About Claire's Communities

In 2017, I embarked on a life-changing journey across the country to begin graduate school. Arriving in a new city without knowing a single person, I was initially terrified of losing the close-knit college community I had cherished. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I found my people. Looking back, I realize that many of these connections were forged by breaking down taboos and creating brave spaces for open conversation and genuine connection.

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So what is Claire’s Communities?

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Claire’s Communities is like a book club, but better.

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On a community level, it works like this: you gather 1-5 other people who want to explore and connect over a shared interest. This could be close friends, friends from high school or college you haven’t talked to in over a decade, a partner, your siblings or parents, or people you find in your local area (religious organizations, libraries, workplace, volunteer work, etc.).

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After purchasing the course (splitting the cost in your group—because who doesn't love saving money?), you have eight modules to work through at your own pace. No prep is needed, so you don’t have to feel guilty about showing up without having read the book for a book club (though there are recommended resources if you want them!). You just need to find a time to meet together and go through the modules together.

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I hope you make these meetings special.

It could look like:

• Every Thursday, gather together in someone’s living room and eat ice cream (because everything is better with ice cream).

• On the last Sunday of each month, grab a cup of tea and hop on a Zoom call (pajamas optional but encouraged).

• Every other Wednesday, reserve a room at your local library (bonus points if you whisper dramatically).

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The important thing is to set aside the time.

Each course contains material you can go over together (quotes, explanations, artwork) as well as a few activities. What really makes these courses meaningful and unique are the discussion questions. The modules contain both warm-up and think-and-share questions where you are asked to reflect on your experiences, beliefs, and values. Each person should take the chance to think aloud (hopefully prompted by the material you’ve gone over together as well).

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Discussion questions examples include:

• What was one of your earliest memories around money?

• Where and how have you learned about expectations of beauty? Where in your faith have these messages been confirmed or contradicted? (Time to spill the tea, literally and metaphorically.)

• Have you had an empowering experience around politics? What made it empowering? (Or what makes it hard to feel empowered?—looking at you, Election Day chaos.)

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​Claire’s Communities has been intentionally designed for you to connect with others and build your own community while learning about and reflecting on really important parts of life.

 

So grab a couple of friends, a partner, your siblings, or reconnect with old friends and start one of my courses today! Because let’s face it, we could all use a little more connection and a lot more ice cream in our lives.

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