Great Ways to Engage With Fandom

Fandoms are a major piece of internet culture. You can't browse the internet without coming across at least one person engaging with their favorite thing in some way. Either it be a book, a movie, or even a sports team. If you think you managed to be on the internet and avoid a fandom, then you weren't on the internet. You were on your homepage at most.

Anyways, why would you want to avoid fandom when you can embrace it? Not only do you get to meet cool people, but you can spread your name to like-minded people who love the same things as you do, which is great whether you're making friends or want to grow a business. So, here are some great ways you can engage with the fandoms you love!

Collaborate With the Community

The coolest things that happen in fandom come from a group effort. Solving massive puzzles, creating dream projects, even general discussions are impossible without collaboration. It's the secret sauce to the best moments in fandom history. You won't see your dreams come true if you don't have a team behind it, whether it be friends or random strangers you're paying. Anything ambitious you have in mind won't come to reality if it's just you.

Even without big projects in mind, being surrounded by people just makes engaging more fun in general. It enables you to bounce theories and headcanons off one another, form cosplay groups, trade self-indulgent projects. Basically, take anything you can do on your own, and make it more fun because you're doing it with other people. 

Learn From the Media

What is it that you like from what you're currently consuming? Is there anything you can apply from it to make your own work something you like better? Or perhaps there is something about it that you dislike, and you wish to figure out how it can be improved? Either way, analyzing what you enjoy can elevate your own art. The best artists are made by consuming art in a mindful way. It is these small questions that can get you started and bring more questions to life.

Find Inspiration in the Media

Mimicry is the best form of flattery. If you see a character or a story beat you like, steal it. Make it yours. Twist it into a new interpretation. If you see a style element that you adore? It's a part of your style now. It's not stealing, it's finding inspiration. Something that we do all the time, even when we don't realize it. It's the most powerful tool that artists have, and the very foundation of anything ever created. You can very easily steal something from my blog posts in this way. The question is: are you doing it intentionally, or is what you're currently reading getting stored in your subconscious for later use?

Conclusion

If you do these four things, then you are guaranteed to have a good time doing them. You might make a friend or learn something new. It's impossible to say how your life can be changed just by engaging with something that you love. You can find new friends, learn new skills, or face a myriad of other possibilities. What you get out of doing these things are up to you, so make sure to love yourself and give yourself these opportunities.

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