Michelle Blakeley on Commune

In each edition of our journal*, we ask a handful of people to reflect on our chosen theme. This is Michelle Blakeley on commune: ⁠

Commune. I immediately think of groups of people creating communities in Nimbin, Margaret River and other idylls. A sharing of beliefs, values and desires underpinning a physical sharing of property, childcare, cooking, planting vegetables and whatever else is required for the commune to function. Rarely have they been sustainable which I’ve always found to be an insightful example of the human condition.

Fundamental to commune is sharing freely without competitiveness, ego, judgement, greed, selfishness or possessiveness (I could go on).

How do we embrace our positive offerings and eliminate the negatives, leaving them at the door with all the other uncomfortable baggage we want to discard? I want to believe in a commune of sharing between kindred spirits who collaborate openly and with trust. But commune is fragile and so easily destroyed by those in commune.

* Michelle is an Architect and the Chair of MyHome , an innovative response to providing housing for the homeless. Copies of Commune can be purchased at The Fulcrum Press , with all proceeds going towards projects within First Nations communities.