How Curated Spaces Foster Creative Growth and 3 Ways to Align Yourself with The Right Community

 

(Image: First Communal Feast 11/22/2023 at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants)

 Intention is the best strategy

When we hear of curated events we think of Museums, Art shows, and the events that the Labels, Brands, and Conferences have the privilege of hosting. Curation in the context of event planning, is an exclusive experience with thoroughly planned activities and/or branding. Contrary to public events with one or two attention grabbers, curated events offer an air of personalization, exclusivity, and favor. 

Public events provide the service of spontaneity. People get dressed-up hoping they will find other fun people, good music, good drinks, and memories that they would remember forever. On the other hand, curated events provide intentionality and stability.  If done right, a curated space would inspire you to share yourself with others, and also allow others to share themselves with you.

Public events such as the nightclub and concerts, usually send us home expended and drained. We exhaust all of our energy, to empty ourselves from the week's strain. Contrarily, curated events tend to fill us and send us off in overflow. 

If you find yourself displeased with your social options, needing consistent rich experiences, and want to feel safe to put yourself out there, here are 3 ways to align yourself with the right community for your needs and interests:

1. Decide who you want to be

This is by far the most important responsibility you will own as you commit yourself to any organization, clique, school, fan-club, or vacation. You have to learn and accept who you are,  and what is good and bad for you, or you for it. Declaring who you are, and pursuing it, requires you to be honest and devoted to your own purity. You have to consider your purity in the present, the near future, and the foreseen future. 

Once you understand those core pillars of yourself, you are then responsible for nurturing, challenging, and protecting yourself in every area. What does this look like? It looks like first guarding yourself from everything that does not represent you well. How would you know? Use your data. 

• Analyze your past experiences, behaviors, relationships, and decisions. 
• Determine what aspects were favorable, and what aspects left you wounded.
• Create a new boundary around the things that you would not allow to derail you, if you had a choice. 
• Now create an enforcement for the boundary or how you will deal with violations.
• Write what would be a desirable outcome to this boundary. 
• Do this for any area of your life: family, friends, dating, work, finances, and lifestyle. 

From here, you should become clearer about the actions that will afford you new opportunities to shift your circumstances, and make more purposeful choices.

2. Choose a path 

Now that you know who you want to be, you can be intentional about how you spend your efforts: what you give energy to, where you want to be associated, and the habits you want to develop to support these ideas. From there, you choose what you are ready for:

• Are there things you have to learn now?
• Are there beliefs you have to evolve?
• Do you want to take up a new hobby?
• Do you need to pick up an old hobby?
• Who share similar values to your new habits?
• What channels offer you growth in this new space you are in?

Choosing a path will ignite the proper stepping stones in your new journey. Using the data from the previous points, help you conduct yourself according to your divine purpose. Staying true to your highest, safest self, will allow everything to fall into its proper place in your life. Remember though, it is not something you can totally control, sometimes you have to surrender to the moment instead. I recommend that you use these early stages to educate yourself on information concerning Spirituality, psychology, nutrition, economics, work management, effective communication, and personal development. Understanding how the mind works, the world operates, and where you can direct your energy supports journey long-term. 

some books that helped me on my journey were -- 

• "The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma"  by Bessel Van Der Kolk 
• "Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, And Lead" by Brenè Brown
• "The Circle Maker: praying circles around your biggest dreams" by Mark Batterson
• "Maximize the Moment: God's Action Plan For Your Life" by T.D. Jakes
• "The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires" by Dennis Kimbro
• "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" by James Clear
• "More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)" by Elaine Welteroth
• "Communion: The Female Search For Love" by Bell Hooks
• "The Mountain is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self Mastery" by Brianna Wiest

Depending on where one text leads you, you will more lucrative information that suits your divine needs. So take heed to the things that will reveal itself to you in everything you choose to do.

3. Test Your Chosen Community 

By now, you should have found interest in an event, a place, or an activity that could serve you. Wherever you are in your respective journey is exactly where you need to be. This is an experience that will test and prove whether your boundaries are effective and compelling; whether your heart is open for new and healthy relationships; and whether you are willing to learn more about yourself, and willing to be wrong. 

If you find that you need more work, keep working. If you find it was good until it was not, take a step back and let it breath a little. Remember, most things are for a season, and when it serves its purpose, move on freely. There is room for stops, drops, and rolling over. Do not stagnate yourself to one way of being. Community building is dynamic. 

As a whole being, you will learn that you uniquely fit into unique gaps. You will bring gifts that others can use. Others will bring gifts that will enlighten your life as well. That is what community serves. 

Here's a list of ways you can search and find communities that are right for you:

• Search EventBrite for random events in your area or virtually  
• Follow Hashtags that represent your interests for example: 
• #OrlandoCreatives #OrlandoProfessionals #CoWorking #Orlandorestaurants #OrlandoDinnerClubs #OrlandoSocialClubs #FallFestival #FallActivities 
• Find Social Media Profiles that align with your values 
• Accept an invite from a friend or a community member
• Volunteer for Local organizations or Community Initiatives
• Visit your local library
• Join a Patreon Community
• Subscribe to a Broadcast Channel in your Instagram DMs
• Join a Facebook Group

Takeaways

Community building is a continuous investment. It is an investment you will make at every stage of your maturation. So trust the process, allow for lack, and take note. Your community will grow you, but first they have to know you. But they cannot know you, until you know yourself. 

Thank you for reading! Follow for more insight about community building and share with your families. Tell me your experience in the comment section!