snowflake challenge #15

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Challenge 15:

In your own space, create your own challenge.

First of all, I can't believe this is the last challenge! It really flew by. I managed to complete all 15, which feels like succeeding at a personal challenge that I didn't know I had. A quick thank you to all the mods who put in so much hard work in running this! Also to all the people who have commented here at any point- I enjoyed and appreciated seeing all your responses and interacting with you and I hope to come across you sometime in the near future.

This Snowflake Challenge really gave me a chance to interact with those that I normally would not have come across and I appreciate that. Not just that but the interaction in general. So that leads me to two personal challenge, which you are welcome to take on yourselves.

1. This year, step out of your comfort zone.

Interpret that however you would like. I know I am a perfectionist- it is not a brag; it's actually really inconvenient and frustrating because I'm often scared to try new things or get mad when something doesn't come out right the first time. My family has commented on it too.

This year, I want to be less afraid and try new things, in and out of fandom. Take a step I wouldn't have taken. As long as I'm not hurting anyone, I shouldn't be afraid to fail.

2. Participate.

From what I have realized from reading the responses to these challenges, people miss the older fandom days with more interaction and I think this is a 'be the change' situation. Whether that involves commenting, recc'ing, creating and/or all of the above, it can be done! We may not be able to go back to when forums were popular and you couldn't keep up with your LJ flist, but surely there are ways to bring that kind of activity to what we have now. I'm even figuring out Discord!

I was lucky enough to find two co-mods so that I could help run my first AO3 challenge. This year, maybe I will run my own community or lead something else. Someone suggested a more general comment_bingo (I have to find out who did that to credit them too), with permission from the people over at the Steve/Tony one who run a ship specific one, and even though it might be work, it hasn't left my head and I might try that. We'll see.

After all, like I said, it's worth a shot. :D

Comments

[siberian_skys]

I'm taking up both of your challenges. I'm one of those people who miss tho old days of fanom when we still had message boards and struggled to keep up with my LJ list. When I moved over to DW I was surprised at how quiet it was. I have made a goal to be more active on DW when Snowflake isn't here to push me. And my other goal that fits this is to dedicate myself to make sure I comment on every fic I read.

I'm also going to make every effort to take your first challenge into the world and step out of my comfort zone. I need to move and I've found the whole process very difficult. My goal to get my place sold and get moved by the end of the year, but sooner rather than later would be preferable. I also have a lot of phobias that surround driving. I do drive, but I don't like doing it in unfamiliar places or places that involve heights--bridges, overpasses, flyovers, exit ramps, that sort of thing. I'm going to add to my goal list to take a drive to an unfamiliar place. I'm thinking maybe carry-out to get Schwarma. I've been to the restaurant, but I've never driven there. It's less than 20 miles, so it would be a good test run.

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That's great to hear! And I'm with you- I made a DW just as a backup and then I drifted out of fandom/LJ somewhere around 2012/2013 and when I came back, I wasn't surprised, but still sad, that not a lot of people were on LJ. I know there is some but I don't know where to seek it out. At least there is some, slightly easier to find fandom activity on DW. Those are good goals for yourself.

Aww, moving is a pain in the ass. Good luck with getting your place sold and moving! I hope it is a smooth process, or as smooth as can be. Driving can be a lot; I like to do it and there are certain things that scare me, even after almost 15 years- I still don't like to drive in cities like San Francisco and any steep narrow streets are stressful. And don't even ask me to parallel park between two cars. Not happening. But it is good that you want to do it! That seems like a reasonable place to start.

[siberian_skys]

I love your Eyore icon. He's so cute.

I left LJ with the whole exodus when the servers got moved to Russia. That was jut creepy, IMO.

I hate all this moving stuff. I really hope this is the last time I'm going to have to do it.

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Thank you! It was made by (appropriately named) toocuteicons. :D

I get that. I was just leaving at the early stages and I'm assuming I made DW as a backup for partly that reason. I just remember people getting fascinated with Tumblr and I did too, and then since my main fandom had ended, and I lost interest in writing and real life got busy, I just stopped using both.

I don't blame you. Fingers crossed that it is the last time then!

[siberian_skys]

Thank you so much for the icon link. I bookmarked it. I need to do something about my icons and I have been dragging my feet. I even had very kind people answer my wish of Hawkeye icons and I still havan't upgraded my icon page.

I don't know wy I can't get my act together. Maybe I just need a vacation. I't ridiculous that I let these things go lately.

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You're welcome! There are plenty of icons to be found. It doesn't seem like there are as many as back in the LJ days but people are thankfully still creating them for the rest of us to enjoy. I have to update my icons as well.

It happens. I think that when you have a lot of stuff going on, the combined pressure can make you freeze and get overwhelmed. A vacation to destress is always nice if it is possible but otherwise, you just have to take each task one by one.

[siberian_skys]

Awww. Thor when he still had hair. :-)

I typed this once and managed to delete it. My bad. To paraphrase what I'd typed the first time around. I think, was that I'd frozen a lot recently and was planning to start over tomorrow. I also said, that a vacation was not in the cards until everything I needed to get done was done and COVID was under control. When these things happen, I'd like to knock one of the 50 states that's on my bucket list of. I'm about 1/2 finished so it would be nice to knock another state off. I'd also like to go back to Key West and I really want to go to Disney and see the new Star Wars attractions during Food and Wine. Food and Wine is awesome.

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I usually don't go for guys with long hair, but it does work for him. :D

It happens. That's fair. I definitely see why you would be reluctant to travel in the current situation (I haven't gone outside the state either and when I did within the state, it was out of necessity) and if you have things to do. Seems like a good goal to have! It would be a fun trip if you can make it happen, hopefully sooner than later.

[siberian_skys]

I'm old, so I enjoy long hair. :-) come from the days of head-banging music. I'm always surprised when I see an old band and they've cut their hair. *sniff*

I miss the world. Every-time I think we're getting better we revert right back.

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lol fair. I grew up with the boy bands of the 90s/2000s. Yeah, that would be weird.

Understandable. I hate the phrase "the new normal" but I think that is what it is. At least for another year.

[siberian_skys]

I grew-up with the bands of the 70s and 80s. I was always confused in the 90s. I couldn't keep the boy bands of the 90s straight. I know that's sad. I've been watching Chris Knights house show, though. I didn't realize who he was at first, but he's revitalizing old farm houses in Massachusetts . I finally worked it out since I knew the Wallburgs were from Boston.

I'm not sure I believe things are ever going to get back to normal at this point. I'm afraid to let myself think so, because every time I do I get bit in the butt.

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To be fair, a lot of them did look alike, and I think that's what they were going for too. I'm sure plenty of people mixed up Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, if that wasn't a genre they weren't into. I actually have never heard of Chris Knights. Oh yeah, I did know about the Wallburgs being from Boston but I don't think I ever listened to their music either.

It's probably better to adjust to the current situation and work around it rather than comparing to how it used to be. At some point it will but to hope for it any time soon will just lead to disappointment.

[siberian_skys]

That confused me, too. The Chris Knight I knew was on the Brady Bunch not The Backstreet Boys. Though the Chris Knight that turned out to be a Backstreet Boy looked familiar, I just didn't know why.

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There wasn't a Chris Knight on the Backstreet Boys though? The five guys were Nick, AJ, Brian, Kevin, and Howie. There was a Chris Kirkpatrick on NSYNC but that's not the same guy. Sometimes people just look familiar and you don't know from where.

[siberian_skys]

And this is why I'm forever confused with the boy bands. Which band did the Wallburg guy front? That's the band that Chris Knight performed in.

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Two of the Wahlberg brothers (neither of them Mark) were in New Kids on the Block, but that didn't have a Chris Knight either, only a Jordan and a Jonathan so maybe you're thinking about one of them.

[siberian_skys]

Now I've figured it out. Donny Wawllburg was in New Kids. He's the same guy as on Blue Bloods. For some reason since I started watching the farmhouse show that the guy's name is Chris. IT's not, I checked. It's Jonathon Knight. who I had confused with Chris Knight from the Brady Bunch, but only by name, because I know they weren't the same person. Chris Knight looks nothing like Jonathan. Another reason why I'm tired of getting old. It sucks.

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Well, mystery solved! At least it's relatively easy to figure out, with all the information out there.

[siberian_skys]

I'm just tired of my old brain not cooperating with me.

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Frustrating, but it happens to everyone.