community and does not trust the inhabits, then why should they continue to live and support the community in which they have no trust? Should they wait until the roof collapses on them as well? Should someone dwell within an area that they feel is unsafe and unfit for their children to be raised in? The community must be a shelter. Strong in structure and trusting in integrity. With a trusting shelter, a community can thrive and be a safe and lasting home for generations. I see a community as a roof and the residents as the families that dwell beneath it.
A community can provide many forms of support as long as the residents within the community embody the concept of shared responsibility. Each member of a community must contribute to the durability and strengthening of the community. If someone within the community becomes a weak link in the chain, the very next link must strengthen its hold so the links that follow will not lose integrity. There is strength in numbers and the more families we have dedicated to a community the better chance a community has at sustaining its relevance. Each member of a community must contribute to the strengthening of the shelter. Rather its brick by brick, meaning each member must take the time to develop relationships within the community, that way a genuine trust is develop.
With this trust development comes love. Love for one another is the shelter’s insurance policy. When and if the shelter begins to lose integrity, there will be something tangible that exist to keep the shelter together in the midst of the most troubling of times. Love is what keeps communities thriving for years and years. Once love is removed, the shelter is no longer insured to its inhabitants. Hatred and negativity will engulf the community and cause those who live within it to leave and seek new shelter within different communities. This is a theme all too familiar with many communities throughout our society. We have to rediscover a love for one another which will translate into our communities, and all those who have lost faith in our communities to return and invest in them.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community as ...
Shelter. When I think of community it provides me with an image of shelter. A safe haven for those who dwell within the community and call it home. We are all familiar with the definition of home and most can relate to the reality of owning a home or have lived within one. However, there is a greater home that exist outside the comforts of our living rooms and bedrooms. We all dwell in some sort of community. Rather rural, suburban, or urban, or it can be a collection of individuals who share a common interest or some sort of goal. No matter the definition, one can relate a community to a having a family. Typically with family there is level of trust and commitment to the development and nurturing of the family. This concept also exist within the constructs of a community.
A community should embody the same concepts as family based on the premise that a community is a gathering of those who share a common lifestyle. When I think of the ideal community I envision a strong and solid structure capable of protecting its citizens, especially in those times of hardships. Shelter is something we all need to protect us from the natural elements of life. Rather from the rain or the coldness of winter, shelter is a necessity to ensure the safety of the occupants. Within communities there are occupants who are less fortunate than others and those who face difficult life situations. It is during these times that one should be able to lean on the pillars of the shelter that is the community. A community should embody the concept of shared sacrifice and shared responsibility. If one is without, the community should step in to ensure its occupant is provided with what he/she needs. This is what sustains a community and keeps a community viable and strong. A community must provide a trusting shelter to those who live within it. If one cannot depend on its shelter, he or she will find another and abandon the weakened shelter that was unfit to provide a safe dwelling.
There are many weak communities within our society. We have communities that are falling apart due to the lack of trust in that community. If someone does not believe in the community that they live in, why expect them to stay? If someone is living in a home in which they cannot trust the integrity of the roofing, then why would they stay to witness the roof collapse upon them? The same concept is relatable to communities. If one does not believe in the integrity of their community and does not trust the inhabits, then why should they continue to live and support the community in which they have no trust? Should they wait until the roof collapses on them as well? Should someone dwell within an area that they feel is unsafe and unfit for their children to be raised in? The community must be a shelter. Strong in structure and trusting in integrity. With a trusting shelter, a community can thrive and be a safe and lasting home for generations. I see a community as a roof and the residents as the families that dwell beneath it.
A community can provide many forms of support as long as the residents within the community embody the concept of shared responsibility. Each member of a community must contribute to the durability and strengthening of the community. If someone within the community becomes a weak link in the chain, the very next link must strengthen its hold so the links that follow will not lose integrity. There is strength in numbers and the more families we have dedicated to a community the better chance a community has at sustaining its relevance. Each member of a community must contribute to the strengthening of the shelter. Rather its brick by brick, meaning each member must take the time to develop relationships within the community, that way a genuine trust is develop.
With this trust development comes love. Love for one another is the shelter’s insurance policy. When and if the shelter begins to lose integrity, there will be something tangible that exist to keep the shelter together in the midst of the most troubling of times. Love is what keeps communities thriving for years and years. Once love is removed, the shelter is no longer insured to its inhabitants. Hatred and negativity will engulf the community and cause those who live within it to leave and seek new shelter within different communities. This is a theme all too familiar with many communities throughout our society. We have to rediscover a love for one another which will translate into our communities, and all those who have lost faith in our communities to return and invest in them.
Community as the Gift We Give Each Other
By Juliet Kapsis
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Community as ...
Poetry
Grace
Meditation
Co-mingling
Coming Together
Synthesis
Connection
Communicating
Passion
Finding Common Ground
Listening
Sharing
GROWING
EVOLVING
Being of the people, by the people, for the people
Public
Shared by all
Fellowship
Common Ownership
Taking responsibility
THE GIFT WE GIVE EACH OTHER
“Community: The origin of the word community comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So community literally means to give among each other.”(1)
We have come into a whole new time and place as humans. This is a time and place where we are waking up to our true selves and what our purpose is on this planet. I can only speak for myself when I write that to contribute and feel connected are major goals of mine. Yes, there is much joy to experience in who I am and what it is I am doing. Yes, there is even more joy in sharing that with others, in sharing myself with others. Many readings that have been a part of this class thus far have also mentioned the joys that are shared when one has a sense of belonging with people and place.
In "Warrior Angel," Lily Yeh makes note of what it is to be “filled with a sense of community harmony, pride, and a genuine concern for others,” that this full feeling is what leads to connection, involvement and growth.(2) This is the kind of fullness we are hungry for. This growth is not just for the person involved, but for the city itself. While I was marching with the Beat City Hoop girls at the Hooker Day Parade this past Saturday, I exclaimed out loud that we were witnessing the beginnings of a city falling in love with itself (and my fellow marchers agreed!). This came out spontaneously and then I remembered that awesome Pier Giorgio Di Cicco who poured his little heart out about being creative and taking ownership for that act in one’s living space. “What does love have to do with it?” asks Di Cicco, and he answers that love has everything to do with a city being a living, breathing entity.(3)
What is it that you love about your city? Di Cicco argues that your quality of life depends on the quality of your love. We have many unique opportunities at this point in human evolution and one of these opportunities is ask what is it that we can do to create more harmony and more joy on this planet. What is it that I can do to contribute to my community? Asking questions and taking action is what it’s about. This action can be as simple as taking a walk around your neighborhood and appreciating what it is you are witnessing. I live on the same street as the motivational speaker, Dave O’Brien, from WorkChoice Solutions. Dave has a great way for us to call attention to being in the present moment by asking, what frequency am I on? AM or FM? FM stands for fear mode and AM is for Appreciation Mode. The power of appreciation is enough to uplift yourself and others around you. Contributing to your community is as easy as smiling to others, picking up litter on the side of the road, donating coats in coat drives. Contributing is frequenting local businesses, such as rockin’ out at the tea house Tisane that hosts funky dance nights on Wednesdays.
This idea of community as the gift that we give each other is one that is a celebration and recognition of contribution. We all have limitless gifts to contribute – there’s no need to hold back anymore. The reason why this idea of community matters is that it’s simple. There are no rules to learn and memorize, you don’t have to spend hours finding minimal pairs in Swedish or putting together a chart of the IPA characters for Polish. You don’t have to go any further than whatever it is that makes you, You. It’s awesome to read the tweets of a Waterbury-based music-promoter, DWI aka Dartz Wit Intellect, as well as those from other Nutmeggers promoting what they are passionate about. It’s fabulous to have a cup of java at JoJo’s on Pratt Street, while contemplating a visit to the Wadsworth or Real Art Ways. Or bring a friend and share rides on 97 year old carousel horses in Bushnell Park. All you have to do is be you and do what you like to do. It just gets bigger from there, because once we get a taste of what it feels like to be in an area that is loved by its citizens, we’ll desire more and more of that feeling of connection and contribution. It’s a gift we get to give to each other.
(1) http://www.seek2know.net/word.html
(2) http://www.barefootartists.org/Lilys_Warrior_Angel_11_2.pdf
(3) Municipal Mind: Manifestos for the Creative City by Pier Giorgio Di Cicco
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
You give but little when you give your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
- Kahlil Gibran
- Kahlil Gibran
Community as ...
Poetry
Grace
Meditation
Co-mingling
Coming Together
Synthesis
Connection
Communicating
Passion
Finding Common Ground
Listening
Sharing
GROWING
EVOLVING
Being of the people, by the people, for the people
Public
Shared by all
Fellowship
Common Ownership
Taking responsibility
THE GIFT WE GIVE EACH OTHER
Inside the Hooker Day Parade in Hartford on 10/22/11, marching w/BeatCityHoops
“Community: The origin of the word community comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So community literally means to give among each other.”(1)
Community as the Gift We Give Each Other
Rose from Elizabeth Park, Hartford, CT July 2011 by Juliet Kapsis
We have come into a whole new time and place as humans. This is a time and place where we are waking up to our true selves and what our purpose is on this planet. I can only speak for myself when I write that to contribute and feel connected are major goals of mine. Yes, there is much joy to experience in who I am and what it is I am doing. Yes, there is even more joy in sharing that with others, in sharing myself with others. Many readings that have been a part of this class thus far have also mentioned the joys that are shared when one has a sense of belonging with people and place.
In "Warrior Angel," Lily Yeh makes note of what it is to be “filled with a sense of community harmony, pride, and a genuine concern for others,” that this full feeling is what leads to connection, involvement and growth.(2) This is the kind of fullness we are hungry for. This growth is not just for the person involved, but for the city itself. While I was marching with the Beat City Hoop girls at the Hooker Day Parade this past Saturday, I exclaimed out loud that we were witnessing the beginnings of a city falling in love with itself (and my fellow marchers agreed!). This came out spontaneously and then I remembered that awesome Pier Giorgio Di Cicco who poured his little heart out about being creative and taking ownership for that act in one’s living space. “What does love have to do with it?” asks Di Cicco, and he answers that love has everything to do with a city being a living, breathing entity.(3)
What is it that you love about your city? Di Cicco argues that your quality of life depends on the quality of your love. We have many unique opportunities at this point in human evolution and one of these opportunities is ask what is it that we can do to create more harmony and more joy on this planet. What is it that I can do to contribute to my community? Asking questions and taking action is what it’s about. This action can be as simple as taking a walk around your neighborhood and appreciating what it is you are witnessing. I live on the same street as the motivational speaker, Dave O’Brien, from WorkChoice Solutions. Dave has a great way for us to call attention to being in the present moment by asking, what frequency am I on? AM or FM? FM stands for fear mode and AM is for Appreciation Mode. The power of appreciation is enough to uplift yourself and others around you. Contributing to your community is as easy as smiling to others, picking up litter on the side of the road, donating coats in coat drives. Contributing is frequenting local businesses, such as rockin’ out at the tea house Tisane that hosts funky dance nights on Wednesdays.
This idea of community as the gift that we give each other is one that is a celebration and recognition of contribution. We all have limitless gifts to contribute – there’s no need to hold back anymore. The reason why this idea of community matters is that it’s simple. There are no rules to learn and memorize, you don’t have to spend hours finding minimal pairs in Swedish or putting together a chart of the IPA characters for Polish. You don’t have to go any further than whatever it is that makes you, You. It’s awesome to read the tweets of a Waterbury-based music-promoter, DWI aka Dartz Wit Intellect, as well as those from other Nutmeggers promoting what they are passionate about. It’s fabulous to have a cup of java at JoJo’s on Pratt Street, while contemplating a visit to the Wadsworth or Real Art Ways. Or bring a friend and share rides on 97 year old carousel horses in Bushnell Park. All you have to do is be you and do what you like to do. It just gets bigger from there, because once we get a taste of what it feels like to be in an area that is loved by its citizens, we’ll desire more and more of that feeling of connection and contribution. It’s a gift we get to give to each other.
Calder’s Stegosaurus outside of Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, CT, by Juliet Kapsis
(1) http://www.seek2know.net/word.html
(2) http://www.barefootartists.org/Lilys_Warrior_Angel_11_2.pdf
(3) Municipal Mind: Manifestos for the Creative City by Pier Giorgio Di Cicco
Community as Nurture
By Eileen Ahlquist
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
When I think of community, a metaphor that comes to my mind is “nurture." Maybe it was my being part of a crazy, dysfunctional family that led me seeking community to connect with as a growing child and seeking spirit. Perhaps it is the bonds with people or places that have fulfilled my various needs at different times in my life when my own self is not enough. To survive as a human, we need nurturing ... for our physical bodies, our developing minds and our spirited souls. Within community, there lies a foster-mother as a source of nurture for those facets of existence.
Nurture can be defined as: to feed and protect; to support and encourage; to bring up, train, educate. First, consider: to feed. It is our first and most basic need for survival. While we initially get this need met from our mothers or parents, “feeding” and eating becomes primary in many community aspects. Sometimes it becomes a social event or sometimes it is someone in need receiving food. It could be dining at an event or celebration, baking cookies for the neighbor, “breaking-bread” with a gathering of friends, cooking for someone(s) in distress, or the helping to provide food through donations to food banks or serving in a soup kitchen. Food and feeding is probably the most common shared community experience, no matter what culture you live in. It is a central theme of connection and providing.
While “feed” may immediately relate to food, there are other important ways we need to be fed. We are all in need of being fed love - whether it is attention, affection, words or touch. Any developing human needs this as much as food and we receive love throughout life from all over our community. Aside of our family, love can come from neighbors, daycare providers, teachers, friends, lovers, strangers, churches & leaders. Again, regardless of what culture you are from, love is another strand of food for a developing human.
Protection could be considered the literal shelter we need from elements. If someone(s) is lacking this basic need, there are often places in the community to get help. Even if one is self-providing, there is reliance on trades-people to create this for us. Protection comes as another form of nurture in community as we confide in and trust our friends, form our neighborhood watches and have emergency services like the police and ambulances to keep us safe.
When we look at the rest of what nurture means - to support and encourage; bring up, train, educate, it is so evident how much nurturing we receive from community. The primary institutions that help “grow” us, guide us, teach us, love us. Schools and churches are full of people and ideas that shape and inspire us as we develop. As we extend beyond institutions, there are clubs such as boy/girl scouts, mentors, elders, teachers, friends, gyms, associations, therapists, and 12-step groups ... just to skim the surface.
When we think of nurture, it is natural to just think about your parents and family or your partner or spouse. But, the reality is that we receive nurturing everywhere. I don’t think we would label it as that, but consider how much (more) of life has been nurtured by community. It makes me realize, even more, how connected we are. It is a natural thread between us all to feel compassion and help or give to someone who doesn’t have basic need for surviving. When we see someone suffer, we suffer. It is instinctual to guide and help younger people. For some people who either don’t have family or are not close to family, community becomes their kin and source of nurturing. I know when I was growing up, the whole neighborhood looked out for each other’s kids.
While community may not be as immediate as it once was, we still have sources of nurture within it. Nowadays, people in some neighborhoods are less social and sometimes barely know each other. In addition, internet technology has replaced a lot of human interaction, but conversely, can make communication quicker and many more people available easier and faster. However, even with these changes, community will always be a nurturer. Whether a basic need is at risk, if we want to learn something, we are joining a religion or just looking for a group to share a hobby, we know community is there for us. (Even when we don’t know this, there is community that can link us to community!) It could be that family is not an option or a need could extend beyond what our family can offer. However we need, community can often help us or do for us what we sometimes cannot do for ourselves.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
When I think of community, a metaphor that comes to my mind is “nurture." Maybe it was my being part of a crazy, dysfunctional family that led me seeking community to connect with as a growing child and seeking spirit. Perhaps it is the bonds with people or places that have fulfilled my various needs at different times in my life when my own self is not enough. To survive as a human, we need nurturing ... for our physical bodies, our developing minds and our spirited souls. Within community, there lies a foster-mother as a source of nurture for those facets of existence.
Nurture can be defined as: to feed and protect; to support and encourage; to bring up, train, educate. First, consider: to feed. It is our first and most basic need for survival. While we initially get this need met from our mothers or parents, “feeding” and eating becomes primary in many community aspects. Sometimes it becomes a social event or sometimes it is someone in need receiving food. It could be dining at an event or celebration, baking cookies for the neighbor, “breaking-bread” with a gathering of friends, cooking for someone(s) in distress, or the helping to provide food through donations to food banks or serving in a soup kitchen. Food and feeding is probably the most common shared community experience, no matter what culture you live in. It is a central theme of connection and providing.
While “feed” may immediately relate to food, there are other important ways we need to be fed. We are all in need of being fed love - whether it is attention, affection, words or touch. Any developing human needs this as much as food and we receive love throughout life from all over our community. Aside of our family, love can come from neighbors, daycare providers, teachers, friends, lovers, strangers, churches & leaders. Again, regardless of what culture you are from, love is another strand of food for a developing human.
Protection could be considered the literal shelter we need from elements. If someone(s) is lacking this basic need, there are often places in the community to get help. Even if one is self-providing, there is reliance on trades-people to create this for us. Protection comes as another form of nurture in community as we confide in and trust our friends, form our neighborhood watches and have emergency services like the police and ambulances to keep us safe.
When we look at the rest of what nurture means - to support and encourage; bring up, train, educate, it is so evident how much nurturing we receive from community. The primary institutions that help “grow” us, guide us, teach us, love us. Schools and churches are full of people and ideas that shape and inspire us as we develop. As we extend beyond institutions, there are clubs such as boy/girl scouts, mentors, elders, teachers, friends, gyms, associations, therapists, and 12-step groups ... just to skim the surface.
When we think of nurture, it is natural to just think about your parents and family or your partner or spouse. But, the reality is that we receive nurturing everywhere. I don’t think we would label it as that, but consider how much (more) of life has been nurtured by community. It makes me realize, even more, how connected we are. It is a natural thread between us all to feel compassion and help or give to someone who doesn’t have basic need for surviving. When we see someone suffer, we suffer. It is instinctual to guide and help younger people. For some people who either don’t have family or are not close to family, community becomes their kin and source of nurturing. I know when I was growing up, the whole neighborhood looked out for each other’s kids.
While community may not be as immediate as it once was, we still have sources of nurture within it. Nowadays, people in some neighborhoods are less social and sometimes barely know each other. In addition, internet technology has replaced a lot of human interaction, but conversely, can make communication quicker and many more people available easier and faster. However, even with these changes, community will always be a nurturer. Whether a basic need is at risk, if we want to learn something, we are joining a religion or just looking for a group to share a hobby, we know community is there for us. (Even when we don’t know this, there is community that can link us to community!) It could be that family is not an option or a need could extend beyond what our family can offer. However we need, community can often help us or do for us what we sometimes cannot do for ourselves.
Creativity as ...
By jen pradhan
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Creativity as one.
Creativity as me.
Creativity as curiosity.
Creativity as imagination.
Creativity as wonder.
Creativity as failing.
Creativity as succeeding.
Creativity as love.
Creativity as action.
Creativity as thinking.
Creativity as never giving up.
Creativity as always going.
Creativity as whole.
Creativity as a child.
Creativity as a teenager.
Creativity as you.
Creativity as positive.
Creativity as learning.
Creativity as rest.
Creativity as unique.
Creativity as believing.
Creativity as patience.
Creativity as beauty.
Creativity as not so pretty.
Creativity as amazement.
Creativity as innocence.
Creativity as an adult.
Creativity as the truth.
Creativity as possibility of the impossible.
Creativity as magic.
Creativity as out of the ordinary.
Creativity as six billion.
I didn’t know where to start to write about creativity and about my reflection because I don’t think I would ever be able to stop. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t describe it and now I cannot stop talking about it. And I couldn’t pick one of the metaphors so I decided to create my own.
When I think of creativity and this class, I think of it as an on going process .... Creativity comes easy to us when we are seven because we let our imagination run wild .... That can still happen if we stay connected with one another and engage in our communities. No one really loses touch with their inner child; I believe some just choose not to acknowledge it. Creativity is inevitable. It doesn’t and cannot stop. We just seem to be out of touch with creativity, but don’t realize what we are capable of when it comes to creativity. Creativity keeps us going, young or old, small or big, good or bad, from the beginning, to the middle, all the way to the end. We wouldn’t be where we are without creativity. We have evolved into the people we are today because of creativity and creativity can only keep going because of people.
I started off the “Creativity as …” metaphor with "Creativity as one." When we come into this world, we are connected to nature as one ... and then we separate ourselves as individuals. And through creativity, imagination, thinking, learning, failing, trying again, succeeding, never giving up, believing in the impossible and making those things happen, stepping out of the box, and connecting with one another, we have become over SIX BILLION people in the world and we’re going stronger than ever. We make ends meet and have survived this long because of creativity. It’s pretty magical.
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
Creativity as one.
Creativity as me.
Creativity as curiosity.
Creativity as imagination.
Creativity as wonder.
Creativity as failing.
Creativity as succeeding.
Creativity as love.
Creativity as action.
Creativity as thinking.
Creativity as never giving up.
Creativity as always going.
Creativity as whole.
Creativity as a child.
Creativity as a teenager.
Creativity as you.
Creativity as positive.
Creativity as learning.
Creativity as rest.
Creativity as unique.
Creativity as believing.
Creativity as patience.
Creativity as beauty.
Creativity as not so pretty.
Creativity as amazement.
Creativity as innocence.
Creativity as an adult.
Creativity as the truth.
Creativity as possibility of the impossible.
Creativity as magic.
Creativity as out of the ordinary.
Creativity as six billion.
I didn’t know where to start to write about creativity and about my reflection because I don’t think I would ever be able to stop. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t describe it and now I cannot stop talking about it. And I couldn’t pick one of the metaphors so I decided to create my own.
When I think of creativity and this class, I think of it as an on going process .... Creativity comes easy to us when we are seven because we let our imagination run wild .... That can still happen if we stay connected with one another and engage in our communities. No one really loses touch with their inner child; I believe some just choose not to acknowledge it. Creativity is inevitable. It doesn’t and cannot stop. We just seem to be out of touch with creativity, but don’t realize what we are capable of when it comes to creativity. Creativity keeps us going, young or old, small or big, good or bad, from the beginning, to the middle, all the way to the end. We wouldn’t be where we are without creativity. We have evolved into the people we are today because of creativity and creativity can only keep going because of people.
I started off the “Creativity as …” metaphor with "Creativity as one." When we come into this world, we are connected to nature as one ... and then we separate ourselves as individuals. And through creativity, imagination, thinking, learning, failing, trying again, succeeding, never giving up, believing in the impossible and making those things happen, stepping out of the box, and connecting with one another, we have become over SIX BILLION people in the world and we’re going stronger than ever. We make ends meet and have survived this long because of creativity. It’s pretty magical.
Community as Contributing to the Social Playground
By Eileen K. Boisseau
I imagine my community as shared space where people can gather. We an use this playground in lots of various ways.
Thinking about community from my 7-year-old self perspective, my community includes my friends and me out on the playground having fun. We share in playing lots of different games, but one of our favorites is softball. We each get a chance to get up at bat and sometimes we hit a home run, or just a single, and may not get a hit at all, but we cheer each other on nonetheless. And we have fun! When we play in the outfield, each of our positions is different and we see the game being played from different perspectives. We chatter it up out on the field cheering each other on. To play the best game, we communicate our intentions and goals. Every once in awhile the coach advises us on a better strategy, and we brainstorm our ideas as well. We are a team and share in contributing our best efforts, and celebrating each others individual styles which all come together in creating a productive, happy softball community. But even if we are on the playground and not playing a team sport, there is still a lot of social interaction, and a lot of spontaneity and energy abounding.
This idea of community is all-inclusive and celebrates diversity. Through allowing and encouraging a friend or team member or a member of our social community to pitch in their ideas from whatever angle their perspective derives from just adds to the colorful mix of creating new ideas.
What I have learned is that reserving judgment about one’s style can serve to complement the group. So no matter what the social arena is the idea of community matters in providing the space for the germination of ideas and sharing in the fertilizing and the shaping of something with more robust and colorful results.
If we adopted the idea of equal playing time and equitable contribution in the community playground at hand – whether it be social policy changes such as affordable access to healthcare and housing, or coming together to help restore a neighbor’s house, or spending time creating a mural, the more voices that are heard and the more diverse the hands that shape it, the more of an impact we can make in enhancing our communities. The best part of all is that I think the social playground would be a lot more fun.
Creativity + Social
Change
University of
Connecticut
Thinking about community from my 7-year-old self perspective, my community includes my friends and me out on the playground having fun. We share in playing lots of different games, but one of our favorites is softball. We each get a chance to get up at bat and sometimes we hit a home run, or just a single, and may not get a hit at all, but we cheer each other on nonetheless. And we have fun! When we play in the outfield, each of our positions is different and we see the game being played from different perspectives. We chatter it up out on the field cheering each other on. To play the best game, we communicate our intentions and goals. Every once in awhile the coach advises us on a better strategy, and we brainstorm our ideas as well. We are a team and share in contributing our best efforts, and celebrating each others individual styles which all come together in creating a productive, happy softball community. But even if we are on the playground and not playing a team sport, there is still a lot of social interaction, and a lot of spontaneity and energy abounding.
This idea of community is all-inclusive and celebrates diversity. Through allowing and encouraging a friend or team member or a member of our social community to pitch in their ideas from whatever angle their perspective derives from just adds to the colorful mix of creating new ideas.
What I have learned is that reserving judgment about one’s style can serve to complement the group. So no matter what the social arena is the idea of community matters in providing the space for the germination of ideas and sharing in the fertilizing and the shaping of something with more robust and colorful results.
If we adopted the idea of equal playing time and equitable contribution in the community playground at hand – whether it be social policy changes such as affordable access to healthcare and housing, or coming together to help restore a neighbor’s house, or spending time creating a mural, the more voices that are heard and the more diverse the hands that shape it, the more of an impact we can make in enhancing our communities. The best part of all is that I think the social playground would be a lot more fun.
Community is ...
By Nicole Milne
Creativity + Social Change
University
of Connecticut
I chose this tree to depict "Community is ..." because it shows that there are many things that hold a community together that are below the surface. For me, I really enjoy where we have chosen to raise our family. We have a great neighborhood that is always there to lend a hand, and help out whatever family needs it. With that kind of togetherness we end up flourishing in our lives together. We all work together for the greater good and that is what I feel my community is.
Community as Progress
By Charlene Folston
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
I feel that progress is extremely important in a community. It is needed in order to move forward and advance in life. With progression you can build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. First, it is important that you know what your strengths and weaknesses are. I think that every community should have goals and objectives set in place so they are continuously working towards the outcomes. Each person in the community should have the same goals in mind. If there is no progress in a community there will not be any happiness because everyone would just be settling with what they have and not working towards making their current situations any better. You have to always strive to move forward in life. I would love to live in a community where everyone helped each other progress in life and worked to together to improve the look of the environments they live in. I do not like when there are negative views about a certain community and I see that no one is trying to make improvements.
I have learned that communities need strong foundation to build on in order to progress. Each person in the community is the foundation so it is up to them to make sure that it is a strong one. There are so many different issues in every community. I have also learned that the people in these communities do want a change; however, most of them do not know how to take the necessary steps towards progression. All they need is someone to help them and show them that they do have the resources that they are looking for. Education also plays an important role when it comes to progression. Learn about new ideas and ways that you can change your situation. You should know the process of progression and the steps that you need to take in order to achieve your goal. It is important that you understand what you are fighting for. I feel that each person should make progress a priority of their own. It is everyone’s responsibility to contribute and help facilitate. We all can make a difference by using our own skills and various connections.
When you have a team of people that work together for the greater good for everyone as a whole it makes all the difference. It takes a strong group of devoted and dedicated people to change a community. You can’t just want a change for yourself. Your success depends on the people around you. It is impossible to progress on your own. The only way you can progress is when everyone is on one accord and has the same goals. If there is division in a community it will make it harder to advance and live a more comfortable life. You can tell when a community is progressing just by the people you see. I believe that progress has a domino effect, and once you begin to notice improvements in one area it will then transfer to next goal that need to be achieved. Why not make the world a better place for everyone, instead of a better place for you?
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut
I feel that progress is extremely important in a community. It is needed in order to move forward and advance in life. With progression you can build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. First, it is important that you know what your strengths and weaknesses are. I think that every community should have goals and objectives set in place so they are continuously working towards the outcomes. Each person in the community should have the same goals in mind. If there is no progress in a community there will not be any happiness because everyone would just be settling with what they have and not working towards making their current situations any better. You have to always strive to move forward in life. I would love to live in a community where everyone helped each other progress in life and worked to together to improve the look of the environments they live in. I do not like when there are negative views about a certain community and I see that no one is trying to make improvements.
I have learned that communities need strong foundation to build on in order to progress. Each person in the community is the foundation so it is up to them to make sure that it is a strong one. There are so many different issues in every community. I have also learned that the people in these communities do want a change; however, most of them do not know how to take the necessary steps towards progression. All they need is someone to help them and show them that they do have the resources that they are looking for. Education also plays an important role when it comes to progression. Learn about new ideas and ways that you can change your situation. You should know the process of progression and the steps that you need to take in order to achieve your goal. It is important that you understand what you are fighting for. I feel that each person should make progress a priority of their own. It is everyone’s responsibility to contribute and help facilitate. We all can make a difference by using our own skills and various connections.
When you have a team of people that work together for the greater good for everyone as a whole it makes all the difference. It takes a strong group of devoted and dedicated people to change a community. You can’t just want a change for yourself. Your success depends on the people around you. It is impossible to progress on your own. The only way you can progress is when everyone is on one accord and has the same goals. If there is division in a community it will make it harder to advance and live a more comfortable life. You can tell when a community is progressing just by the people you see. I believe that progress has a domino effect, and once you begin to notice improvements in one area it will then transfer to next goal that need to be achieved. Why not make the world a better place for everyone, instead of a better place for you?
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