Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Traveling companions

In a followup to a post about people supporting each other, rvcbard wrote:

"I'd hoped blogging would be a way to get the more aesthetic conversations I crave."

"There are things beyond the topic of the day that I'm interested in. Things like experimentations in form and content, problem-solving for shoestring budgets, balancing theater with 'real life' responsibilities, deepening and expanding our theatre vocabulary, giving ourselves more tools to understand and evaluate avant-garde work, etc."

I've longed for that too. Someone to talk to about what I've been doing, who shows some interest. Someone who has some interests in common with me. Talking to each other about our ideas and experiences, we would enjoy each other's company, and feel encouraged and supported, and learn from each other.

I've also thought a lot about how I might offer that kind of companionship, encouragement and support to others. I've been thinking of that separately from wishing for that kind of companionship for myself. Now, considering how I might offer that kind of support to rvcbard, the two ideas came together in my mind.

First, I thought of asking her some questions, to learn how to have the kinds of conversations with her that she would like to have. Then I had some doubts about whether she could see me as the kind of artist she would like to have those conversations with. Then I thought about what I might do to try to find people for me to talk to.

Then it came to me that a conversation like that does not have to be confined to one person's blog. What a person posts in her blog might be influenced by what she reads in my blog, and what I post in mine might be influenced by what I read in hers. She might not see the connection, or I might not see the connection, in any specific post. Even so, we are learning from each other, and that conversation between us might feel encouraging and supporting to both of us, even if we never comment in each other's blogs.

I've always been aware of conversations going on between blogs, but I've never thought of it happening with companionship and mutual support conversations. That might happen more easily than companionship and support conversation within one person's blog.

That opens up new possibilities for me, for ways to look for traveling companions. Look for bloggers with interests similar to mine, and read their blogs, and invite them to read mine.

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