So after some deliberation I am diving into a mini-project and I need your help, or help from a few of you. The purpose of this mini-project (which you’ll be able to read and listen to here on the newsletter) is;
To explore connection, belonging, loneliness, community rituals, safe spaces, identity, relationships, mental health, volunteering, gathering, celebration and values
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So my question for you is…
💌 Is there a community you would like to send a love letter to? 💌
A gathering you’d like to express some gratitude for? A group of people that’s helped you through the pandemic? It might be an online social group, a business community, a knitting circle, an annual festival, a religious gathering, a workplace, or even your physical local space.
If so, are you prepared to share your story with the world? Or do you know someone with a powerful community story who would be willing to be interviewed?
I want to capture some stories from the past and from our present unprecedented circumstances so that we can better understand what it means to belong. This will help us adapt and understand how to build connection and community experiences.
I plan to publish these stories as a 10 part article series here on Substack. I do have other thoughts as to where this could go, but lets just begin with 10.
I want to talk to people who are prepared to open up and share some raw feelings and stories and really go deep in this series. I want to unearth community experiences that shape us, that help us to understand and define what it means to belong. I want to share the community stories that move us and help us feel less alone in this world.
Ideally I’m looking for people who have been impacted by a community as a member, not as a founder. There are a lot of stories and interviews with people who have built exceptional communities but, in my humble opinion, not enough from the people inside who have been impacted the most. Although I am aware some community founders have some really compelling stories so I’m open to including one or two.
If this is you, please reply to this newsletter or reach out to me on LinkedIn.
If you haven’t seen my social content last week, you might not have noticed I’ve been exploring Human Connection on LinkedIn and Facebook live. I had the pleasure of chatting with Jacques W. Martiquet last week which was a really wonderful conversation around building connection, dance, nature, and what a Party Scientist is. You can catch the replay here and I also recommend checking out Jacques own SubStack: The Party Scientist.
Inspired by Jacques, I am continuing the conversations on human connection, and this week I’ll be chatting with Igor Kreyman about ‘The Currency of Human Connection and How to Live a Meaningful Life.’
Igor Kreyman is the Founder & CEO of The Human Connection Movement, a global movement which is connecting and dissolving barriers between people. Igor is passionate about amplifying cohesion and interconnection within groups as well as assisting students, organisations and leadership teams to become better communicators. Igor is currently working with corporates to re-connect, re-center and re-balance employees making them resilient, adaptive and empowered in the workplace. Over the last 5 years, the movement has impacted over 52k people across 412 + public events in 20 countries and continues to grow. As a result of this impact, Igor has appeared on VICELAND, ABC Catalyst, FOX10, German Psychology Magazine; "Emotion" and dozens of other digital media, print and radio stations.
You can tune in to our conversation here and learn more about The Human Connection Movement here.
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