Emotional nourishment at The San Francisco Commons
Reflections from my time at The Commons as dreamt up by Patricia Mou
Never let go of your childlike curiosity, awe, and wonder
It’s a handwritten note I’ve always carried with me; a self-reminder as the fickle tides of life crash upon our shores.
It was my first time in San Francisco, and I had just stepped into a room full of strangers.
I went to The Commons by myself in their second week of opening. I didn’t know anyone prior, but dared to call myself a friend before the night was over.
This is about how I got there, what I felt, and why I have deep appreciation for what they’re building.
What makes a welcome
Warm welcomes tend to conjure up social settings which favour the extroverted, but this welcome was unmatched because none was necessary.
It felt like going home - the home of someone you know and hold dear.
People were relaxed; unguarded. You could make friends and inject energy, or you could effortlessly coexist within the comforts of your own world.
In a city where at times it feels like everyone’s working on something, a place with psychological warmth and safety does not come by accident. It was crafted with intentionality, and it was crafted with the deft hands of mental and emotional understanding.
A curated space
Deep mahogany tables. A chess set. Books amongst lush vegetation. Green lamps illuminating soft edges.
Each space had a theme; each piece had a purpose.
Sections were not doored off, but curtained off, and there was an inviting sense to the lack of framed liminal spaces.
I felt like a kid allowed to wander through my friend's grandparents' library for the first time. To feel the childlike curiosity, awe, and wonder, and to explore freely without encroaching on someone else's space.
Connectedness through experiences, dreams, and emotions
I felt an immediate sense of community which continued to be meaningful as conversation went on.
We spoke to shared interests and different paradigms, but ultimately we all spoke human - experiences innate to the human condition which connects us to creators, thinkers, and builders from centuries past.
All this came through serendipity; I was meeting people and witnessing souls collide. Paths intertwining, powered by the same dreams realised in disparate yet distinctly recognisable ways across mountains, seas, and decades.
Organic co-creation
A home is the people, and The Commons brings people together like no other; a sharing of intellect and a sharing of heart.
It invites contemplation, introspection, and a search for purpose.
One of the prompts on the wall read:
When was the last time you felt a strong sense of agency?
It was tactile and memorable, and it was something I'd do in my own home.
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Combine the factors above, and you have the perfect ground for organic co-creation.
When ideas spark. When it feels right. Not forced collaborations which outlive their welcome.
Personality imbued; authenticity protected
The Commons was made to be home. It was made by someone human, and it was made with heart and soul.
Patricia mentioned that unlike certain coworking spaces, she didn't want The Commons to feel sterile. That emotion clicked for me as someone who has used the same word to describe why I couldn't fall in love with some very beautiful and liveable cities.
She also mentioned not taking VC funding - a pristine way of protecting the authenticity of her second family.
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I have deep appreciation for what the team is building. I'm grateful to have experienced all this in their second week of opening, and I cannot wait to see where things go in the coming years.
I’ve since joined Patricia’s Rabbit Holes community because I wanted to dive into the thoughts behind it all - an ocean of life experience and emotions I’ve only touched the surface of.
Not everything I interpreted was as the creator intended, and that itself is a beautiful phenomenon.
Until next time,