Do you really need a space?
Recently, Emily Daniels, David Nunez and I decided that it was Time To Do Something. We were all struggling with some personal creative projects, and felt that we needed a community of people around us who were making interesting things. With the right kind of people gathered, a lot of magic can happen. We were especially interested in exploring the energy that’s created when productive, enthusiastic, creative people come together – whether they are working on their own projects or a collaboration.
Naturally, one of the first topics that came up in our conversations was what kind of space we needed, where, how big, etc. It was at the beginning of these explorations that we all realized that a persistent space is not a requirement for our goals. There are a lot of positives about having a space to call “home” to such a community – not the least of which is that a space facilitates a much faster growth of that community – but we decided it was not something to wait for. Communities start whenever and wherever they are needed and the only thing that is required is a group of generally like-minded individuals with a little motivation.
Realizing this really took some of the pressure off and allowed us to focus more on what we saw this group of people to be and less on Where/When/How Much issues. The Where became Anywhere, the When became Now, and the How Much became Essentially Free. That’s when Em organized the first Open Hack at True Grounds, a coffee shop in Ball Square, Somerville. And that’s when the community started coming together.
Everyone already knew each other (and, sadly, I was out of town and unable to join), but it had the feeling of something new, something a little more focused, something a little truer. It was a group of productive, enthusiastic, creative people coming together. And we didn’t have to wait to have a space to make it happen.
Since that night, we have gone on to secure a location that can serve as home to our community, and it has certainly raised the level of what we can do with projects, events, and education, but it was not a requirement to get the ball rolling. It was optional, a very nice option, to be sure, but had we waited until we had a space to get the ball rolling, we would just be that much further up the road than we are now.
So, I guess the point of this post is to say “Get Started Now!” and don’t let things like the lack of a space or lack of funds keep you from going forward. Choose a spot (it’s nice to check with the owners if it’s a cafe, bar, etc.) invite some friends, and do some stuff. Eventually you’ll figure out how to get a space, or even if a space is right for you.
And if you are in the Boston area, and need someplace to try out your community for a night or two, contact us as DINO.
In: Praise, projects · Tagged with: community, DINO, diy, hackerspace