Five prompts to help with community engagement
In the first week of self-isolation, I found myself digging through old photos and chatting with some old friends from highschool.
We laughed about the clothes we used to wear (like absurdly wide-legged jeans), and debated over vague memories (“does anyone else remember the time…”).
This dive into nostalgia was comforting, in part because it reminded me of the ability of community to transcend time and space. How it’s possible to be geographically dispersed, having carried on with our own lives — and yet, share a reference point to come back to.
These reflections were the impetus to finally get around to a little project I’d been thinking about for months: a digital zine, based on my collection of show posters from the ‘90s punk-hardcore music scene in London, Ontario.
You can download the digital zine for free here: www.camilledeputter.com/90sposterzine
As you’ll read in my zine, I was fortunate to experience a very special form of community as a teenager. At a time when I felt like I didn’t fit in and struggled with mental health, my community gave me a sense of grounding, kinship, and place.
That experience entrenched my understanding of community and the importance of helping people feel seen, recognized, safe, supported, and welcome — all things that good storytelling can do.
The zine subject matter is very specific. But even if it’s not something you’re familiar with, perhaps it will get your own creative juices flowing or initiate reflections on your own community experiences.
With that in mind, what does YOUR community look like?
If you want to bring a group of people together around an idea, or foster engagement, community is worth thinking about.
Here are some prompts to spark further reflection:
When you write, who are you writing to? How are those people connected to each other?
What brings your community together? What shared ideas, beliefs, values, or goals do they have in common?
What makes the people in your community different? Why might they feel comfortable in this community, and not others?
What stories could you tell to make your readers feel more “at home”?
How can a sense of space — either physical or virtual or both — support your community? (Keep in mind, space can mean many things. A location, a digital group, a journal, or even a blank sheet of paper all represent different forms of “space”.)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of the Storytelling with Heart community. It means so much to me to have you here.