So I'm Starting a Blog

I never thought I would see the day when I started writing a personal blog, but it appears that day is here. Not that I have anything against blogging. It’s just that I’m a Communications major, and I have had so many blogging projects for my classes that writing one “just for me” sounded like a ridiculous idea. As it turns out, I am only going to be in college for a few more months (God willing), and so the days of blogging projects are behind me.

The last four years have been an adventure (“it’s the best time of your life” people tell me when I mention that I’m in college) and I feel like if I have learned anything, it is that when you have something to say and a means to say it, than you need to say it. It’s your obligation. There are too many people who are not as fortunate. That’s the basic rundown of why I’m doing this. I have always been someone with a lot to say.

Thanks to the power of the Internet, both feminism and nerd culture have been brought into the mainstream, and since I identify pretty strongly as a member of each, that will be what this blog is predominantly about. They coincide more than you might think, and most topics have at least some sort of small connection. So if you’re not into those things maybe this isn’t the place for you, and that’s fine (unless you’re not a feminist; in which case, you need to get woke, bae.), and I wish you good luck.

Now that we’ve weeded out those guys, let’s get to it! As I mentioned, I’m graduating college soon, and I am sensing the beginnings of my quarter life crisis, so needless to say lately I have been very into self-help. I recently read a book that really helped give me some guidance in a time where I feel like I really need it from someone who really spoke my language. The book is called The Fangirl Life: A Guide to All the Feels and Learning How to Deal by Kathleen Smith. In the book, Smith uses the language of fandom to offer advice that encourages women to become the best versions of themselves and use their fandoms as their inspiration. As a therapist, she creates fun exercises that help readers to channel their inner BAMFs and set goals that they now have the confidence to accomplish. It might sound cheesy, and maybe self-help isn’t for you, but if you’re like me and about to enter the “real world” and feeling a little unsure, it was the perfect read.

The best thing about the book for me was that it combined nerd culture with the empowerment of women. As a fangirl myself, I am always inspired and amazed by the women in fandom: the Arya Starks, Buffy Summers, and Princess Leias out there, and I am always wishing I could be more like them. The book made me realize the ways in which I can exhibit qualities like theirs and channel them in my everyday life, whether I have a presentation for class or a job interview or am smashing the patriarchy with my friends. Fandom is full of amazing badass women, but more importantly, so is real life and it is imperative that all those women realize their own potential to be BAMFs and accomplish their goals.