A conversation starter - I hope!

[randomling]

Hi all!

I am hugely grateful for everyone who's been involved in keeping this community running over the past… however long it's been. Some years? You guys rock – really you do. I sort of ran horribly out of cope and ran away, and people took over in my absence and looked after the community. I'm really glad it's in your hands.

I've been thinking about this group recently, though. "Just one thing" is a great challenge and it seems like it really works for some people – but everyone's brain is different and not everyone finds it easy to participate in that. So (at the suggestion of syntaxofthings) I wanted to ask the community what you guys think. What kinds of things would you like to see or do here apart from "Just one thing"?

I'm not sure it makes sense for me to jump back in and take things over again; everything seems to be running beautifully, and the chance I'll burn out and disappear again is a bit too high. But I thought it might be a start to open up a conversation about how we can all work together to cheer each other on – I'd love to see this become a collaborative community rather than one that's led by a handful of people. And I'd love to see some different modes for people to contribute. Acknowledging our own and each other's accomplishments is fantastic, but I feel like the other side of dealing with things like impostor syndrome is also acknowledging the hard stuff and the imperfections.

The one example I can think of is this page on the DW Wiki called Things Real Dreamwidth Programmers Do - which is explicitly designed to show new contributors that even the most experienced professionals make mistakes. Would something like that be helpful? Not just real programmers – but real writers, real artists, professionals, jobseekers, students, parents, or whatever else we are? A place to talk about the mistakes and the difficult parts and the parts that made us cry or pull our hair out with frustration?

Those are my first thoughts. What about you? What would you like to see happening here? What might help in your personal battle with impostor syndrome – or whatever else it is that makes it harder to accept yourself as you are?

Thanks again for keeping this place going! It's so awesome to see it thriving.

Comments

[omnipotent]

Perhaps a weekly roundup, or the return of the Monday Pride Thread? Those sound fun.

[kate]

Was there a Monday pride thread here? I know synecdochic runs one on her journal...

[nanila]

It was a link to the Monday pride thread on synecdochic's journal. I'd be happy to see that re-start!

[nanila]

I'd like to see a roundup, but worry that weekly might be too effortful for someone to keep up with. I'd suggest monthly or bi-monthly.

[omnipotent]

The daily posts seem to be ongoing just fine. Someone who doesn't post the daily posts could potentially post a weekly round-up or a weekly goal post.

[nanila]

Good points, well made. This is a cunning plan. \o/

[novel_machinist]

Are you guys familiar with the concept of "show your work"? I've been trying to do something like that a bit on my own personal journal, but I think that it'd be really great to have more people. The basic Idea is you can brag about something you've done and get recognized, you can talk about things you need help with and maybe have some brainstorming help or just someone to tell you that it'll be okay. I wouldn't mind being the person who handles that if it sounds overwhelming. My Post is here about it.

I've also toyed with the idea of a sort of advice column called "Adulting" or something like that. People could submit anon questions and then the group could offer advice?

<3 This is really a wonderful place.

[tamsin]

Both of those ideas sound great!

[novel_machinist]

Thank you! :)

[kate]

Oh, I LOVE the adulting idea.

I also like the Show Your Work idea, but am generally shy about doing that.

Also, my time is limited, and I am not very much on DW anymore - basically to post my Tuesday/Thursday Just One Thing posts, which I don't even have the time to respond to, even. So while I love the ideas, I can't say that I will be a helpful contributor except extremely sporadically.

[novel_machinist]

I'm usually really shy too, it's a habit I'm trying to get over, but it's hard. If you like the ideas you could try to find "Show Your Work" and "Steal Like an Artist" they're wonderful books to kind of give you a kick in the pants.

<3! The fact that you make the time is important too!

[nanila]

I really like the "Adulting" advice column idea!

[novel_machinist]

Thank you!

[silveradept]

These are both great ideas. I think they'd be a welcome addition to the community.

[novel_machinist]

Thank you! :D

[kate]

I love the "Things Real Dreamwidth Programmers Do" concept a lot.

Right now I am taking (and, honestly, failing at, because I'm so strapped for time/attention) a journalling course called "Think in Ink". It's daily prompts designed to help the people involved figure out what they're doing with their lives, and if they want/need to make changes (even if only internal) to live a life more closely resembling their values and leading to their desires. Considering DW is a journalling space, perhaps we might post prompts similar to this and engender discussion on these topics? I know the best part of the course so far has been my discussions with other participants.

One example of a prompt might be using a quote like the following and journalling/discussing your reaction to it, whether personal, critical, etc.:

Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: “If I look perfect, live perfectly, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”
- Dr. Brene Brown

[silveradept]

I think those prompts would be great to work with.