The Power of Community

I’ve been thinking a lot about community lately. What is community? How do we find community? Why do we need community? Can we have more than one community? I think the answers vary for each individual and every community can look so different. And whether it’s your childhood friends, your college crew, your co-working group - the list goes on - communities rotate throughout your life and naturally change as we grow as human beings.

As we experience life, our perspectives shift and opinions solidify. Which unfortunately (or fortunately), might lead to a change in the people and mindsets we’re willing to keep around us. My question is, as I shed the skin of communities past, how and where do I find that same sort of bond for the new me? Because man, oh man, do I find it harder to build a community I feel connected to as I get older.

The other day, I was chatting with some friends about this and we grew nostalgic for “how things used to be.” The days when we gathered with friends at a local library to study together. When we lived close enough to, on a whim, make plans for that same day. When we asked one another to hang out, simply to be in the same vicinity as each other, even if in silence. When did we lose these carefree and nonchalant sort of friendships? The conclusion we came to was: adulthood and responsibilities.

However, in adulthood, with added pressures and anxieties, wouldn’t having such a community be that much more important? If not, necessary? I find that responsibilities and, dare I say, insecurities that pile onto our plate with each passing year to be the root of the problem. We tend to become more self absorbed, prioritizing other duties and utilizing these as excuses. But if having a community is so important, shouldn’t we prioritize it as well? Maybe even instead of some other things? Some would argue community is the most important thing, and having that support is the key to our success and happiness. So, instead of viewing it as a nice to have, why don’t we view it as a vital component to lead a healthy life? Something that is definitely a responsibility of ours to maintain.

My initial feelings and thoughts around this popped up in the spring of last year. Have y’all ever hit a (metaphorical) wall that just stops you in your tracks and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to figure out your way around it? You’re craving newness, something to refresh and enlighten your perspective. But your mind continuously draws a blank. For us creatives, this can be debilitating.

This was the state I was struggling to crawl out of when Megan from Cedar & Pines reached out to me with an idea for another editorial shoot. She was going through a similar rut and was yearning to create. No clients, no timelines, no restrictions. Just a day filled with inspiration, working alongside like minded artists. Of course, I said hell yes, but had no idea how much this day would end up meaning to me.

For the shoot, we decided to focus on two looks that can be created utilizing four interchangeable pieces from nordeen’s collection. One of them was the Faven Top paired with the Tamsin Pant and the photos captured of this look are my official petition for more brides in pants. Megan scouted for a location around her part of town and landed on the Mission Creek Preserve. A beautiful spot in the Mojave Desert just a bit outside of Joshua Tree National Park. The area is filled with white sage bushes and the morning of, we crossed our fingers the desert flora would be blooming a sea of yellow.

Megan pulled together a group of female identifying artists (plus Evan Stowers, the hairstylist) to join forces on this and we soon came to find it was a day of empowerment I believe we all desperately needed. At least for me. The creative energy and collaboration that flowed amongst all of us was unmatched and I’m positive we all felt it envelope us throughout the day. Between interacting with this low key area of the desert, seeing pieces of nordeen playfully floating amongst the winds of such a landscape, and a same sex couple modeling these pieces - the true essence of nordeen was captured and a spark of long lost inspiration began to ignite. It’s not often circumstances like this easily align and just click. But this one did, even if for just one day. And with the help of this community (formed within and beyond this single day), I found and have since fought to hold on to something within me I was afraid I had been losing. I will forever be immensely grateful for this shoot and the beautiful souls who came together to bring everything to life.

All of this to say and encourage you (and myself) to find and maintain your community. What it looks like might change and you might even have more than one from different aspects of your life. But continue to connect with people that inspire your mind, support you through all the times, celebrate your accomplishments, challenge your perspective, encourage you to be better, and even when it’s uncomfortable, push you to grow. And when you find those connections - don’t fight it, don’t judge them, remain humble, and learn from everyone and everything. Grasp onto them and prioritize the responsibility of nurturing your community. It will be life changing when they’re there to help remind you of who you are, what you’re capable of, and the strength you hold within yourself.

xx Brenna

Photography: Cedar & Pines

Hair stylist: Evan Stowers