All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.
I’ve known for a while that it’s not helpful to only spend my time in the city. I have to get away to nature. It’s rejuvenating being out here in the woods, at the ocean, seeing the waterfall. That experience itself is really healthy. And doing it together with a bunch of people, telling stories, hearing and being heard, it’s rewarding. It’s a valuable thing, and I’m appreciating the opportunity to experience all those thing.
The idea for the All Who Wander experience was born out of the desire to explore and create art with friends, and with the belief that some of the most beautiful creative moments happen in spontaneous acts of discovery and collaboration. It has been so life-giving to me to gather together a group of artists (who until this trip didn't really know each other), travel to a beautiful location like Big Sur, and together create art and community.
One thing that is important to me in the ASH community is simply being able to do things together. People are so rushed nowadays...my social time is often very rushed and limited. But it’s honestly what I need more of. And it’s nice to be a part of a community where we’re all working hard, but at the same time we’re taking breaks to just be with one another and recognize the people in front of us.
I think of community as a family of people, regardless of what their background is, that is there to support and help one another. I think that is the biggest focus for me — you’re there to support each other, and without that you can’t really grow as a person and as a community. But when you can grow as a community you can give back and contribute to other communities in better ways.
When I think about community, I think about a group of people that support each other, live life together, encourage one another.
One thing that I love about good community is the ability to just be together. You can talk, but you can also be comfortable in silence. You can do, but you can also simply be still. The pressures to impress or to be someone you're not are gone...you can just enjoy being yourself and being together.
Feeling like I belonged has been one of my goals in life. I found it within this community.
I envision community as being around people without any pressure, without any expectations, and just enjoying the sharing of moments with them. I picture the people being from all walks of life — not just artists — but people who can share the experience and be present in the experience.
Truly being able to understand people and their differences is best experienced in the context of community. And listening is an important part of that process. If you’re only talking and not taking the time to hear others, then it’s not really a relationship. It’s a one-sided take — that’s not give and take. For any relationship there needs to be a healthy balance of hearing and being heard. And It’s not just about how you can get something. What can you give? How can you enter into community from the perspective of what you can give instead of what you can get?
Being in community opens our minds to new ideas and people, and gives us drive and ambition to engage in the world. Creating a space for creatives to share experiences, and to encourage each other is something I appreciated about the All Who Wander experience.
