The Art of Community, Second Edition

Chapter 15. Onward and Upward

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

—Greg Anderson

And this, my friends, brings us to the end of the first part of our journey. Way back in Chapter 1 we started with a bird’s-eye view of community, and we have gradually zoomed in closer and closer to look at the day-to-day details. Throughout our journey, we have talked through the major topics in building a strong community.

When I conceived the content for this book, I was keen to put together a solid foundation to get the new community manager, leader, or organizer up and running as quickly as possible. I wanted to cover a diverse range of topics without bogging you down with impractical details and academic hand waving. With these goals in mind, I am proud of the outcome: I think The Art of Community provides the springboard to help you all build great communities.

This is only the beginning, though. The French critic and poet Paul Valery once said, “A poem is never finished, only abandoned,” and the same can be said of this book.

Community management, leadership, and organization is a new and young science. There is still a long road ahead and many things to learn on the way. The first edition of The Art of Community was part one in an ongoing journey to document the art of building strong and effective communities. This second edition has brought a raft of updates and new content, but the content here is still a snapshot of knowledge ...