Bricolage

What a weird word to use for a site. Bricolage isn’t a term that’s frequently used, so it’s worth a mention of why I use it here. The term is means something like do it your self, or doing things using what you have at hand. You can read all about it on Wikipedia, it’s interesting. I first learned of the term while reading a paper by Claude Levi Strauss called the Savage Mind. He used the term as an anthropologist to explain the way people build societies, not using science, but instead using mythical thinking.

The term community bricolage is just my odd thought that the people involved in community development are often doing it using bricolage. They take the things they have in front of them and try to assemble something new. Sometimes they use myths, stories, and mantra’s to guide their efforts. Only on built projects does a scientific approach enter the conversation. Roads, homes, buildings, and parks don’t respond to mythical thinking.

But, there is a place for more systematic, rigorous, and designed solutions to community challenges. I like to think that I might contribute in some way to bringing a less DIY approach this work of building community. It’s tricky to do, so I expect to make some mistakes along the way. I’m going to use this blog to explore these.

Why have a blog? Isn’t that the perennial question for that a first post must answer? I’ve read several first posts which outline the grand plans for what a blog can accomplish and set expectations for a loyal audience. I will do no such thing. This blog is for me.

This blog is about me liberating myself from the fear of sharing my ideas. Pushing that publish button allows me to know that this exists. It’s out there. Someone could find it. The things written here are no longer in my head. They exist on a server someplace. Somehow that knowledge translates to a feeling of freedom for me. I’m not worried about what someone will say or think about this. I don’t expect anyone will ever read it. But, but, but, they could. It’s out there. Just knowing that means something to me.

All that bullshit and baggage disappears when I hit publish.

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I sat on this draft for a week. The window sat open on my macbook for a week. I avoided finishing this post and clicking publish.

Why?

I have no idea.

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I’ve been staring at the publish button. It’s a nice dark pink…

Why are does is have the three little dots after the word publish…?

I like that.

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Away we go…