Mutual understanding and respect for out art. And just having someone who shares my interests to talk to. For me that's primarily artists. But that doesn't mean I limit my social contacts to artists, they are just the core of community. I feel that every is innate intelligent in some area, but there is no single standard of intelligence to judge by.
Some people are mathematically intelligent, some logically, some socially, etc.
In the same way, I think everyone has some creative ability. In some it may be expressed in the arts, in someone else, perhaps in fixing a car. To their own detriment, and society's at large. One of the things I have most appreciated about the poetry community is how it gives each member a forum to tell what they have experienced, and what is valuable to them. And in this way we have created a community which not only accepts, but values the differences in each individual's experience and perspectives.