Dear reader,

It fills me with great joy that something among all these Words resonated with you strongly enough to bring you here.

Now that you are here, my goal is not to convince you, but simply to share with you the why, what, and how of the Words of Art community. This way, you can decide—using the same free will that brought you here in the first place—if you are willing and ready to take the next step.

Why a community?

A community, because:

1. I’ve never had one, and I feel like if I had, things could have been completely different. At the very least, the journey would have been less lonely and there would have been much more successes to celebrate—if not my own, then at least those of others. And because joy is contagious, even in my own sorrows, I would have had reasons to smile.

2. When I returned to Canada on July 5th, 2023, my initial goal, asides from Serenity, was to reach a place where I could live life on my own terms. However, around 9 PM on September 24th, 2024, I had an insight which shifted the goal to: becoming a version of myself that I would be the most proud of. And, at this moment, I truly believe helping others on their own path to Serenity, building a meaningful community, and striving toward financial independence by leveraging the things I love will definitely put me on the path to becoming a version of myself that I would be truly proud of.

3. Finally, a community as an act of service, because everything of value grows when it is shared, and everything that wants to grow thrives when it finds a place that can guide and nurture it.

These are the reasons why I want to build a community—a place where many rivers meet to converge together to the sea.

What is the Words of Art community?

I like to say, the Words of Art community is an ecosystem of wellness with the shared purpose of cultivating Serenity and helping each member achieve their own definition of fulfillment. What binds us is the belief that the undeniable goal we should strive for, first and foremost, is Serenity. For with Serenity, suffering is eased regardless of the outcome, and the journey toward the goal is undertaken with enough awareness to enjoy the view along the way.

My ideal for the Words of Art community is for it to become a ladder that helps each member reach their personal goals, a safe space where they can express and improve themselves, and a safety net to catch them when they fall. It is a community to be part of, to serve, and to rely on—with the purpose of making each member “better” by being part of it and the community “better” for having that member in it.

Our four cardinal values are:

-            Communication

-            Compassion

-            Courage

-            Mutual support

The three outcomes we're striving for are:

-            Serenity

-            Fulfillment

-            Belonging

How?

The services and resources the Words of Art community will offer its members will be structured around four main axes:

1. Cultivating Serenity:
   a. Weekly live discussions focused on specific Guiding Words lessons and Words of Art insights.
   b. Sharing my unique techniques such as My Mind as a Camera, Picture from a Philosopher, and Goal Scorecard, among others, to help manage emotions, increase awareness, and set goals.
   c. In the moment personal and meaningful conversations.

2. Evidence-Based Resources for Personal Development:
   a. Access to evidence-based psychometric tests
   b. Access to evidence-based resources (audio, articles, exercises) to assess and improve mental health

3. Community:
   a. Leveraging the strength of weak ties.
   b. Harnessing collective intelligence.
   c. Using the community as an advisory and accountability board to support members on their path to fulfillment.
   d. Creating and deepening a sense of belonging.

4. Continuous Education:
   Leveraging our collective numbers to negotiate deals and discounts for additional external resources (courses, apps, consultations etc.) that can help our community members achieve their personal goals.

In terms of platform, I am considering hosting our community on Circle.so.

All that being said, a community is both a work in progress and a shared project. My expectation is that we will build this together.

How much?

The Words of Art community, for now, is free to join!

But it will not always be free. When will I start charging for it? In a year, in two years, in five years, I don’t know but eventually for sure.

Some of you might feel that there is a contradiction or at least a friction between the concept of Serenity and that of money. I would encourage you to go back and read: Lesson 14: On money and fulfillment.

Personally, everything I’ve learned on my path to Serenity is written in Guiding Words, a (mini) playbook to Serenity. The Words of Art, along with the principles and insights that the journey continues to teach me, are also freely available online and through various platforms and publication channels. However, we are not ethereal beings, and for the body to continue living, it requires sustenance—which is purchased with the currency of money. Money is, therefore, necessary primarily for the body to acquire the necessities of life, and secondarily as a facilitator for the ego, which seeks to experience various adventures and confirm whether, in rags or riches, the principles of Serenity hold true.

Because my body needs sustenance, which it will need to obtain one way or another, and because the Words of Art community requires monetary investments to grow and continuously improve its services to members, joining the Words of Art community will eventually require a paid membership. However, we are far from that point, but it’s best to set clear expectations for both the present and the future right away.

That being said, please allow me to reiterate that by reading Guiding Words: A (Mini) Playbook to Serenity and subscribing to the Words of Art newsletter, you will gain access to all the lessons and insights I have learned on my path to Serenity—and that alone is enough… and is free.

I hope these words have clarified the why, what, and how of the Words of Art community. 

If, after reading this, you’re still eager to join, click here to schedule a discovery call with me!