Omit to Commit: Still Making a Community

Omit to Commit is all about the resources needed to opt into (and out of) behaviors, such as time, traditions (individual or group behaviors), trust, and treasures. By regularly making and breaking habits, life becomes more fulfilling and satisfying. I’m drafting a book called Omit to Commit, and in 2024, I’m posting research/your ideas/themes on the 20th of every month.

“Community”, “commit”, and “communication” are big, vulnerable words that share common themes, interpersonally, individually, as well as etymologically.

First up, community comes from the Latin word communis. This is the idea of many, or all, are sharing. Its prefix con means “together”, and munis represents “service.” Communitas, then, means “the same.” And so those folks really believed in UNITY. Community also takes root in Old French’s comunité, a la the “common people” or “everybody” which is pretty cool.

Next, we have the root of communication, Latin’s communicare. Its definitions are more action-oriented than community, including “to share” and “to be in relation with.” Words like “common” and “community” are related to communication. I love the idea of communication as both an action and reflection. Its etymology suggests BRINGING TOGETHER (people, ideas) is both doing and being, something I’ve struggled with differentiating.

Last, ye ol’ verb of commit is once again from Latin. Committere has a host of definitions, including uniting, connecting, and bringing together (hello, community). Com represents community, and mittere is its internal contrast, offering definitions such as letting go, releasing, sending, and throwing.

What, who, and where one commits to is a common refrain within my Omit to Commit research. But as its Latin root so delicately declares, commit also acknowledges what, who, and where are omitted, released, and removed, too. Does that not ring true to expression, where art is quite literally letting go?

Letting go is a great way to protect energy (see resource of energy post here), but it is vulnerable and precarious. Boundaries sometimes involve releasing energy too, letting go and letting God. When boundaries may have not existed before, good energy is essential. I know those discombobulated feelings all too well, and I shared some of my experiences with boundaries at Experiment: Engage and Express.

And yet, there is a serenity of letting go of…

• My perfectly imperfect words. Hello, I’m writing (and scheduling to publish at midnight) this very draft when I used to write three.
• People who did not really see me. Where I physically, mentally, and sometimes emotionally contorted myself into positions to make myself funnier (lol), clever-er, more intellectual, more something.
• The places that let me down. Life’s too short for spaces that drain my energy. Certainly, my cup often overflows with fun and fulfillment, but being grounded in this reality, I too need spaces of solitude and serenity. I am open to abundance, and that includes fostering and finding spaces that nurture authenticity and vulnerability, not scarcity and shame.

I am committing to…

• Still writing, such as posting to this lovely little website every 10 days. I won’t let go of my ritual of processing through publishing. Whether I am responding to research on the 20th (like today!), making spaces for self-examination through experimenting (the 10th of every month!), or diving into others’ creative systems or practices (every month on the 30th), I am grateful for this virtual space.
• Believing in God. In myself. In people.
• Sharing a virtual safe space for creatives to (re)claim their stories. I’m making a webpage that’s to and for my network. Focused on womxn and nonbinary folks, my multidisciplinary passions for art and archiving have led me to see where I can make the most impact and be my truest self. I am pleased to reinforce:

Stay tuned for a whole new virtual safe space on this website! I aim to foster community, communication, and commitments to our individual and shared practices of creating. My vision for this project includes:

1. Sharing (occasionally affiliate) links, photos, and blurbs of creative people already in my network, including internal links like Womxn in Progress and external links to my friends’ projects, thereby highlighting community
2. Making a space for (new to KaylieLongley.com) people to submit their own links, photos, and blurbs, forging connections (contact me here)
3. Adding some sort of “instant” channel for dialogue, feedback, and communication, such as a private(?) Meta Group
4. Creating a campaign outside of my current content calendar. This content will focus on multi-passionate living, and so I intend to expand my media presence and am considering a newsletter, vlog, or podcast for this work (comments? Let me know!)
5. Buckling down and committing to branding this/myself as an author, artist, and archivist!

I am so excited and engaged with this work of owning my story, including what I am releasing and holding onto. As I make transitions online and off, this creative community work genuinely enriches my days. My goal is to empower others to share and embrace their own contributions and chapters, too. Whether I am a (virtual) mentor to you, a marketer, another maker, or some other attribute, I deeply value creating. And that includes making digital spaces for others to share and express themselves, too. That hasn’t changed.

Your feedback is super important to me, so if you have questions on my vision, ideas for dialogue, wish to become an affiliate, or something else, kindly comment! You can also email me anytime. I recommend subject “Kaylie’s Creative Community.” Mi (virtual) casa es tu casa. Thanks for being here.