FreeSpirit
Gen X (45-60)
Female
Illinois, IL U.S.
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, Cottage industry in community (e.g. biz partners or recreation venture team), Ecovillage or agrihood, Housing or shelter for a vulnerable group, Retreat or event hosting as 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: I’m seeking residence in an existing household or IC with a stable culture and/or established norms.
Service-based IC (population served):
Addiction recovery, Aged out foster teens, Animal rescue, Chronically homeless, Escaped from sex trafficking, Ex convicts, Gang-involved youth, Learning disability, Low income LGBTQ+, Low income elderly, Low income racial or ethnic minority, Low income with high medical risk, Mental illness involving delusion or dementia, Mild to moderate mental illness, Physical disability, Refugee resettlement, Runaway or homeless minors
Service-based IC (services offered):
Long term shelter, Permanent residence, Provides support services possibly including paid work opportunities for the selected group(s), Short term shelter
Vulnerable population as a proportion of residents:
Less than half
Residential proximity:
House mates (separate bedrooms, shared kitchen), Separate units (separate apartments but some shared common areas with shared resources)
Ownership types:
Join an established IC to learn and possibly stay, Rent a room as a trial run, Rent-to-own with shared housing or shared land
Reasons for shared housing:
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, Helping each other with childcare, Lower cost of living, Shared land, shared community hub such as gardens or meeting space, but not shared housing), Sharing resources (spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles, gardens), Traveling frequently and wanting a home base that’s maintained, Working together in a business (e.g., remote location)
Décor of shared areas:
A consistent aesthetic theme is important, Decisions based on practical utility and durability
Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:
Creativity in progress (translate: not tidy in designated work space), Tidy in shared spaces, with a designated place for things
Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):
All food counters & tables wiped down after each use, Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests, Disinfectants must be ecologically safe products (chemical sensitivity), Disinfecting is not important, Dusting is not so important
Yard or landscaping:
Gardens and edible landscaping, Tidy and clutter-free outdoors with storage out of sight
Neighborhood or scenery:
Nature scenery is a priority worth paying extra for
Current city, town, or county:
Illinois
Nation(s) of current residence:
U.S.
Preferred regions:
European Union, U.S. California, U.S. midwest region
Population density:
Nomadic, Remote, Small town
Commitment to my current location:
Want to eventually commit to a permanent location if it goes well, Want to experience a variety of communities and locations, Would relocate if group decides to try another location together
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:
Illinois (IL)
Resource sharing:
Car share, Care of elderly, disabled, or incapacitated relatives, Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Garden (share work and produce), Joint business (share work and profits), Meal preparation, Pet care swap, Time bank
My socioeconomic status:
No income (or extremely low) but will trade work for room, meals, and/or learning
Leisure and lifestyle:
Leisure time is a high priority, but not necessarily expensive
Leadership availability:
I'm willing to join as part of a core leadership team
Roles and responsibilities:
Clear responsibilities are important to minimize conflict, 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:
Group facilitation, Organizing & labeling
Experience or schooling:
Business management, English language proficiency, Event planning & management, Group therapy or processing, Musical performance
Occupation(s) and expertise:
Teaching, performing violin,life coach,spiritual director, yoga teacher
Years lived in an IC:
Lived with roommate(s) or housemate(s), Lived with sibling(s) or other non-parent relatives
Generation:
Gen X (45-60)
Generations intended in IC:
Gen A (born 2013 – 2024), 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)
Number of working adults:
1
Alcohol (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed after work hours, 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 allowed in designated areas only
Psychedelics (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed only in a legal supervised therapeutic setting
Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):
Should be dealt with by group decision in a manner to support non-use, Should be grounds for expulsion from the community, Should not be allowed on the premises
Overnite guests (tolerable rules):
Should be permitted in limited circumstances as decided by the governance process
Daytime visitor access (tolerable rules):
Should be discussed and limited by the IC agreements, Should require that community is informed of planned visits
Nudity (tolerable rules):
Should be permitted within designated areas of the IC (e.g., a gated hot tub)
Required disclosures:
Background check for landlord/tenant disputes, Current addictions even if under treatment, On sex offender registry, Past felony conviction
Prohibitions:
I care about health and safety. Beyond that, I tend to be very inclusive of different beliefs and behaviors.
Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:
No mandate of adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices
My religious beliefs or practices:
Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious
Practices welcome in IC:
12 steps (from AA, NA, etc.), Agnostic, Astrology, Atheist, Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jainist, Jewish, Kabbalah, Mediumship, Muslim/Islam, Native American / First Nations, Near-death experience or out-of-body, New Age (mix), New Thought (law of attraction), Pagan, Pantheist, Rastafarian, Sikh, Spiritual but not religious, Spiritualist, Taoist, Tarot, Thelema, 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, Use of alternative power such as solar or wind
Belief-related practices:
Weekly singing and dancing for an hour or so
Wisdom sharing:
Listening to each other's life stories on a regular basis has been a transformative tool for me in community building experiences.
Size of community:
11 to 20, 6 to 10
Sense of togetherness:
An IC should foster close interpersonal relationships, An IC should have regular mandated “group work” to resolve conflicts as they arise, An IC should have regular opportunities to encourage all to share their feelings
Gender + number:
Female
Genders welcome in IC:
Female, Male, Non-binary, Trans AFAB, Trans AMAB
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), Single (not in a committed closed partnership)
My sexual orientation:
Non-monogamous, Straight
Sexual identities welcome in IC:
Cisgender (gender aligns with natal sex), Heterosexual (straight), LGBTQ+ (non-normative gender identity and/or same-sex attraction), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner), Non-monogamous, Polyamorous (in more than one physically intimate relationship with consent of all involved), Polygamous (married to more than one spouse)
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
Diversity beliefs or intentions:
Living with people from diverse cultures is very important to me. I believe we have a lot to learn from each other.
Children in IC:
Children are welcome but not a necessity (not a dealbreaker issue)
Children present in household:
No dependent children
Other people’s children:
Children are the responsibility of their parents, so any shared care needs to be agreed on between individuals, I am open to a community of free-range children who are allowed to roam the majority of community spaces unsupervised, I want to be in a setting in which all feel a responsibility for well-being of children in the community
Children sheltered from:
Adult nudity, Drug use, Guns, Sexual behavior or images, Violent images or lyrics, Vulgar language
Screen time (acceptable rules):
Screen-free locations agreed on as a group, Screen-free times agreed on as a group to encourage outdoor play with peers
Learning method:
Though I no longer have dependent children, I would gladly support self-directed learning
Dogs:
Indoor dog(s) okay, Indoor dog(s) okay if some rooms are off limits, Outdoor dog(s) okay, Outdoor dog(s) okay if not frequent barkers
Cats:
Indoor cat(s) okay, Outdoor cat(s) okay
Special food needs:
Avoid over-processed foods with unpronounceable ingredients, Celiac's or gluten sensitivity, Strongly prefer a high quality of food preparation, Strongly prefer home-processed foods
Plant-based or not:
Everyone makes their own food choices even when eating together, Fish okay, Mostly vegan, Mostly vegetarian
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 should be optional
Medical risk bubbles:
I can commit to taking extra precautions for others in a high-risk category, I can live with or work physically close to people who do not take precautions against infection, allergy, or injury
Pandemic norms:
Keep good health practices for good immune function, Masks only when in public and mandated, Only normal hygiene within the IC; no extra precautions, Sanitize hands frequently in public, Sanitize hands frequently in the IC, Vaccinated
Health conditions:
Brain injury causing cognitive problems
Accommodations needed:
Cognitive disability or condition
Noise level:
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, Parents with children shouldn't have to constantly keep them quiet
Sleep:
I’m a late riser, My sleep is not easily disturbed
Comfort & convenience:
I cannot participate in a rugged life and hard physical work, I cannot tolerate extreme temperatures
Tech savvy:
I’m in need of help for troubleshooting or figuring out new tech
Internet connection & phone signal:
I can work without consistent internet connection, I'm concerned about the effects of constant wifi exposure, We have nearby library or cafe with 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
Leisure time:
Swimming, Lunch with friends, watching my granddaughter
Political orientation:
Progressive left
Culture influencers:
Stephen Colbert
Civic, political, or activist groups or movements:
ACLU- American Civil Liberties Union