Seeking Your Ideas For How to Implement a Community Project I'd Like to Offer

How can I organize a space where we can support each other in all of the ways that we need and get out of a money-focused transactional exchange?

I have been thinking a lot lately about how to offer something to the community that I really want to create but I’m not quite sure about the best way to create it.

I know what I want it to be and why I want to create it. I just don’t know the logistics of how to make it work in the most seamless way. But maybe you do? So I’m asking.

The idea is essentially: “I have this to offer and here are some things I need.”

Back story …

About fifteen years ago, I participated in a community art project. (Info here if you’re curious.) The artist would then sometimes hold little gatherings of all of the people who had participated. At one of those gatherings, we all got post-it notes and we wrote two things on them:

• These are the things I need right now.

• These are the things that I have to offer.

Then we went around in little groups and shared what we had written. And magic happened. People needed everything from volunteers to help set up at art markets to introductions to good potential people to date to recommendations for lawyers … And people had to offer time, knowledge, expertise, rides, materials …

The idea here is not a direct exchange. It’s not “you give me this and I’ll give you that.” Instead, it’s based on the belief that all of us have so many things to give and when we give them to our communities, we also get what we need.

We give because we believe in the power of giving … and we do so in a way that respects our own current boundaries, limitations, desires, etc. Sometimes we don’t have money or material things to give but we have an hour to talk to someone about an issue they’re struggling with. So we give the hour. We don’t ask anything from them. Because we know that at some point, we’re going to be the person who needs someone to talk to them for an hour (or whatever it is we need.)

So, I want to create that for the Create Me Free community on Substack. I want to create a place where we can all say, “here’s what I have to offer, here’s what I need.” With the emphasis being on what we have to offer, with giving out of generous hearts and belief in the building of community.

There may be some guidelines but for the most part, people can offer anything that they have to offer. Be creative. And people can express what they need. (Do we want to say need? Do we want to say want?) It doesn’t have to be in the theme of “where art meets psychology” even though that’s what Create Me Free is all about because ultimately I believe all of life’s parts contribute to where our creativity and health intersect.

That said, we can definitely emphasize that part.

Examples might be:

• I can offer the opportunity for you to share your work with my readers through a written interview or visual interview. (That’s a real one open to you now, the rest are examples …)

• I can offer editing or technical assistance with your writing.

• I can offer to send you a copy of my book.

• I can offer my experience about a specific chronic illness question that you have.

• I can offer a one hour zoom on art history.

• I need help figuring out how to do my art business taxes.

• I need people to spread the word about this new thing that I created.

• I need someone to just listen for a minute while I vent how hard it is to create in the face of chronic illness.

• I need opinions/advice/information about real experiences with how creativity is changing during menopause.

Or whatever. Those are just off the top of my head and just the ones that basically relate to where art meets psychology. It is wide open.

With an emphasis on what we can give, not just because giving is great, but also because I really want this to be a strengths-based place where we are each empowered to recognize how much we have to offer the world around us - even when we’re broke, even when we’re tired, even when it’s hard. And when there’s times you can’t come up with anything to offer, you can just be a part of the community and see the exchanges happening and remember that your time to contribute something is going to pop up too.

So, this is what I want to create. I’m clear about that.

But how? This is where I need your help.

How can I create this in a way where it’s organized enough that people can easily share what they can offer and share what they need and continue connecting on that over time.

• Could a monthly thread post with comments here on Substack work?

• How about something in the Substack chat feature?

• Is there a way to design a spreadsheet that would be effective?

• Is there some other tool for collaboration off Substack that I don’t know about that would work perfectly?

All of your ideas are welcome. You can share them in the comments here or message me privately if that’s more comfortable.

And it would be great if you could share this so that more people can chime in and I can create it in the best way possible.