A Life We Imagined

Summary

This video script documents the journey of women who have come together to form a community on a farm, striving for self-sufficiency and empowerment. It details their experiences in building a supportive environment for women writers and artists, emphasizing the importance of collective effort, personal growth, and the creation of a nurturing space. The narrative captures the essence of the women's movement, illustrating the transformation of social structures through the establishment of a feminist utopia that values community, creativity, and the celebration of life.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The women's movement is a centuries-old push for historical change in women's societal position, affecting education, health, politics, and the economy.
• 🏡 The narrative revolves around a farm that becomes a community, highlighting the journey from a simple farm to a thriving women's colony.
• 🤝 The community is built on the idea of women working together, supporting each other, and creating a space for women to live as they imagine.
• 👩‍🎨 The farm is envisioned as a colony for women writers and artists, providing a space for creativity and self-sufficiency.
• 🏗️ The work on the farm is diverse, including carpentry, farming, and community building, with a focus on learning and overcoming challenges.
• 💰 The farm's sustainability is discussed, with members contributing through food contributions and the sale of art to cover costs and improvements.
• 🌱 There's an emphasis on the transformative power of the community, with individuals finding personal growth, strength, and fulfillment through their work and interactions.
• 🌈 The community is depicted as a haven for diverse individuals, including straight women, lesbians, and others, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect.
• 🎨 The script touches on the broader themes of art and creativity as essential aspects of the community, with members engaging in various artistic endeavors.
• 🌍 The farm is presented as a model for a new way of living, one that is self-sufficient, community-oriented, and in line with the ideals of the women's movement.

Q & A

What is the significance of the women's movement mentioned in the script?

The women's movement is described as a centuries-old effort leading to an enormous historical change in the position of women in society, indicating a profound and ongoing transformation that affects various aspects of life including education, health, politics, and the economy.

What was the initial impression of the person who joined the farm in 1974?

The person who joined the farm in 1974 was initially skeptical, questioning the feasibility of creating a community in a remote location and wondering why they were there to help the woman who had the vision for the farm.

What was the main reason for coming to the farm according to the script?

The main reasons for coming to the farm included the desire to be part of a women's community, to contribute to a space for women writers and artists, and to find a place where they could live a life they imagined but couldn't in the rest of the world.

How does the script describe the experience of living and working on the farm?

The script portrays the experience as challenging yet rewarding, involving hard physical labor, a sense of community, and a deep sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. It also highlights the importance of patience, humility, and learning new skills.

What role does Kate play in the narrative?

Kate is depicted as a visionary and leader who inspires the community, provides guidance, and pushes individuals to find solutions and complete tasks despite the lack of ideal resources.

How does the farm support itself financially according to the script?

The farm supports itself through a combination of selling pictures, silk screens, and food contributions from the people who come to the farm. It also rents itself out in the winter to generate income.

What is the significance of the Obon celebration mentioned in the script?

Obon is described as a feast of all souls and a time for remembering those who have passed, symbolizing the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It represents survival, community, and the celebration of life, aligning with the farm's values of togetherness and continuity.

What is the ultimate goal of the farm as described in the script?

The ultimate goal of the farm is to create a self-sufficient, supportive community for women where they can live, work, and create art, providing a model for a different way of living that is empowering and fulfilling.

How does the script characterize the group dynamics at the farm?

The group dynamics are characterized by a strong sense of community, mutual support, and enjoyment. People are described as working together effectively, sharing meals, and contributing to the creation of a nurturing environment.

What challenges are mentioned in the script regarding living and working on the farm?

Challenges mentioned include physical hardships such as dealing with poison, heat, and manual labor, as well as the psychological challenges of patience, humility, and learning new skills in a community setting.

What does the script suggest about the future of the farm and its community?

The script suggests a sense of optimism and growth, with plans to continue improving the farm's facilities and celebrating its progress. It implies that the community will continue to thrive and serve as a model for a different way of living.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Women's Movement and Farm Community

The paragraph discusses the historical significance of the women's movement and its impact on societal structures. It recounts the speaker's early experiences at a farm in 1974, which later evolved into a community. The narrative highlights the challenges and aspirations of building a women's artists' community, the initial skepticism, and eventual realization of a shared vision. It also touches on the diversity within the community, including straight women, and the collective effort to create a supportive environment for women.

05:02

🏡 Building a Women's Artist Colony

This paragraph delves into the establishment of a colony for women writers and artists, emphasizing the rarity of such spaces primarily for women. It outlines the colony's goal to provide a creative space for women, often with limited financial means. The speaker expresses a deep emotional connection to the project, viewing it as a labor of love and a way to give back to other women. The paragraph also describes the physical challenges and the communal spirit of hard work and perseverance in building and maintaining the colony.

10:05

🛠️ Self-Sufficiency and Community Dynamics

The speaker in this paragraph shares her personal journey towards self-sufficiency and the importance of physical labor in the farm community. She discusses the practical aspects of maintaining the farm, including financial contributions and the collective effort to cover food expenses. The paragraph also explores the group dynamics, the joy of living and working closely with other women, and the sense of fulfillment derived from creating a supportive and empowering environment. The speaker reflects on the农场's progress towards self-sufficiency and the satisfaction of seeing it thrive.

15:05

🎨 Art, Community, and Personal Growth

This paragraph focuses on the transformative power of art and community in fostering personal growth. The speaker describes the farm as an artistic endeavor and a reflection of reality, aiming to create a harmonious way of living. The narrative includes the speaker's personal journey of humility, the encouragement received for writing, and the profound impact of the community on her life's work. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the idea of creating a utopian space where everything is of the community's making, symbolizing a life beyond the current social and political structures.

20:07

🌠 Celebrating Life and Legacy

The final paragraph captures the essence of a celebration known as Obon, a harvest feast and a time to honor the souls of the departed. It describes the ritual of writing down wishes, memories, and dreams on paper, which are then burned on a boat as a symbol of release and remembrance. The paragraph conveys a sense of community, continuity, and the cyclical nature of life and revolution. The speaker expresses a desire to create a lasting legacy and to live fully in the present, encapsulating the spirit of making a new way of life that endures beyond one's time.

Keywords

💡Women's Movement

The Women's Movement refers to a series of social, political, and cultural movements advocating for the rights and equality of women. In the video, it is presented as a centuries-old struggle that has significantly impacted society by challenging traditional roles and advocating for changes in education, health, politics, and the economy. The script mentions the movement as a catalyst for an 'enormous historical change in the position of women in society.'

💡Community

Community, in the context of the video, denotes a group of individuals who come together to live and work cooperatively, often sharing common values or goals. The video describes the establishment of a women's community on a farm, where people from diverse backgrounds come together to build something for each other, reflecting a core theme of collective empowerment and support.

💡Self-sufficiency

Self-sufficiency is the ability to supply one's own needs without external assistance. The video emphasizes the importance of self-sufficiency in the context of the farm community, where the women work towards being able to sustain the community's operations and maintain the land without reliance on external financial support. This concept is exemplified by the script's mention of the farm being almost self-sufficient and the women's efforts to maintain and improve the farm's infrastructure.

💡Colony for Women

A colony for women, as discussed in the video, is a space specifically designated for women to live, work, and create, often with the aim of fostering female empowerment and artistic expression. The video script describes the establishment of such a colony, highlighting its rarity and the importance of providing a space where women, particularly those with limited financial means, can pursue their artistic and literary endeavors.

💡Lesbian Connection

The Lesbian Connection is mentioned in the script as a way through which the farm community was discovered by some of its members. It implies a network or community of lesbians that provides support, resources, and a sense of belonging. In the video, it serves as an example of how marginalized communities can create their own spaces and networks for mutual support and empowerment.

💡Feminist

Feminism is a social, political, and cultural movement that seeks to establish and achieve equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for women. In the video, the term is used to describe the broader context within which the women's community operates, with one of the individuals being recognized as a feminist. The video suggests that the establishment of the women's community is part of a larger feminist project aimed at transforming societal structures.

💡Anarchist

Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates for the absence of hierarchy and the state, promoting self-governance and voluntary institutions. The video mentions one of the individuals as being an anarchist, suggesting a belief in decentralized power structures and individual freedom. This aligns with the video's theme of creating a community based on mutual aid and self-sufficiency outside of traditional societal frameworks.

💡Carpentry Work

Carpentry work involves the craft of working with wood to create structures or artifacts. The video script discusses the women's involvement in carpentry as part of their efforts to maintain and improve the farm. This work is portrayed as challenging and empowering, allowing the women to develop new skills and contribute directly to the physical structure of their community.

💡Humility

Humility is the quality of being modest and not overly proud or self-assertive. In the video, humility is mentioned as a key learning experience for the individuals involved in the community. It is illustrated through the willingness to admit not knowing something and the openness to learn new skills, such as carpentry or farming, which are essential for the community's self-sufficiency.

💡Obon

Obon, also known as the Feast of All Souls, is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. In the video, Obon is mentioned as a celebration that the community partakes in, symbolizing the continuity of life and the connection with those who have passed. The script describes a ritual where wishes and memories are written on paper, placed on boats, and burned, representing a release and a connection to the past.

💡Revolution

Revolution, in the context of the video, refers to a fundamental change in the social, political, or economic order. The script uses the term to describe the transformative potential of the women's community, suggesting that their efforts to create a self-sufficient and supportive environment represent a form of social revolution. The video implies that by living in this way, the community is embodying the values and structures that could be part of a more just and equitable society.

Highlights

The women's movement is a centuries-old endeavor aiming to change the social structure entirely, including education, health, politics, and the economy.

In 1974, the farm was a place with no community, but with a vision to become a hub for people to live and work together.

The initial skepticism about the feasibility of building a community in a remote location turned into a realization of its potential.

Lesbian Connection was a key factor in attracting people to the farm, showcasing a welcoming and inclusive environment.

The farm's appeal was in its promise of women working together to build something for each other, which was a novel concept at the time.

The experience of living on the farm was transformative for straight women, who were initially awed by the community's vision and determination.

Kate, a central figure, inspired the community by pushing them to overcome obstacles and find solutions, even with limited resources.

The farm's community was built on the sweat and dedication of young, idealistic people who were committed to making it a reality.

The farm's sustainability was a goal, with efforts to make it self-sufficient through various means, including selling art and silk screens.

The community's dynamic was fascinating, with a diverse group of women coming together to create a supportive and productive environment.

The farm was not just a place to live but a model for a new way of living, where women were in charge and free to create.

The farm's success was measured by the happiness and fulfillment it brought to its members, rather than financial gain.

The farm's community was a place of learning, where patience, humility, and the willingness to learn new skills were essential.

The farm's existence was a testament to the power of community and the ability to create a world of one's own making.

The farm was a place where art and life intertwined, with the community itself being an art piece and a landscape of creativity.

The farm's community celebrated Obon, a feast of all souls, as a time to honor the past and look forward to new beginnings.

The farm's story is one of perseverance, community building, and the creation of a space where women could thrive and be themselves.

Transcripts

[Music]

for

many thousands of years women have lived

as a subject people

and uh the women's movement is not just

something new or today it's several

centuries old and it's a

enormous historical change in the

position of women in society

you cannot change the position of such a

large population as women without

changing the social structure entirely

without changing education health

and politics certainly the economy

[Music]

when i was first at the farm

which was in 1974

and

at that time there was

it was just a farm there was no

community

she had these ideas about uh you know

having a lot of people there and i

thought she's you know this is really

crazy out in the middle of nowhere how

is she gonna get all these people here

you start thinking to yourself what the

[ __ ] am i doing here you know what why

am i here helping this woman i think

he's trying to develop in our artists

community i hoped and i prayed and i

really did a whole lot of hoping that

i'd get in

and i got in i heard they had steak a

lot

i wanted to

see if we could find some little corner

of the world to live in where we could

well live a life we imagined

but couldn't live in the rest of the

world

what we call laughingly hair to deal

with

we heard about the farm

through lesbian connection

it was the first

time i'd ever seen anything like an

advertisement type of thing like that

like this is what we do and who we are

and you're welcome to come this is my

initial reason

for coming here was just the i was so

thrilled when i saw the aunt

that

the women were going to work together

to build

something for each other and other women

and that to me was just

it was just like a spark when i read

that ad because i've been

as long as i can remember that's what i

thought would be

just wonderful if women would do

something together to help each other

and i thought this is it and it is i was

really excited about being part of the

women's community

women's colony

um

i'm straight and i'm one of the few

straight women here when i came i was

awed by the whole thing i mean she has a

dream here this isn't all for nothing

yeah and and when when kate says okay

what are you going to work on today and

i want you to do this and you come back

and say well there aren't any tools

there aren't the right tools to do this

and she'll say do it it's got to be done

today do it and you go off and you find

some

crappy screwdriver or something and you

figure out how to do it and you make it

work and then you're just amazing

i have always been excited about this

place even before i got here and i can't

even tell you where that comes from

except i really felt

that if her books were that powerful

being here was going to be just potent

it was just going to be so wonderful

and that's been true why can't not

you know this gets into these sort of

funny questions about destiny the

mainstream knows her as a feminist uh

lesbian subculture knows there's a

profound thinker

and i'm recorder of lesbian experience

she writes literature it's not just all

politics and

[Music]

she

makes

prints which i didn't know that she did

silk screens

she's involved with the issues of

torture

i mean i guess intellectually you know

kate is kate is an anarchist

it's a big change every year coming from

the bowery

up to the farm

because the farm is very beautiful and

the wow is very terrible

but

living on the bowery all those years

was a very good preparation for taking

on this farm

because if you can survive on the bowery

you can maybe even

make it if you're going to take a go

down farm and put it back together again

uh and we needed that toughness what i

think kate does is she inspires caring

she tells the story of the farm from her

standpoint to have her

vision of this place when she bought it

her 10 years of heartbreaking

backbreaking work

the

the soul of the place becomes known and

in my case i really just wanted to join

it my initial

reason for coming is i really

have a commitment to a colony for women

writers and artists

there are a lot of colonies for writers

and artists

but i don't think there are many

primarily for women

and the goal of the colony is to give

women that space

and women who've been here

and volunteer can then come back

and a lot of women writers and artists

don't have much money and to have a

place like that to come to

is something that i was willing to

contribute my time and money to

well it's kind of like being in love you

know with a project or an idea

a notion

and

like most of that sort of thing um

you don't know it's

enjoy every moment of it um

but

i think what i get out of it is uh

i want to make something to share with

other women and

i want to give something back

[Music]

this place has been rebuilt on the backs

and and of the sweat of the browns of

people who are very young

and very idealistic and we'll do it

god everybody was so

goddamn tired

that people kept right on going and

people kept

really being okay to each other it's hot

and you wish you could be in shorts and

a t-shirt and um

uh

everyone gets poisoned i mean it's

really a drag and

you don't complain

but i didn't mind the poison i that much

i got a pretty bad case but

somehow

they just

don't think

any pla you know i mean every place has

to have its

its nasty

aspect and

for me you know nature has its poisonous

copperheads and you gotta watch out for

it and it's

horse flies and

and mosquitoes and tits there's a

challenge here

to survive in a community of people and

to survive in a real good way

and that's part of the learning process

there too

this is true education this is the idea

of what is school

should be absolutely school should be a

place where people gather to offer

their

best

into

to be challenged it takes a certain

amount of patience a great deal of

patience

it takes being

level-headed

uh

it takes

a lot of humility you know you can be

whoever you are you know you can be

straight a student but you're faced with

uh mitering a corner and carpentry and

you just don't know what you're doing

and it's a humility to say i don't know

what i'm doing teach me

another thing that i actually wanted to

do for a long time

was

farm work and construction work i really

wanted to do those two things um

and i

had like considered

taking a carpentry class in new york and

of course

always too busy to do it and

you know take a summer at a farm and

learn something about farm work but

again you know the time just didn't come

so it's been great to do some of that

and i've really enjoyed it it's been fun

and um

uh

i really like construction work

i have to pay the taxes and the

insurance

we have enough money to

make some minor repairs like broken

pipes and stuff and then in the summer

we even have

a little money left that we can improve

things with

like we painted the whole farmhouse we

rebuilt the porch

we put on a new roof on the front

courageous work

um

and maybe next year we'll we'll get all

those beautiful decks on the lavender

house we were gonna build

and fix it up

so

we can

in this time whole waiting for the crop

make everything here all fixed and ready

the studios are all built the bonds are

converted

now

this is sort of

final improvements kind of

and uh

that's we we managed somehow to keep

this place going on nothing

um

and then

what it doesn't earn through

renting itself out in the winter um

is me

i mean i bought the farm i bought all

the land

uh

i've

you know paid for everything that had to

be paid for

um but we've been trying all along to

get the farm to be self-sufficient which

it almost is now i love the work in the

field

it's a very direct kind of physical

action and you do it and it's over and i

actually um

in a lot better shape than i thought it

was

i loved working in the field

the carpentry work

for women who haven't done like farm

work or carpentry work at first it's

kind of overwhelming

to think about you know putting on a

roof or whatever people do here putting

up a door or

doing all these things but

if you get into it there's a real sense

when you finish that you've challenged

yourself what makes it work is just

sweat

work

i mean you gotta get out there and do it

oh some of the common questions are um

what do you mean you don't get paid

yeah

uh

[Music]

what do you mean you have to pay

which you know trying to explain the

food contribution is a trip and a half

it still costs a lot to farm

one of the ways that we support the farm

is by making pictures

like we buy our equipment with pictures

we bought our little red tractor which

is just the best tractor in the world

and we could never clear without it and

we couldn't maintain our fields without

it and

it took us two and a half years of

saving picture mummy

and last year when i went to the women's

film festival or music festival rather

in

santa barbara and california we sold a

lot of pictures silk screens that we

made over the summer

and uh

we

we paid off all our debts and

the farm was 2 000 in debt at that

moment at the end of the season

and

in one sweep with pictures we paid for

it all but usually we don't get very

good big sweeps but we just piddle along

that's how it runs itself

and everything i can get hold of i put

into it and

[Music]

then the people who come in the summer

they all chip in for food

so that

all of us i do too we all

collectively contribute

to our

eating expenses

and the rest of it

somehow or another we manage

uh what i find to be most important is

am i happy

is this fulfilling me is this furthering

who and what i am

and i'd have to say i've got ample proof

that it is and that's what i finally say

to people who

bother with a sort of petty [ __ ] of the

food contribution and not getting paid

[Music]

the group dynamics here are fascinating

i feel just you know so happy to know

all these women all of them every one of

them i'm surprised you know i don't

usually

go places where i like 100 of the people

i think it's the most fun people who are

sort of outlaws and get here for the

summer

i think we're making a kind of heaven on

earth yeah and i adore it and i love

living with other women these months in

the summer i love living in a community

uh i love how much we get done

i love our big dinners i love

our laughter i love going swimming

it's uh

you know it's like paradise it's like

you it's like this

tremendous helpfulness

and

the possibility that we can make all

this ourselves plummet wire lighted

and put music in

um

that we can build an entire world even a

little world but

still the whole world is ours

where

we are

completely in charge

and

completely free to create and

completely competent

and self-sufficient

it's the life beyond the revolution and

why not have a little bit of it now a

couple months here anyway

it's how we really want to live finally

so that there's a model you know

instead of just dredging along with the

picket sign

it's time for us to

to begin to make the places and faces

where

we can be ourselves move just as we want

it's like i come here

to grow

uh

and i feel like i'm rooted here i'm like

one of the trees i

i just keep

growing i come here and i get strength

to go out

i come here i i work with women

and everybody works together if you're

an artist it's always going to be art or

it should be to be a good artist to be

really precise and unfocused one of the

things that this place is it's an art

piece it's a landscape of art when i

discovered that art was a reflection of

reality it was profound

it was just profound

it's it's to create a way of being in a

way of being with other people

that is beyond

our present

not just our social structure political

structure and stuff but even how people

feel about each other the dynamic

between people

the

space around their bodies the way their

eyes connect

so that

um you could

you could experiment with the idea of a

you know a peaceable

kingdom

a world of our own

where everything here

is of our making all of the lessons i

learned this particular summer i'm i'm

learning a lot of humility i guess i

always learn humility here

i don't know what my parents or people

of my parents class would think about

the kinds of things that i'm doing here

whether they would value it you know i

look at it and i say

wouldn't it be neat if they could see

what i'm doing

all the beautiful things i've made here

that are really legitimate that's why

i'm back

is i did get an incredible amount of

encouragement from kate herself for

writing which i've written since i was

seven

but have never done for a lively hood

and

since i've been to the farm in the last

four years

what i do is at it so i'm the closest

i've ever been to doing my

life's work and i know it has to do with

being here i

there's no doubt in my mind

what we used to say in the early days of

the movement that when we had a really

good party or really good time we'd

tease and say that this was life after

the revolution

i wanted to do that on a big scale i

wanted to

see if we could find some little corner

of the world to live in

where we could

[Music]

well live a life we imagined

but couldn't live in the rest of the

world i really thought it'd be fun

i i sort of wanted life to be a party

too

and

to live in a circle of friends

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

the same way but

it's sort of amazing

i feel like it's not just in its

cruising speed

it's not a dream or a hope or an

ambition or you know a sparkle in our

eye anymore i thought gee this is kind

of special this is maybe the best no

bone there ever was and i think it is

and i think

it has all sort of taken shape now and

it is working

obon is the feast of all souls in

the eastern world

and it's the time when all those who

have died or have

preceded us come back

and uh both the world of the living

what we do is we will write

things

anything

a word a phrase the name of somebody we

love

on that piece of paper you will

write your wish

your dream the memory of someone you

loved who died

whatever

fantasy

whatever deep thought you have will get

folded up on that piece of paper and it

will be burned on a great boat

then we'll go into the little boats so

we're just sort of starting out on this

sort of

the ritualistic element of this and then

all those things will be put on the

great boat which will then be burned in

the center of the lake

because the

the ideogram for that is the same

ideogram as revolution

so

the fire in the lake remember the great

pokemon vietnam

fire in the lake is it's also the

chinese city ground for revolution so

that's the meaning of obon it's the

harvest feast

all souls but it is also the end of one

cycle in the beginning another which is

why it's our sacred feast when we

celebrate that we survived another year

it's number 13.

we will do the lanterns that are the

individual souls of each of us

they will burn for a very long time and

we'll have special music for that

and then when we watch all of the little

boats across the pond for quite a while

then the big music will start and we

hope neighbors will be understanding

and then we will like probably dance all

night

[Music]

[Music]

i really thought it'd be fun

i wanted to make a new way to live

and try it out

and uh i think i wanted to make

something that would go on after i died

[Music]

maybe it's just to live in the moment

[Music]

[Music]

uh

[Music]