Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A new community

Hello there,

I often find it more difficult to explain myself to my life-long friends and my family than to complete strangers. How do I tell them that I am trying myself out on a new project, a project which might change my life or might end up in a big defeat, but -regardless of the outcome- a project which encompasses my whole compromise, takes the best hours of my day and unavoidably carries not only a change in itself already, but -most important- a big risk? This risk being understood as the decision to invest my time and energy in this endeavour, substracting this same amount of time and energy from any other more profitable and "realistic" project which could guarantee my economical survival. Though I am perfectly capable of sustaining myself at this moment and taking this risk calmly with a small cushion to fall on, I am nevertheless exposing myself to the judgement of people I care very much about and who I know, know and judge me quiet well. Without anything to hold against their pragmatic and preoccupied arguments but a mere illusion, I prefer to postpone an extravagant out coming till I am able to fetch a few first results on which to base any further judgements.

The result out of this situation is in some way isolation. Even the few people who know about this experiment can accompany me only halfway. This is a new experience. It is difficult to explain to others what I am learning or experiencing each day, when I myself am not able to grasp every new entry precisely.

But luckily, entering a new lifestyle comes mostly in hand with entering a new community. This enhances many positive things: First, I can engage into conversations without anyone interpreting what I am saying, but just reacting to what I am actually saying. Maybe these people don't get to know me as a historical person, ignoring which experiences make me actually say what I say or think what I think... But they help me to get a new perspective on myself by getting to know the current me, or at least the part of "me" which is right now under construction, opening a new terminal... The second most important thing this new community provides, is a big bunch of like-minded people, with whom you not only share the same interests and experiences, but who can also introduce you to this new world and confirm, that you are not completely out of your mind by trying this out, or at least, that it's a quiet common disease and there’s nothing to really worry about.

Where did I meet this huge community of equally sick persons? - In Google plus. Yes, sounds like advertising. I don't care. Different from face book, Google plus offers the possibility to interconnect with -currently- unknown people on quiet specific topics. In just one day of research I have gotten to know at least two groups I will now regularly start joining at their discussions and training sessions, I learned a lot of new tech tricks (follow link below) on how to use new media to boost my creativity and I inscribed myself to a writer's conference taking place in a few hours. This community provides me with knowledge, comradeship and guidance on my new path. Thank you Google-team for making this possible in such and efficient way. 

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More on Google plus:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/115270351257026959175/posts/CLqB7sW1Md4 

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