Slowly and Truthfully – September 20
As autumn settles into North River Mills, our September gathering invited friends and neighbors to slow down and engage truthfully with both our creative practices and daily lives. This session reminded us why intentional, in-person community matters and how vital it is to find joy in our gifts even when applause or online affirmation doesn’t follow.
Building Community Beyond the Scroll
Six participants joined us this month, including two newcomers. For the first time, everyone hailed from Hampshire or Hardy counties, a sign of our growing local roots. We began with gentle movement and breathing exercises, which set a tone of mindfulness and connection.
Together, we explored the shrinking of our attention spans shaped by 24/7 media cycle and the flattening effect social platforms have had on creativity. While social media can connect, we recognized its net negative: replacing deep engagement with “content,” turning artists into competing brands, and eroding meaningful communal spaces.
We affirmed our shared commitment to cultivating alternative spaces, both online and offline, where creative works can be valued for their depth and meaning. By adjusting our start time to 6:30 PM, we hope to make it easier for participants traveling from farther away to participate as evenings grow shorter.
Practicing Attention Through Art
This month’s activities featured Lectio Divina and Visio Divina, practices that reconnect us to attentive, reflective engagement. Using Bailey Blumenstock’s poem “Vision” from her new book Leaving the Religion of Self-Harm, we explored how reading and re-reading can reveal new layers of meaning and inspiration.
Nancy Townsend offered a series of stunning nature photographs for our Visio Divina practice, inviting participants to first notice a single detail, then widen their focus to the whole image. These photographs are up in our Third Space gallery, extending the experience to our online visitors.
Music as Meditation
To close the evening, Ben Townsend shared a new work inspired by Robert Fripp’s Frippertronics. Bowed electric guitar, lopped using Eurorack modules, created an evolving soundscape that mirrored our conversations on time, attention, and lasting impact. The piece invited quiet meditation and underscored our commitment to blending artistic disciplines in meaningful ways.
Why This Matters
At a time when digital spaces often feel shallow and transactional, gatherings like this provide the kind of intentional, face-to-face community that sustains both artists and neighbors. By carving out alternative spaces, places not defined by algorithms, likes and shares, or competition, we affirm that meaningful connection and creative exploration still matter. These meetings remind us that building community is slow, patient work that requires showing up, listening deeply, and sharing our gifts without expectation. Supporting and growing these spaces ensures that artists and community members alike can find belonging, inspiration, communal support, and the freedom to create authentically.
Join Us Next Month
Join us for our next gathering on October 18th at 6:30 PM at North River Mills United Methodist Church. Our theme will be “Persistence.” You’re warmly invited to take part in person, on our new forum page, or both. Bring your creativity, your curiosity, and your willingness to slow down and engage. We are sure there’s a place for you here.