REIMAGINING COMMUNITY
Truth be told...
I have been absolutely avoiding using the word community to describe this space and it’s absolutely been a me problem.
There are so many spaces I’ve been to proudly using the word community that left me with nothing but a feeling of ick and not fitting in.
It seemed whenever I saw someone bragging about community it was describing a group of people all striving to be exactly the same as one another: same outfits, same likes, same dislikes, same same same. And that’s never felt right for me, from catholic school uniform days to yoga spaces where everyone had to wear and have the most expensive gear-you know, so everyone would know how seriously spiritual they were.
It felt like community was often used to describe grown up cool kids groups in high school. I wasn’t interested in that when I was 14 and surely didn’t want any part of that as a grown ass woman.
This has always made me feel like when I hear the word “community” I want to scream and run away and go back to cozy hermit life, doing my own thing in peace.
If that was community I didn’t want it and sure as fuck did not want that in this space.
I wanted to create a space that was a blank canvass for you all to fill with your own unique selves. A place where it doesn’t matter if you have fancy pole clothes or come in your sweat pants, A place where you just being you in the space is what makes it beautiful and special, not how well you can emulate others. A space where beauty is seen and celebrated because we are all different shapes, ages, sizes, and colors-not because we are all trying to fit one perfect pole dance mold.
In fact, let’s break the fucking mold and break from all the boxes we’ve been told we should fit into. That’s beautiful to me. Women with the freedom to be our own wild, sensual, messy, awkward, authentic selves-how is this not the most beautiful thing in the world to everyone????
End rant: guess what happened in this space???????
You’re not gonna believe this…
A beautiful, authentic, community organically formed.
And gratitude for this community has been front and center in my heart and brain all month.
Like I want to shout from the rooftops “We have a beautiful community!”
One of my mentors said, community is not everyone trying to be the same person, it’s when a group of people share the same vision and everyone helps row the boat in their own special way. (I think it was more eloquently said, but that’s the gist of it)
Our vision here has always been to prioritize authentic expression over perfection, for you to come as you are and know whatever you have going on in your life on any particular day, you are still more than worthy, for you to be able to let go of one little tiny layer of whatever anyone has ever told you you should or shouldn’t be and come back home to yourself.
We know that’s not for everyone and we’re ok with that too. For those who have found their way here, thank you for being a part of this beautiful authentic community, which is something I wasn’t sure was possible: a community built on sovereignty. Like I always say, we all keep growing together.
This community has grown in ways I never imagined this year. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
