Hunter Franks, an artist and founder of the Neighborhood Postcard Project and League of Creative Interventionists, recently concluded a three-week residency in Macon, Ga., where he used creativity to build community with Knight Foundation support. Photo credit: Hunter Franks.

The words bounced off the cold brick walls:

We tryna make a difference

Imma let that line hit you

It’ll probably take a minute

I’ll be right here when you get it.

As the sun set, Sabir and Vinson Muhammad captivated a crowd with performances of tracks from their latest album. About 50 Maconites had gathered outside the vacant Historic Capricorn Recording Studio building for a Love Notes to Macon Community Potluck.

The potluck was the finale of my three-week residency in Macon, Ga., where I used creative interventions in public space to ignite interactions between strangers and build community. Games, food, poetry and an interactive Neighborhood Postcard Project installation rounded out the potluck offerings. As people let down their guard and created connections with new friends, I reflected on what I learned from creating a sense of place in Macon in three weeks:     

1. Find the active citizens

Macon has a strong divide between socioeconomic levels, and it is extremely difficult to bring together the people on the opposite sides of that spectrum. The key is to find the active citizens — those people that work to make their city better. They are the ones that will embrace the idea of building connections between strangers and they are the ones that have the networks to make that happen. Each active citizen will tell a friend or contact. That network will slowly grow until it reaches those that were previously unreachable. This is the beginning in growing a network and a creative movement.     

2. Change the landscape (literally)

A lot of people in Macon simply accept Macon for what it is. They focus on the negatives, both past and the present. Lightweight creative interventions offer an excellent introduction to shifting the landscape and conversation to one of positivity and progress. Creating a change in the visual landscape of the city lets people know that what they previously saw as stagnant and sad can be active and appreciated. This can be as simple as having a potluck in a vacant lot, or painting hearts on vacant buildings. These creative interventions show people that there is possibility where they thought none existed. They then transform from a passive consumer of space as it is into an active creator of what could be. A group of creators has the power to shape the future of their city.

3. Make it approachable

Creative interventions serve as an introduction to “placemaking.” You can’t ask someone to join a volunteer committee to help develop a master plan for their city overnight. It just won’t happen. But you can present them with a chalkboard wall that asks them to share what they love about their city or what they want to see more of. Without knowing it, they are taking an interest in their neighbors and their city. They are inserting themselves as a voice in their city. This is the first step in a process, and one that needs to be approachable, fun and engaging.   

Like many cities of its time, Macon was built on industry: textiles and cotton. But then that industry left and Macon has been trying to find what will make it prosper once again. I think creativity will be the new medium that transforms Macon into a thriving city. The diverse people I met during my three weeks there eagerly participated and shared their ideas for how to make Macon more vibrant. The conversation has already begun. While I was in Macon I got to see the change first hand.

The Greek Revival mansion across the way from where I was staying, slowly losing its luster, was being repainted. I saw local musicians performing to large crowds, construction crews installing new sidewalks, entrepreneurs opening new businesses, and lofts being built. When I asked a young student to share a positive story of his Pleasant Hill neighborhood, he said he didn’t like his neighborhood. Several minutes later, he had filled out a full postcard with a plethora of reasons why he loves Pleasant Hill. Let’s help everyone embrace the positive — in small and large cities all over. Let’s find the passionate citizens and build approachable projects that create meaningful positive change. Hurry, Macon has already started.