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rogueslayer452Challenge #03: Write a love letter to fandom. It might be to fandom in general, to a particular fandom, favourite character, anything at all.
Fandom, oh Fandom.
You were there for me when I needed you the most. When I first discovered you, I was just a young teenager, surfing the web like one did back then, young as the Internet was and dial-up was still the thing. At first I didn't know what fandom was exactly, just that I was going on fansites and forums/message boards for the things that I liked and seeing others sharing those same interests. I mostly just lurked then, absorbing the conversations being had, and it wouldn't be until sometime later where I would create my own account on LiveJournal where the fandom community seemed to be growing and thriving. From there, I befriended so many who also liked the same kinds of media as I did, and being a teenager who didn't have many friends, an outsider who felt lost and alone and out of place, finding online friends in fandom spaces who shared the same kind of unabashed excitement in the same things that I was into was such a huge blessing. It was like I had finally found my people, and more importantly I was able to fully embrace my nerdy geeky side and to be a fangirl amongst other fans in a specific space designated for us freaks. For me, fandom is so much more than just fanfiction and fanart, it's the community of people and the shared joy in something. It's appreciating the love fans have for a specific piece of fiction, the creativity that comes from it, it's just this shared love which bonds people together. That is what I found in fandom, and what I continue to find to this day.
I learned so much from you as well, fandom. I learned how to engage in discussions in specific communities, how to write metas and reviews, something that has become quite useful later on in life the more I practiced and continued to engage with as much as I can. I understood how to conduct myself in online spaces, hard lessons in etiquette and patience when interacting with others which I am forever grateful for learning.
It hasn't always been a smooth ride. There have been, and continue to be, plenty of ups and downs and bumps along the road, many I've witnessed and experienced firsthand, but regardless it doesn't negate how fandom has always been a constant for me especially as a means of escape from the real world, a place to express myself, my love and joy, for the obsessions I have. I'm an adult now, but I am, and will always be, a fangirl at heart.
So thank you, Fandom, for everything. ❤
Fandom, oh Fandom.
You were there for me when I needed you the most. When I first discovered you, I was just a young teenager, surfing the web like one did back then, young as the Internet was and dial-up was still the thing. At first I didn't know what fandom was exactly, just that I was going on fansites and forums/message boards for the things that I liked and seeing others sharing those same interests. I mostly just lurked then, absorbing the conversations being had, and it wouldn't be until sometime later where I would create my own account on LiveJournal where the fandom community seemed to be growing and thriving. From there, I befriended so many who also liked the same kinds of media as I did, and being a teenager who didn't have many friends, an outsider who felt lost and alone and out of place, finding online friends in fandom spaces who shared the same kind of unabashed excitement in the same things that I was into was such a huge blessing. It was like I had finally found my people, and more importantly I was able to fully embrace my nerdy geeky side and to be a fangirl amongst other fans in a specific space designated for us freaks. For me, fandom is so much more than just fanfiction and fanart, it's the community of people and the shared joy in something. It's appreciating the love fans have for a specific piece of fiction, the creativity that comes from it, it's just this shared love which bonds people together. That is what I found in fandom, and what I continue to find to this day.
I learned so much from you as well, fandom. I learned how to engage in discussions in specific communities, how to write metas and reviews, something that has become quite useful later on in life the more I practiced and continued to engage with as much as I can. I understood how to conduct myself in online spaces, hard lessons in etiquette and patience when interacting with others which I am forever grateful for learning.
It hasn't always been a smooth ride. There have been, and continue to be, plenty of ups and downs and bumps along the road, many I've witnessed and experienced firsthand, but regardless it doesn't negate how fandom has always been a constant for me especially as a means of escape from the real world, a place to express myself, my love and joy, for the obsessions I have. I'm an adult now, but I am, and will always be, a fangirl at heart.
So thank you, Fandom, for everything. ❤
