The Art of Placemaking
Daniel Grothe’s The Power of Place is a remarkable book on the beauty of residential permanence. He discusses a countercultural life experience associated with seeking meaning and stability in our existing community. Grothe discredits the ‘greener grass’ theory and instead emphasizes the rewards of facing complexity in relationships, hardships in life, or the boredom that can sometimes emerge from routine and repetition. He dedicates an entire chapter to what life might look like if we dedicated ourselves to appreciating our surroundings without trying to change them. His book serves as a gracious awakening for those of us who have known life as a series of relocations, but it also shines a light on static lifestyles and the holiness inherent in them.
I discovered this book through my church; Daniel Grothe came to speak earlier in the year and he gifted copies of his books to attendants. Six weeks ago, I began reading this book with an admirable group of women and we explored his teachings together every Tuesday night. This group has been a blessing in more ways than I can count and I felt inspired to share a few key points from his book in this week’s blog.
Chapter eight of The Power of Place focuses on “Stability in Home”. Grothe and his wife had been recently married at the time of this story and were moving into what he considered to be “someone else’s place that [they] were moving into for twelve months” (134). To him, this apartment was impermanent, but his wife saw their 1-year lease as a reason to make it their own more quickly—their new space had to become a home ASAP. In that year, she taught him “the art of placemaking” (134). Grothe emphasizes color, art, and decoration when transforming a space, but he also encourages the preservation of “the orderliness of the place you live” (136). He confirms that no matter how much life is spent in a home, one should consider how it needs to be organized for its “people to thrive” (136). Even the balance of one’s work and family lives (which might be affected when working remotely) can be marked by structuring sane workspaces in the home. Home is where imagination is sparked and the holy ground within which to rest and recover. It is a place of both comfort and productivity, which means order inevitably benefits each space. As a professional organizer, I am aware of and deeply appreciate the many benefits of this service, but just the thought of being able to turn a person’s house into a home by organizing it is fulfilling beyond measure.
I’ve loved this book for its honesty and for the way it has resonated with my soul. If you ever feel disconnected from yourself and your community, start with this book and see where it takes you. Thank you for reading, I hope you have an amazing week!
