Art has been a staple for communities since the beginning of time, and it has had a special impact on rural communities today. In order for a community to thrive, everyone must be in collaboration and actively working together to accomplish a common or similar goal. Creating art networks in rural communities fosters collaboration and creativity and provides a group-based approach to addressing issues within their community. It can be as small as a large or as small as desired for the population, and that is the beauty of it. Inclusive art programming can revitalize and repopularize recreation in rural communities. Synergy in rural spaces looks like mom-and-pop shops that thrive, a downtown area that gets the attention of locals and tourists alike, and a community that understands its identity while inviting others to explore it. 

To emphasize how recreation can help develop identity, we created a community art mural of the Radically Rural logo. "Dewey believes art is born out of and in everyday experience, that art is a reflection of the artist who creates it and to a degree, also a reflection of the community where it is born," (Diaz, K., n.d.). Art can bring a community, like the one that is represented here at Radically Rural,  in beautiful ways. This art piece can only represent the identities and the time of those who contributed to it. "Each work of art created by the individual artist reflects a period, a context, a stage in his life. Thus in their works of art, the artist can see the development of their identity through time" (Diaz, K., n.d.). Through art and the Radically Rurual 2024 conference, we have all broadened our identities. 

"...all participants were able to make connections between individual identity development and leisure in emerging adulthood. Participants identified many types of leisure in connection to identity development with the most commonly discussed leisure forms including going out with friends, travel, sport, reading, and volunteering. Cake decorating, pole dancing, kickboxing, making jewelry..." and, "...playing video games were each only mentioned by a single participant, illustrating the diversity and complexity of the leisure context." (Layland, E. K., Hill, B. J., & Nelson, L. J., 2017) 

These results highlight the crucial role that leisure plays in shaping individual identity. Based on the list above, the activities contributing to a person's identity vary and depend on personal and community influences. An individual's choice to participate in preferred leisure marks the initial phase of identity formation. For adults in rural areas, their leisure preferences might be predetermined as by this stage of life, their identity has been substantially formed. If their identity and interests don't align with what rural spaces offer, it may hinder their ability to fully engage in activities that reflect their true preferences. Recognizing and embracing self-identity through recreation opportunities helps build a strong community.