food, textiles, film, antiques and plants together. Part farmers’ market, part craft fair and part community garden, it’s all about nurturing the fiber of community (WindmillMarket.org).


Of course, the ultimate in structure and spontaneity may be the extraordi- nary Burning Man Project, an annual art event and temporary community based on self-expression and self- reliance in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. This year’s theme is “Metropo- lis: The Life of Cities.” (For details of the August 30-September 6, event, visit BurningMan.com.)


Expanding and Amplifying Interconnections


room for spontaneous jamming. Fans view the drum as an espe-


cially powerful instrument relating to the human body, as it mimicks the beat of the human heart. Waleska Sallaberry relates that their Natural Awakenings’ Drumming Circle in Puerto Rico tops 600 participants a month. (Find existing drum circles by state or find out how to start one at DrumCircles.net/circlelist. html.)


Another ancient and global form


of community building resides in the power of words—whether sung or spoken. We have come to understand that stories sustain our values, myths and belief systems. The National Storytelling Network helps locate master storytellers in the community (StoryNet.org). We can also create a storytell-


ing event of our own. Ask any informal gathering of new and old friends to each create their own six-word memoir in a round robin event and be amazed at what memories are instantly cre- ated. Enjoy checking out and sharing such six-word autobiographies at Smith Magazine (SmithMag.net). Finally, there are celebratory


events at which all kinds of vibrant cre- ative forms come together in one place. In Naples, Florida, Live Art meets in various places around town for on- the-spot performance music, painting, fire-spinning, poetry, dance and body painting. It’s a constantly evolving work in progress, sometimes scheduled and sometimes spontaneous, but always full of people having fun together. In New York, the Horse Trade Theater Group is well-known for its independent talent and events, featuring open mic, improv, dance and other “drafts in development,” as they nourish the organic advance- ment of commu- nity (HorseTrade. info). The Wind- mill Market, in Fairhope, Alabama, offers yet another twist—bringing


28 San Diego Edition www.na-sd.com


“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” ~ Albert Einstein


While the Burning Man Project is significant for its magnitude and sheer eclecticism, it is temporary, its existence imprinted mainly in the memories of participants. But most creative commu- nities exist like Russian dolls, nested inside other communities and networks of creative activity. These orchestrated inter-community initiatives can trans- form a neighborhood’s or city’s well- being on multiple levels. Vehicles vary widely, but here are a few examples to get the creative juices flowing. One Book, One City local read-


ing programs, like the ones in Chicago, Denver, Malibu, San Diego, Phila- delphia and Seattle, engage a whole community in choosing a book to read over a period of time. Readers then come together to participate in a vari- ety of related events. The idea was the 1998 brainchild of Nancy Pearl at the Washington Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library. Many communi- ties choose to feature a local author, and this decision is often socially trans- formative.


At the other end of the spectrum,


Flash Mobs entail large groups of volun- teers who appear to spontaneously per- form a clever act of theater in a public space for a brief period of time. Initially designed as a combined social experi- ment and form of performance art, the first flash mob occurred at Macy’s in


Raw Spirit Festival, Sedona AZ


Live Art event, Naples, FL


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