Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
If you were on an interview for your ideal job, would you have mentioned the most recent Comic-Con? The latest game releases? The recent travails of smartphones or tablets?
Maybe you should have.
One of the things about being, well, the geeks and fans and otaku we are, is we're often painfully well informed about news issues, at least with stuff we like. We know about conventions and releases, games and manga, shipping issues and scandals. We know a lot of stuff.
As I've always noted, it's important to have role models. We need people to look up to, to be like, to remind us of what we can do, and to give us ideas of how to be better than we are. We're social animals, we humans, and we work well with other people as references.
One of the great things about being a fanboy, fangirl, geek, otaku, etc. is that we usually have a lot of great role models and access to them. Media fans have the actors, writers, editors, and so on to look up to. Game fans have the programmers and producers to learn from. Comic geeks have artists and writers and publishers. When your geekery and your professional ambitions come together, you find yourself surrounded by people you can – and may want to – be like.
There is one thing you have to keep in mind however: You're never going to be successful like your role models.
I talk about Fansourcing quite a bit. It's because it's important, because it is good for people, and because I'm blatantly trying to get people to use the term to promote the idea.
Now of all the benefits I've talked about, let me note there's one that is important to remember: Peace of mind.
Not peace of mind for the person doing the work – though they may get some from the experience or the pay or the thrill of doing the work. I'm talking the peace of mind you get from finally Fansourcing something.
We often fret about things we need to do, we worry where they are in our schedule, we're not sure what to do. When you Fansource everything becomes clear for you.
So among all the other advantages of Fansourcing, remember the sanity and clarity it can bring you!
– Steven Savage