I met a street artist last week in the nearby skate park and he was holding a can of spray paint and evaluating the start of his painting. There was a can of white spray paint in his hand and several other colours art his feet. I glanced at the artwork and ask...

This is a post I wrote 2 years ago, but seems even more a timely as we have been navigating through 2 years of pandemic restrictions. Jump in a puddle today. Meander across town. Go for a stroll. Roll among the world. Pace off your frustrations. Tread, stomp, ...

I met an evaluator several years ago who spoke of an idea to explore the relationships in our lives. His idea was to have a person carry a tiny GPS tracking device in a pocket that would record the path of the person. It could then produce an image of the plac...

I visited this white building last when I was 7 or so years old. Then it was an auto repair shop where my Dad worked. I tagged along when he went to drop off and pick up his uniforms. I liked that this shop was nestled in the middle of a neighbourhood and the ...

I wrote this story 5 years ago while visiting Northern Wisconsin. I was reminded of it recently as groups imagine what the impact of their work in community could be. “We received a grant and realized we had no clue how to do a mural,” said Susan Martinsen...

Some community connectors I know collect interesting questions. These are the questions that help tap into what we care about. I have a tin box where I keep ticket stubs from memorable events. In this container are stubs for all kinds of events. They are from ...

A few years ago I met two people who were looking for ideas on how to discover the skills, interests, gifts and connections of people on their street. They found and sometimes created opportunities to have conversations with almost everyone on their 4 block lo...

One of my favourite places to visit when I am back in Cincinnati is Sebastians. Sebastian’s Greek Restaurant is a tiny Greek diner on a busy corner that overflows with hospitality. The food is amazingly delicious and Alex the owner always treats you like...

The doughnuts were works of art in the display case. There were so many colours and creative names to go with the colourful masterpieces. You couldn’t just walk by without going in, right. After checking out all of them, I ordered a Strawberry Cheesecake...

If you were doing an asset map of my neighbourhood this “car tarp wheely board jungle gym” would have to be in it. It brings together so many amazing gifts in the community. What is a car tarp wheely board jungle gym? Well here you can find artists...