Exploring Creativity and Community — Newsletter, July 31 2026
This month we explore the connection between creativity and community. As we listened to Sunnyside members share their creative passions—and talked with co-founder Dean Smith about his Celtic runes—we discovered they have much in common. Both begin with a vision. Both require patience, curiosity, and a willingness to let something evolve over time. And both become richer through the contributions of others. Whether we're creating a work of art or creating a neighborhood, we're ultimately shaping something that didn't exist before.
Creating Together
When we asked Sunnyside members about creativity, we expected to hear about photography, painting, quilting, music, gardening, and woodworking. We did. But we also heard about mathematics, engineering, cooking, dancing, teaching, solving problems, and even building an aquarium from IKEA shelves.
Their answers reminded us that creativity isn't limited to the arts. It's the act of imagining something that doesn't yet exist—and then bringing it to life. For Melanie, creativity comes alive in theater, books, and poetry, where audiences and readers help bring the work to life. She sees creativity as a shared process that creates something larger than any one person could alone.
Photographer Skip described a lifelong journey from studying insects to capturing light through a camera lens. Jack finds creativity in mathematical discovery, music, and painting. Greg sees it in designing solutions, fixing what's broken, and creating meals without recipes. Kyle enjoys the challenge of planning and building something new.
Every dance begins by saying "yes"— Kim
Others described creativity in more personal ways. Kim rediscovered ballroom dancing after nearly three decades and now finds peace in every waltz.
Mary Lee spoke about dance as a lifelong source of joy and connection. Pm creates through quilting, cooking, flowers, and writing, while Lara looks forward to crafting alongside neighbors who inspire one another.
Despite their different pursuits, members kept returning to the same ideas. Creativity brings joy. It challenges us. It teaches patience. It invites discovery. Most of all, it creates connection.
Again and again, members imagined creativity becoming part of everyday life at Sunnyside—through music, workshops, gardens, shared meals, dancing, painting, woodworking, good conversations, and simply encouraging one another to try something new.
Perhaps that's the real connection between creativity and cohousing. Neither is about perfection. Both begin with curiosity, grow through patience, and become richer when shared. Long before the first cottages are finished, Sunnyside members have already begun creating something together.
Crafting Community
Dean, Co-Founding Member
For Dean Smith, co-founder of Sunnyside Village, creating a Celtic rune and creating a cohousing community share something important. As Dean puts it, "Both begin with a vision, but neither happens overnight."
Dean researches and designs each rune before cutting, shaping, and finishing it by hand. "It's many steps," he says. "It takes time." That same patience has been essential in bringing Sunnyside from an idea to a soon-to-be-built community.
The first rune Dean shared with many members was Perseverance—a fitting gift for a community shaped by years of patience, dedication, and shared purpose. "The reason I started making runes," he says, "was based on their history. They are something permanent that has lasted through time. I want that for the community too."
For Dean, artistry isn't found only in the runes he creates, but in creating the conditions for something lasting to grow. Just as a rune carries meaning beyond the wood itself, he hopes Sunnyside will become a place where friendships, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging endure for generations.
Dean's carved runes
As we move closer to breaking ground, we're creating much more than a neighborhood. We're building friendships, discovering one another's talents, and imagining the life we'll share together. The cottages, Common House, and gardens will come in time. The community is already taking shape.
Closing Thoughts
What struck us most in putting this issue together is how naturally creativity and community go hand in hand. Whether it's Dean carefully shaping a rune, Kim saying yes to a waltz, or Greg improvising a meal without a recipe, every member we spoke with described creativity as something that comes alive when it's shared. That's the heart of what we're building at Sunnyside Village. Long before the cottages and Common House are finished, we're already making something together, one conversation, one idea, one act of showing up at a time. We can't wait to see what we create next.
Warmly,
Norm & Jennie and all of us at Sunnyside Village Cohousing