Weekly Seeds | August 31, 2023 | Ohana

Is anyone else excited that it's SEPTEMBER?! Three reasons I'm stoked: 1/ it's my birthday month, 2/ Bloom is releasing new products, 3/ we're launching partnerships with NYC and Oakland top organizers.

Noa’s top of mind

Ohana. I’ve been splitting my time between Maui and Oakland in the past 2 years. Living on Maui has been transformative for my mental health, my relationship to nature, and my understanding of what chosen-family (Ohana) means. Since the deadly fire disaster in Maui, I have gotten a deeper understanding of what Ohana looks like- It looks like neighbors driving up with buckets of water to help put out small fire flare ups, and it looks like 300 massage therapists giving bodywork in shelters, and it looks like moms dropping off “favorite lost toys” at schools for displaced kids. What strikes me is the role of small-ish self-identified communities- we organize a lot better and more effectively when we are part of a small-medium group that is clearly defined: “Kula Neighbors”, “Massage Therapists”, Maui Moms” are much stronger self-identities than “Maui Residents”. Speaking of self-identified communities: the Sex+ community in Maui is raising funds to support marginalized multi-generational families. You are invited to donate here: Sex Positive People Supporting Maui

One way that I’m shifting my thinking about sex positivity:

I hear this a lot: “Bloom is a great place to find likeminded people”. But who are those “likeminded people”? In the past month, I have been trying desperately, and without success, to define the Bloom community. I know.. I know.. definitions are so limiting, but they are also crucial to build a business strategy. Definitions along the lines of- polyamorous, sex positive, kinksters, and alternatives - don’t capture the essence of the people.

And with that, I’m giving up on making a behavioral definition (I’m imagining my poly-anarchy friends grinning with joy) and instead defining our audience by their values: growth oriented, self-expressive, challenging the status quo, and inclusive. Tony on our team defined it well: “I might not define myself as [insert type of social group], but I support them and see myself as connected to them because we share the same values”. How does this land for you?

shoutout to @askmarciab for their epic meme game

Data! Data! Data!:

In their research, Amy C. Moors, Jes L. Matsick, and Heath A. Schechinger, asked non-monogamous people to list up to five benefits of their relationship type. They discovered seven non-sexual benefits that were endorsed more frequently than sex; the majority related to emotional and social aspects of relationships. This matches my experience when talking to non-monogamous Bloom members- most people desire platonic connection, diverse experiences, and a support systems at an equal rate to their search for a romantic partner.

#Trending:

A16z, arguably the most well known VC firm in Silicon Valley, proudly launched a companion Bot last month. My heart broke a little bit when I read A16z’s blurb about how the world is “primed” for AI girlfriends, “For starters, people are getting married later (or not at all), and having fewer serious relationships outside of marriage... And even if you do have an IRL partner, you likely interact with them more often via text than in-person.”

So.. just so I get it right: the same technology, that promised to make us more connected to our friends, and instead systematically led to human isolation and loneliness, is now the solution to the isolation, by further isolating us from other people?! Massive ouch 

If you’re still into human connection, you can stop swiping, scrolling, and texting, and instead go out and meet some of the cool people doing cool stuff. There are about 100 events happening this week, all posted on Bloom. Here’s a list of 30 events happening this weekend in the Bay, including a “Swimming Man bonfire” community gathering this Saturday night in Ocean Beach.

Community spotlight:

Your turn! What are you thinking about?

Send me the deets: noa@bloomcommunity.com