Today's piece is a portion of a speech that my friend Tim Deaton-Conway, Executive Director of the Appalachian Arts Alliance in Hazard, Kentucky delivered earlier this year.

I was in the room when Tim shared these remarks as leaders from across the country gathered in Hazard to learn from the community and the work happening there.

Tim’s affection for his place felt instantly familiar and his words have stayed with me. He reminds us to focus less on what rural communities lack and to look instead at what rural communities already possess: creativity, resilience, ingenuity, relationships, and an extraordinary capacity for building with what they have.