At the time that my first blog post surfaces, I will have completed my first week of internship at Grunewald Guild. While being here I have surfaced a new passion for art, creativity, and have welcomed the idea of spirituality with a community. My experience the past week has already been unforgettable and though I have around five more weeks left, I haven’t had any doubts about feeling that my placement was right for me. When writing this, I have been here for three full days, in those three days I’ve flourished more than I ever thought was possible. I’ve been on a hike, swam in a river and lake, made block stamps, and practiced their mission statement of resonance. The Guild’s mission statement is all about resonance, “Community, at its truest, is a resonant body. Each person brings their own frequency—their grief, their joy, their curiosity, their questions—and somehow, when held with care, these differences do not cancel one another out. They create harmony. Not uniformity, but consonance. A shared field where no one voice dominates, and no one is lost.”

In my journey, I have recently grappled with issues of what my calling or service truly is to the community. While others around me focus on social and political affairs, helping children, environmental conservation, I found myself questioning if what I was doing had any point. Of course one could argue that self-working is service to yourself, but there was a voice in the back of my mind questioning if what I was doing was selfish. Everything feels so easy here, so am I really doing any social work?

As I grappled with my idea of “selfishness”, I had meals with some familiar and some new faces. After getting past the introduction stage of “Where are you from?” or “Is this your first time in Washington?” you uncover that these people in your community are here to be present. As you talk, you start to uncover the struggles in people’s lives slowly. You’ll hear people of all ages talking about loss, grief, guilt, and worry. Every person has a story of why they’re here, some are dealing with the death of someone close, others work a laboring job. Each and every individual here is not only just here for themselves, they’re here for others. Every meal spent a new conversation and a new fact surfaces. Every class period of art there’s the group talking casually or about the activity. Every morning Matin and nightly Vespers’ intentions we’re brought together to ground ourselves. The place is oozing with the intimacy of being present and feeling your inner and outer resonance while listening to each other.

Going into my internship, I was still dealing with the loss of my grandmother and the sense of community you feel is freeing. Each week there is a new group of people, some familiar and some new, that in itself creates more opportunity to show up. The people have writing workshops on their own, teachers create pop-up events for others who don’t get to experience their class, and every day we’re brought together. None of that would be possible without one’s presence. A quote from the Wednesday Matins by Mary Oliver read that “Attention without feeling, I began to learn, is only a report. An openness – an empathy – Dear pine cone, let me hold you as you open.” Which spoke to almost everyone in that room because it reminded us all of our presence. When we hold each other close and stay attentive, we are open and we feel all of the emotions being let out whether it be through art, writing, speaking, or our thoughts. In creating art, we express the true beauty of the world, but in being here we are creating art. Being present in itself is an art that many take for granted, you never know what will happen in the next few minutes, so be present now, not in your future or past. The mission statement of resonance resonates with where I am in my journey, leaving space for community and others to be present not only in my life but their lives.

While others deal with the social issues rapidly changing first hand, the guild serves as a quiet act of rebellion against them. It brings together a community of people, has them express themselves through art, and allows for opportunity to be present for ourselves. As I continue my internship, I look forward to serving the local community and practicing the art of being present.

Nickie Smar, Grunewald Guild