What if we danced in public? - Holding space for passion.

Wouldnt that be lovely, if there was space to let others dance, to let people sit in the park and draw, paint or sing, not just in public but in peoples minds. Is it social medias fault? has it killed authentic altruistic self expression? Yeah we've heard it all before, kids don't play outside anymore, no one does anything but sit on their phones, community's gone, and everyone locks their front doors.

But have people abandoned community, or has it been taken form them? Do we not see passion because people are hiding it, or because society holds no space for it to be seen? When the algorithm is trending one way and you play music in another, no space is held for you online. In the real world maybe you'd like to sit on a bench and see the world go by your side of town, talk to neighbours and learn the regulars of the road. But they closed the public bathrooms and stopped subsidising the cafe in the park. Now less people pass by, less stop and pause to sip a coffee, to chat about the little things, the weather, and whether or not you heard about the fundraiser the parish is having for old Johns wife. The big chain coffee shop down the road doesn't sell local art like the park cafe did, nor do they buy their cakes from Brenda on the high street. One day you arrive to find your usual bench replaced, it now has arm rests in the middle, they're uncomfortable, at the wrong height for your arms to rest comfy, and one digs in to your side slightly. Eventually you just stop going to the park, there's nothing there for you anymore.

Ill be honest two paragraphs in and im already sounding like every doomer article about millennials, online shopping, and the death of the high street from 2012. But those articles weren't entirely without merit. Anyone whos been down a high street thats thriving with independent stores knows what im talking about. The level of community built through that can be outstanding. Yes there are the big acts of support, the fundraisers and donation drives, but its more than that, its the small everyday things, the place for the local bands to post their flyers without some underpaid teen having to "check with management" just to be told no. The store happy to set you a day or twos work cleaning up the backroom so you can make a little extra to pay for you partners christmas gift. The place that lets you use the employee bathroom when you're caught short on the walk home. All of these little moments make people feel proud of their community, they connect those communities, and give people a reason and space to remain connected.

What's more this shared community brings with it collective power, the ability to petition the city for a car free day and block party. The weight to push back against the influx of Walmart and Starbucks in places they are not needed. The awareness and numbers to put forth that those vacant lots should be community garden and third spaces, rather than just sit as a void until development begins.

The same is true online. Especially so in this space. We have seen first hand time and time again what dedicated communities can do. Now that power has been used for things far from good many times over, but no one can deny its existence. Millions of dollars raised on vibes, International groups met up in real life and affected change. From art and toys to clothes and coffee these things have been created and supported by community.

When we held space for art those years ago, it drew in more artists, whilst it fostered the art that was here, and those artists (as they do today) supported issues and ideas bigger than themselves. Holding space for the creation and expression of culture is so incredibly healthy for our growth, not just in terms of the "crypto" community, but as any community.

But if all we hold space for is gambling that's all there will be, they say there's no crying in the casino, but there's no space for dancing here either.