FIAWOL - Speak Out With Your Geek Out

FIAWOL - "Fandom is a way of life."  This pretty much sums me up.  I'm a geek.  I'm proud of it.  Sometimes other people don't like that about me, but overall, I've found that most people don't mind.  They enjoy glimpses into my crazy geeky life as long as I'm not forcing them to join me.  So don't be afraid to share your hobbies - you might be surprised by who else shares them too.
 
Speak Out With Your Geek Out

The following questions were provided by the organizers of Speak Out With Your Geek Out.  Here are my answers:

 1. What words of reassurance do you want to share with people who feel embarrassed about their hobbies?

If you are having fun with your hobby - it shouldn't bother you if someone else doesn't understand.


2. Why are you proud to identify yourself as a geek? Can you do this in a way that doesn't condescend or sound elitist?

I'm proud to identify myself as a geek, because geeks have a lot of fun.  We really aren't that different from anyone else with a passion for something.  Take your die hard sports fan for example.  They deck a room (or their whole house) out in team colors and team items.  They host team themed gatherings (otherwise known as a Game is on).  Many will dress in their favorite team colors and a proud few will even deck themselves out in face paint.  Some also immerse themselves in virtual games with the players they love (ex. Fantasy Football).  I'd propose that they are similar to fans of other genres.  I will use one of my main fandoms, Star Wars, as a comparison.  My husband and I have personally decked out much of our house with Star Wars themed items - from my Star Wars apron and cookie cutters to the coffee table my husband is currently constructing to hold our LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon.  We've hosted Star Wars RPG nights and helped organize social gatherings for the Spokantina (the local Star Wars Fan Force that I helped found).  My husband and I, not only wear the geeky Star Wars t-shirts, but we costume.  In this fandom, he has a Jedi costume and I have a Sith Twi'lek and am working on a "ride-able" Tauntaun.  As far as virtual games go, we've both played many Star Wars themed video games and have also participated in online Role Playing campaigns (one of which ran for several years - I <3 my Jedi Outcasts family!).  So, personally, I'd place myself, as a Star Wars fan, on the same level as a die hard Sports fan.  Being a geek doesn't make you better than others - it just means you are getting a lot of enjoyment out of life that others who decide to hide their hobbies might me missing.

3. True confessions: If you have engaged in nerd rage or edition wars, what would you say to someone who said they weren't going to try your hobby because you were too negative?


I've never engaged in edition wars - other than siding with the Han shot first (though I'd argue "Han shot." period).  Mainly, I find these wars humorous (especially anit-Jar-Jar rants, but then, I secretly like Jar-Jar for the humor he brings - he's a bit on the silly side, like me).  I enjoy all my fandoms.  My fandoms include the ever "feuding" Star Wars and Star Trek (there is no reason you can't enjoy both), Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Avatar - The Last Airbender, The Legend of Zelda, Mario, and Pirates of the Caribbean.  I may geek out about some more than others, but I don't tend to rant about any of them.  If someone informed me I was too negative about one of my fandoms, I would ask them which one and why.  If it turned out that I truly was rather negative about it, it would probably be time to drop that fandom for me.

4. When was the first time you realized you loved your hobby (or vocation)?


Hobbies - hmmm.... my longest running hobby is probably crafting - which can probably be linked back to the first time I held a hammer... I'm pretty sure that was some time before I turned 5.

5. For professionals out there, how did you turn your passion for your hobby into a career?


Ask me this again a few months down the road - when my Mom's and my crafting store has been open for a while.

6. Remember a time when someone put you down for the hobbies/vocation you love so much. Now, imagine sitting down to a table and introducing them to your passions and how they make you happy. How would you do it and what would you pick?

I tend to show them my pictures of the various things I've done involving my fandoms or I tell them stories from conventions or RP nights.  I usually try to start from an interest that I know they have and try to highlight some things our interests share.  If they don't want to hear about it, I don't push the issue.  I'm happy with my hobbies - my happiness does not require outside approval.

7. Is there a hobby or vocation you think you'd be passionate about but haven't had the time/courage/opportunity to learn?


I'd like to learn to belly dance and think that I would have a lot of fun with it.  I've still got a lot of working out to do before I'd feel confident to sign up for a class.

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 Also, because I am super excited about it.  I'm featured on geekcrafts.com today!