Snowflake Challenge 5: In Every Possible Way

[author_by_night]

 

Talk about what has improved in your life thanks to fandom. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Ironically, I had "Dreams" by the Cranberries in my head right before seeing this prompt. Make of that what you will.

- Over the last 25 years (...holy shit), I met a lot of people who left a deep impact on me. Some are still friends, some have gone their own way, some are somewhere in between. Either way, I'm glad I met them.

- I traveled to places I may never have been to.

- I met people from all around the world, learned a lot of new perspectives, and continue to do both.

- Writing fanfiction improved my writing and helped me gain clarity on the kinds of stories I like writing.

- I discovered Buffy, Firefly, and Doctor Who, and Our Flag Means Death much later on. :) I suppose those weren't really life-changing, but those shows do mean a lot to me. 

- Going back to my humble beginnings, I think fandom was a godsend in high school specifically. I used to say that I wasn't really in any activities, but I was. It was fandom instead of marching band or cheerleading. Fandom was the thing that I couldn't wait to get to every day after school.

Comments

[elizalavelle]

Friends and travel would be high on my list too. I learned how to travel by going to NYC to see RENT and then other musicals through the years. I learned to travel with friends and solo which were both great skills to build.

I'm so grateful to the friends I've made through fandom. Some are lifelong people for me now, others have been people where we've passed through each others lives and made a difference when we were there.

For me I'd add that a lot of fandom things have helped me in my career. I've learned how to lead a group of volunteers, taught myself how to use photoshop, learned other assorted computer things for fandom that later applied to work, even learning how to make fanart and writing helps in all kinds of other ways.

Fandom was definitely my high school thing too. I met my people through various fandoms and figured out a lot of who I was through them.

[author_by_night]

. I learned how to travel by going to NYC to see RENT and then other musicals through the years. I learned to travel with friends and solo which were both great skills to build.

Definitely. And how fun to see RENT in New York with fandom friends. :) I've seen it on stage, but with a cousin and not in New York. (Side note, Maureen in the musical and Maureen in the movie seemed different. Not sure if it was acting/portrayal or the writing. The basics are the same, but Maureen seemed even more manipulative and fuller of herself on stage, whereas in the movie she's still pretty bad but I think a little toned down. Not sure if you got that impression.)

I've learned how to lead a group of volunteers, taught myself how to use photoshop, learned other assorted computer things for fandom that later applied to work, even learning how to make fanart and writing helps in all kinds of other ways.

Oh, I like that. That's very true, and I can relate as well. I work remotely, as you know, and being able to adjust to new websites and platforms and understanding online etiquette has come in handy.

[elizalavelle]

I think the movie suffered from a movie director and stage actors and difficulty in meshing the two. I'm glad they filmed a version on stage as well, that one is far better for me. I also was very much a RENThead back in the day (I used to camp out for tickets and I have lost track of how many times I've seen the show) so I'm a bit snobby about it. I'm glad the movie got made so everyone could see most of the Original Broadway Cast, it's just not my favourite iteration of the show.

For sure - I think a lot of what we learned in the early days of fandom online is serving us well now. I'm glad for those early experiences. Being able to adjust to new online platforms is really vital these days.