Got to Start Somewhere

The first meeting I held was fun, productive, and interesting, but the turnout was less than what I had hoped. Nonetheless, the three of us had a great conversation about the project and they offered some helpful advice and feedback. So, after doing the Antiochian thing, reflecting, this is what I have taken away from last week:
This is a rare project in its intent, format and application. I have only found a handful of examples that remotely relate to this mapping project making it hard for me to explain it and even harder for many to understand it. Furthermore, I am dedicated to letting this project be malleable so it can take whatever shape is most meaningful for the community. This creates even more ambiguity, which I am coming to realize needs to be met with a bit more structure. To balance this paradox, I think I need to reframe the project so that it is clearer and more structured. This includes being lucid about the end result and uses of the project, how it is going to be sustained over time, and developing clear concise goals.

The second takeaway from this past week is to diversify my tactics. Originally, I thought that I could rally volunteers by advertising the project through various organizations and have them go out into the community to collect historical data. While I think this is an important step, the two participants at the first meeting were telling evidence that this shouldn’t be my only approach. In order to do a thorough job, I will need to take the project to the stakeholders and organizations to collect their knowledge on location. I also want to create a website that would serve as a place where people could learn more about the project, submit stories or photos, and connect with one another- hence the new website.

So, even though only two people showed up to the first meeting, it was still a success! I am reminded of Lappe and Perkins’ statement, “If we show up with our curiosity and take those first, hardest steps, things unfold in their own way, on their own schedule” (2004, 79). I hope you like the new website (work in progress), and thanks again to Barb and Rebecca for showing up!

Lappe, F.M. and Perkins, J. 2004 You Have the Power; Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear. Penguin Books, London. pg 79.