Speed of commitment:

Fast: Open to a situation that takes everyone being all-in from the start (with contracts & clarity), In between: Open to a commitment after a defined time for a trial run, Slow: Open to a situation where trust can build over time

IC types I would live in or am forming:

Artist collective & live work space, Cohousing: private residences around shared space, Cottage industry in community (e.g. biz partners or recreation venture team), Ecovillage or agrihood, Expat residential community, Farm or ranch, Mobile home park or RV spot, Multi-house collective (resource-sharing among houses not adjacent), Retreat or event hosting as community, Senior cohousing or shared house, Tiny homes community

Food production:

Working toward a mix of producing our own food and buying groceries, Working toward producing all or nearly all of our own food

IC seeker or founder/resident:

IC seeker or cofounder: I’m seeking to join likeminded others as a core group in founding a new IC. Together we will establish a vision and norms.

Service-based IC (population served):

Aged out foster teens, Animal rescue, Low income elderly

Residential proximity:

Multi-house collective (shared resources, but IC houses might be scattered within a traditional neighborhood), Separate units (separate apartments but some shared common areas with shared resources), Shared land (separate houses possibly with some shared buildings)

Ownership types:

Co-operative (collectively owned separate houses or apartments), Join an established IC to learn and possibly stay, Joint land purchase to subdivide, hold shares, or hold "tenancy in common", Multi-house collective (shared resources, but houses have separate ownership or are separate rentals), Rent-to-own with shared housing or shared land, Rented with shared housing or shared land, Whatever the group can agree on

Reasons for shared housing or land:

Ecological sustainability to reduce carbon footprint, Friendship and sharing activities, Having a “chosen family” to share good times and support each other thru hard times, Lower cost of living, Shared land, shared community hub such as gardens or meeting space, but not shared housing), Sharing meals and chores, Sharing resources (spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles, gardens), Working together in a business (e.g., remote location)

Décor of shared areas:

Decisions based on practical utility and durability, Prefer furniture & decor that's kid-or-pet friendly (used or easily replaceable)

Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:

Average level of "lived in" look, Creativity in progress (translate: not tidy in designated work space), Tidy in shared spaces, with a designated place for things

Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):

Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests, Disinfectants must be ecologically safe products (chemical sensitivity), Dusting is not so important

Yard or landscaping:

Covered space for storage, Gardens and edible landscaping, Tidy and clutter-free outdoors with storage out of sight

Current city, town, or county:

Nomad

Nation(s) of current residence:

Mexico

Preferred regions worldwide:

U.S. Oregon, U.S. Washington state

Population density:

Rural, Small town, Suburban or exurban

Ideal location(s):

Pacific Northwest US

Commitment to my current location:

Happy with current location but open to considering other options, Want to eventually commit to a permanent location if it goes well

Relocation capacity:

Ready to move from my current residence now or in the near future, Ready to move from my general area now or in the near future

State, province, or region:

Resource sharing:

Car share, Emergency preparedness efforts, Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Garden (share work and produce), Joint business (share work and profits), Pet care swap, Tool share (maintenance and use of expensive equipment)

My socioeconomic status:

Substantial assets but lower income

Leisure and lifestyle:

Somewhat frugal about leisure and entertainment expenditures

Leadership availability:

I'm willing to join as part of a core leadership team

Roles and responsibilities:

Clear responsibilities are important to minimize conflict, Flexible responsibilities are often best, which aren't assigned or micromanaged, In a reciprocal relationship you give about as much as you get, but it happens without keeping track, In a small family-like group, the saying applies, “to each according to their need, from each according to their abilities"

Common practical skills:

Bookkeeping, Cooking for groups, Gardening or crop cultivation, Group facilitation, Organizing & labeling, Permaculture

Experience or schooling:

Bookkeeping/accounting, Business management, Computer science, Consensus facilitation, Ecological science, Event planning & management, Experience teaching adults, Finance, economics, timebanking, Food preservation (e.g., cheesemaking, home canning, drying, smoking), Horticulture or permaculture, Long term rentals and maintenance, Marketing, Ordained minister or religious scholar, Public speaking, Travel, Website design, Writing

Occupation(s) and expertise:

Accounting, Software consulting, Facilitation, Small business

Years lived in an IC:

Less than a year in IC

Experience in community:

Two months at Findhorn

Professional certifications or degrees:

Permaculture Design Certification, Permaculture Teacher, Sustainable Design (Gaia Ed), Ecovillage Design (Gaia Ed), Certified Celebrant, Ordained Minister, Certiied Wedding Planner

Generation:

Older boomer (70-80)

Generations intended in IC:

Gen A (born 2013 – 2024), Gen B (babies! born 2025 – 2039), Gen X (born 1965 – 1980), Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), Millennial (born 1981 – 1996), Older boomer (born 1946 – 1954), Pre-boomer (born before 1946), Younger boomer (born 1955 – 1964)

Alcohol (tolerable rules):

Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic

Tobacco smoking (tolerable rules):

Should only be allowed outdoors

Cannabis (tolerable rules):

Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic

Psychedelics (tolerable rules):

Legal psychedellics are okay if not disrupting to others

Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):

Should not be allowed on the premises

Overnite guests (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed in designated guest areas, Should be permitted in limited circumstances as decided by the governance process, Should not be a concern of the community, as long as everyone's privacy is respected

Daytime visitor access (tolerable rules):

Should require that community is informed of planned visits

Nudity (tolerable rules):

Should be limited to private rooms or private residences (as is the norm outside the IC), Should be permitted within designated areas of the IC (e.g., a gated hot tub)

Required disclosures:

Background check for landlord/tenant disputes, Credit check, Current addictions even if under treatment, On sex offender registry, Past felony conviction

Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:

No mandate of adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices

My religious beliefs or practices:

Astrology, Mediumship, Native American / First Nations, Near-death experience or out-of-body, New Age (mix), New Thought (law of attraction), Pagan, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Spiritual but not religious, Tarot, Theosophical Society, Wiccan

Practices welcome in IC:

12 steps (from AA, NA, etc.), Agnostic, Astrology, Atheist, Buddhist, Christian universalist, Hindu, Jainist, Jewish, Kabbalah, Native American / First Nations, Near-death experience or out-of-body, New Age (mix), New Thought (law of attraction), Pagan, Pantheist, Rastafarian, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Sikh, Spiritual but not religious, Spiritualist, Taoist, Tarot, Theosophical Society, Wiccan, Zoroastrian

Ecological preservation ethics:

Commitment to reduce, re-use, recycle, Composting toilet, Eating vegan, vegetarian, or certified humane animal products, Gray water recycling where permitted, Local food commitment for low carbon footprint, Minimize use of plastic, Use of alternative power such as solar or wind

Belief-related practices:

Wheel of the year rituals and celebrations

Wisdom sharing:

This might be a really long list. Tolerance, respect and listening come to mind as the top traits of living in community.

Size of community:

11 to 20, 21 to 50, 51 to 150, 6 to 10, Under 6

Sense of togetherness:

An IC should foster close interpersonal relationships, An IC should have regular opportunities to encourage all to share their feelings, I do not want to be required or pressured to share feelings in a group setting

My gender identity:

Female

Genders welcome in IC:

AFAB, AMAB, Female, Male, Non-binary

My current couple situation:

I'm available, I'm single or divorced

Couple situations welcome in IC:

Available somewhat (e.g., in open relationship), Committed closed partnership(s) (e.g., married monogamous couples), Not available (e.g., you're okay if you're not going to be a threat to my primary relationship), Single (not in a committed closed partnership)

My sexual orientation:

Monogamous, Not necessary for others to know, Straight

Sexual identities welcome in IC:

Cisgender (gender aligns with natal sex), Heterosexual (straight), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner), Non-monogamous

Sex & intimacy norms in IC:

A topic discussed with curiosity and respect, allowing for experimentation around what works for the community, Primarily left to the individual to determine, with the understanding that personal choices can impact community culture

Physical affection:

I am a big hugger; I’m affectionate even with people I don't know well, I enjoy hugs and lean toward the easily affectionate side, It depends

My availability for physical intimacy:

Consensual recreational sex is okay with me, depending, Want to take it really slow to be sure a commitment can last, Want to take it slow, be friends before more involvement

Race & Ethnicity:

White

Children in IC:

Children are not a good fit (e.g., college dorm or retirement community), Children are welcome but not a necessity (not a dealbreaker issue)

Other people’s children:

Children are the responsibility of their parents, so any shared care needs to be agreed on between individuals, I don’t have the time/skill/interest to share in others' child care responsibilities, I prefer a community in which there are on-site designated childcare facilities to allow other adults to work, I want to be in a setting in which all feel a responsibility for well-being of children in the community

Behavior correction:

Parents shouldn't allow their child(ren) to be loud and disruptive in group settings, Parents shouldn't be offended if other adults respectfully question their child(ren)'s behavior

Children sheltered from:

Drug use, Guns, Sexual behavior or images, Violent images or lyrics, Vulgar language

Screen time (acceptable rules):

Screen time and content limits are up to individual families

Dogs:

Not applicable, with separate residences each household decides, Outdoor dog(s) not okay

Cats:

Not applicable, with separate residences each household decides, Outdoor cat(s) not okay

Farm animals or pets I have or want:

Bees

Farm animals or pets:

Chickens, Cows, Ducks, Fish pond, Geese, Goats, Horses, Pigs, Rabbits, Sheep, Turkeys

Special food needs:

Avoid over-processed foods with unpronounceable ingredients

Plant-based or not:

Cage-free eggs okay, Certified-humane meat okay, Conventional eggs okay, Conventional milk products okay, Everyone makes their own food choices even when eating together, Fish okay, Mostly vegetarian, Small local dairy products okay

Organic:

All food choices are accepted, Commitment to all organic, Commitment to local-grown as much as possible, Commitment to non-GMO, Organic non-certified is okay

Shared meals (acceptable norms):

Prefer shared meals weekly or monthly, Shared meals are necessary community glue, Shared meals should be optional

Medical risk bubbles:

I can commit to taking extra precautions for others in a high-risk category

Pandemic norms:

Keep good health practices for good immune function, Whatever results from group decision-making process

Health conditions:

I am a rather small human. Less than 5' andunder 100 pounds. Some things I am just not physically able to do.

Noise level:

A quiet serene living space should be the norm, Different noise tolerance can be managed by having designated times for noise and quiet, One quiet space should be reserved for those who need to focus on work

Sleep:

I’m not very consistent with my waking and bedtimes, Not applicable (e.g., not planning to share living space that's close to sleeping space)

Comfort & convenience:

I can participate with others who do not tolerate rugged life or extreme temperatures, I cannot tolerate extreme temperatures

Tech savvy:

I'm about average with tech use

Internet connection & phone signal:

We have adequate mobile phone signal to connect to internet, We have ethernet cord to connect to internet without wifi, We have reliable wifi

Off-grid:

Is a workable favored option, Is not the plan if it doesn't work for others I want to be in community with, Is okay but not so important

Leisure time:

Gardening, reading, kayaking/water sports, thrifting

Films, books, music, podcasts, shows:

My edutainment is YouTube.

Political orientation:

Progressive left

Extroversion (under 50% means more introverted than average):

45

Emotional even keel (under 50% means more ups & downs than average):

87

Agreeableness (under 50% means less compliant or more contrary than average):

89

Conscientiousness (under 50% means more easygoing than average):

87

Open to new experiences / imagination (under 50% means more traditional than average, sticks with "tried and true"):

91

Tendency for dealing with others' expectations:

Upholder

Myers-Briggs (& Keirsey-Bates) temperament type:

ENFJ

Enneagram type:

5

Astrological sign(s):

Capricorn Sun, Capricorn rising, Moon in Taurus

Weaknesses and superpowers:

I am OCD, not to an extreme but it can be aggravating to some. I listen with curiosity (unless someone is ranting)

A note about me/us:

I am a project person. Give me a project and I'm like a dog with a bone. I've opened two bookstores...both on islands.

Dealbreakers:

Smoking, uncleanliness, intolerance, disrespect

Dealmakers:

Respect, tolerance, curiosity, sense of adventure

On scale of 0 (imperturbable) to 27 (highly sensitive), 15 or more = HSP:

5.33 High tendency towards high sensitivity

On scale of 0 (prefers calm & predictable) to 20 (sensation seeking):

6