In 2007, I co-organized VlogEurope, a European meet-up between videoblogging enthusiasts. This was the third time we did it (2005: Amsterdam / 2006: Milan), and we were in Heidelberg, Germany this time.
One of the events we had was that each participant would "draw a card" from the Oblique Strategies by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt.
My card — the one that I drew — was this one:
"Of course", I thought. Laughed. And I reflected on how this has been a subconscious process for me for most of my life. To define safe areas, starting points. A single shelf in a huge library. A spot in a world class metropolis. A space that is the nexus, and from where I draw lines. Meander from.
Now, I am in Kongsberg. Starting out. My new home city. And I have my home as a starting point, yes. But I also have the public library. And I have a pub that I like. Three reference points.
Anchors come in many forms. One new contact in a new city. One new location that has a frequency that matches mine. My kind of frequency. A place that feels right, for me.
Yesterday, Tuesday, I attended the first event at the library of Kongsberg — a Norwegian language cafe, organized by the Volunteer Centre of Kongsberg. I sat at a table with three others. We had discussions about Kongsberg, work, travelling, and life in general. A small international group of 4 around a circular table. Three others. Three faces I might meet again in Kongsberg in a week, or a month. Somewhere.
The plotting of a map.
Each dot is a potential anchor. Each thread a possible connection. The map doesn't exist yet — it's being drawn, slowly, one encounter at a time. One coffee. One conversation. One nod of recognition on the street.
Define an area as safe. Use it as an anchor. Then draw lines outward.