#creatingcommunity

Join ForbesBLK in Atlanta, GA for the 2024 ForbesBLK Summit from June 23-25, 2024. This three-day summit, centered around the theme, “Investing in Us: Advancing Capital & Creating Community in Black America”, promises to be filled with inspiring ideas and engaging conversations about the future of our community. Act fast and take advantage of the limited-time early bird rate by registering at https://bit.ly/49VLzF6.

London to Treviso: how it all started.

Recently, I came across Venywhere, an exciting project for Venice as a city for remote workers. It prompted me to reflect on my own journey as a person working from anywhere. It all commenced over 5 years ago when I moved from London to a city with less than 100,000 inhabitants not far from Venice, Italy. It was an obvious choice at the time; I didn’t know the language or at least not well enough to land a decent job, and I was basically given a remote position at a new startup based in the US. It seemed too good to say no. I was afraid but was also willing to give it a go. Used to a bustling, office-based environment, I had no experience working from home and identified as someone who thrived on social interaction. The image of me sitting in a quirky bar overlooking a canal with a laptop, slowly sipping the finest Italian espresso, lured me into the vision of a freelancing dream. 

Struggles and Challenges: The reality wasn’t as perfect as I envisioned it.

As a newcomer, I struggled with the language, which meant I also had few friends. My partner (whose job was an hour's drive away) was gone for 10 hours a day, and I was left alone in a place where I didn’t feel I belonged. After a few weeks, neither coffee nor prosecco appeared to be enough. I was craving human interactions, but going out wasn’t a solution to my issue. My basic language skills were not enough to blend in or interact with the Italian community. I remember this one time when a barista looked at me, startled when I asked if he spoke English, and ran away in a panic, looking for help. Then came the pandemic, and although my situation didn’t exactly improve, at least I was spending more time with my Italian partner. 

I was convinced that remote work wasn’t for me. But I wasn’t sure how to change it. 

Out of nowhere, I stumbled upon a community of expats on Facebook that I had no idea existed. (Like, who is still using FB in 2023, right?) Then I came across a post from someone looking to connect with fellow remote workers. And a year later, here we are with a group of over 10 female (yes, only women) freelancers meeting to co-work together a couple of times a week. Over time we started seeing each other outside of “working” hours, going out, having parties, hiking, and we even created a project together with one of them. I’ve also learned the language in the meantime, took a master’s, and had a daughter, but creating a community was what added immense value to my freelance life. 

Embracing the Benefits of Remote Work.

It helped me appreciate the benefits of working from “anywhere” - flexibility in choosing how and when to work and having more time for my family. I realised l wanted to organise my time better, find motivation, and work on projects that allow me to connect with my local environment. I must say, it's still a work in progress, but I wouldn’t switch to a job that requires me to be in an office all day.

Do you think I was fortunate? Maybe luck played a role, but what truly made it possible was our collective effort. Despite our diverse backgrounds and personal circumstances, we all shared a common goal and wanted to make it work. We found the time, made plans, stuck to it, and finally created a bond. 

This is the story of two mothers who came together in a moment of synchronicity to create and validate the true meaning of family. 

RELATED: Adoption Stories for the Stage is a world premiere theatrical event at North Park Vaudeville & Candy Shoppe through this Sunday April 3, 2022 only.

In a way, Samantha Hope Goldstein and Lauren Bergquist adopted each other when they decided a year ago to collaborate. 

A chance mention by Samantha of her adopted daughter from China caught Lauren’s attention during a ZOOM theater class. Lauren and her husband have an adopted young son of their own. She took a leap of faith in approaching her classmate. “She joked that she felt like she was asking me out on a date,” Samantha remembers, “(Lauren) sent me this proposal asking if I would be willing to talk about this.”  

She was referring to the reality of adoption which many people are afraid to talk about as it often carries an unfounded connotation of secrecy. The two ladies met for coffee and ended up talking for six hours.

Creativity During COVID-19 Part II: The Need For Creative Contributions

Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash

The first blog I wrote on this website on April 18 of this year, Creativity During COVID-19, was also the first blog I’d ever written. I’ve had a great time these past three months, writing, exploring myself, and interacting and engaging with totally new people.

All super cool and amazing people. All of you are. Fun.

I wasn’t even thinking about writing…