Finding Community in New Places - A Life of Character

Finding Community in New Places

By Kelechi Udoagwu 

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” 

– Coretta Scott King

I have joined and engaged with more online communities this year than ever before. As the corona virus crisis limited the spaces we could occupy physically, I have become more active online. 

To keep myself connected to other humans and stay motivated to complete daily tasks like showering and showing up to work from home, I’ve joined several niche online communities around my interests: technology, creativity, freelance, and women-only groups. These communities feel like safer spaces compared to the general social media like Facebook and Twitter. 

Niche communities bring water cooler conversations home. They also help me stay accountable when working remotely, just like real coworkers do. Firing up my laptop every morning, I also sign into my women-in-tech Slack community. Just the act of signing in simulates stepping into my usual office and settling in with my usual routine. 

Related Posts

Living Harmoniously with People Around

Character = Enacted Values + Time

The Power of Change

Despite the pandemic and numerous distractions that have come with it, I’ve been able to get piles of work done and stick with a routine. But these are just the surface benefits of these communities. 

I noticed that community members seem to be kinder in smaller groups than on the major social media platforms. Members go out of their way to give detailed answers to each other’s questions and dilemmas and even help each other solve problems making it easier for all of us to make it through each day.

I’ve also found a lot more empathy from friends from other races and camaraderie among women of color than before.

Intrigued by this thinking, I came across Psychology Today’s article on kindness during a pandemic, which summarized that people are, in fact, kinder during times of shared stress. In research conducted after a destructive storm in Belgium, the article highlighted that it wasn’t only local acts of kindness towards the storm victims that increased after the disaster. There was also a more general surge of altruism and generosity found increasing on a global scale.

The pandemic has brought significant chaos and hardship to so many people across the world. It has awakened social unrest, caused economic hardship, and political shenanigans in several countries. But amidst all that, it has awoken a spirit of kindness and empathy in individuals worldwide. 

In a women-in-tech community I belong to, job-seekers share their stories, backgrounds, and aspirations, and women who are higher up in their careers offer advice and share open opportunities within their companies or network. It’s such a genuine place where women in the tech industry, young and old, in Africa and the US can vent, celebrate, or support others. 

The communities I’ve joined this year have made it so much easier to get through the pandemic. I’m glad I found these safe spaces for women, professionals and creatives. 

If you need a boost to get your work, health or creativity back on track, there’s definitely a niche online community for you. Start looking and join in. Soon you may find that when you can’t meet with people you already know, a group of kind strangers with similar interests on the internet may be the next best thing.

Kelechi Udoagwu is a freelance writer and founder of Week of Saturdays, a platform for digital freelancers and remote workers living in Africa.

Photo by Dylan Ferreira on Unsplash

 

CHARACTER CONFERENCE 2021

Performing Arts Center

September 30-October 1, 2021
Burlington, Vermont

Connect to the power of character. This fully immersive two-day event brings the concept of character to life through expert speakers, hands-on workflows, and more.

FRESH CONTENT ALERT!

GET ON THE LIST

There’s so much to learn, do, and experience.
Sign up now and stay in-the-know about all things character.  

FOLLOW A LIFE OF CHARACTER ON INSTAGRAM

FRESH CONTENT ALERT!

GET ON THE LIST

There’s so much to learn, do, and experience.
Sign up now and stay in-the-know about all things character.  

COME FIND US

FAQ      Contact      Privacy Policy