And just a little note before I start, the staff at ECCC was fantastic. So knowledgeable, friendly, and just in general helpful.
Artist Alley
Art Netflix GIF by Blown AwayGiphyNow listen, Artist Alley is a place I didn't truly appreciate until this time around. I have been to a ton of conventions and honestly, I don't even always walk through Artist Alley! I know, my mistake! I bought so many pieces over the weekend that were so unique and so beautiful, I genuinely could have spent all day going through the aisles and talking to these passionate artists. One of my personal favorites was a shop run by an artist named Caleb King, who you can find here!
Expo Hall
Black Friday Film GIF by Paramount MoviesGiphyThe Expo Hall at any convention will always be my weakness, I should not be allowed in there with money in my account. This year the Expo Hall was stacked, from tattoo booths to so many Funko booths, to finding more pins than I could possibly do anything with. A few booths really stood out to me, from the Studio Ghibli booth, which was whimsical and had a giant Totoro (check out here), to the booth where I purchased a Matthew Lillard prayer candle (check out here) to an artist who turned every character under the sun into Stitch (check out here).
The Scream Reunion Panel
Neve Campbell Scream GIF by filmeditorGiphyOne of the biggest events of the weekend took place on Friday, which was the Scream reunion panel! I am a horror movie fiend and a Wes Craven fiend, so Scream is a holy grail movie for me, and I still can't comprehend that I was in the room as this reunion took place. Getting to see THE final girl was something that truly just made the entire weekend. The audience questions were (mostly) so thoughtful and unique, and the cast's answers were equally as thoughtful, you could tell how happy everyone in that room was to be there.
Small Luxuries
happy fresh air GIF by Un si grand soleilGiphyListen, do not overlook the garden terrace! This was the first year (I've attended multiple years just as a fan prior) that I utilized this almost hidden oasis. Every time I went out there it was practically empty, there were beautiful views of the city, and all in all just a getaway from the craziness of a convention.
Aside from the luxury of the garden terrace, I have to mention the free bag check (a lifesaver) and all of the lounges that offered plug-ins and places to sit and rest, away from crowds.
Matthew Lillard
Scooby Doo Food GIFGiphyI could write an entire think piece on how Matthew Lillard is the ultimate convention get. Not only is he an icon who nails every single role, but he is someone who truly just wants to meet the people that love him. Every day of the convention he stayed late and didn't shorten his interactions with a single person in line. I saw how attentive he was as people cried, told him their life stories or simply just hugged him.
And yes, I did have the absolute privilege of meeting Matthew Lillard. I wept. He was unbelievably lovely and should be the blueprint of how to treat your fans.
Community
Stranger Things Cosplay GIF by New York Comic ConGiphyCommunity will forever by my favorite part of a convention. The respect and love you see shown between people really restores a faith that people at their core, are good. I saw so many incredible cosplays, with some of my favorites being a giant Chewbacca, and someone portraying Doug Dimmadome from The Fairly OddParents. I witnessed so many people helping one another, taking photos for them, and complimenting each other, and was able to watch bonds form in real-time. That kind of human connection will never get old.
Keep updated with all things Emerald City Comic-Con here!
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Email: underpnkskiess@gmail.com ( not for ad sales, or to have your articles featured, only for press/interview inquiries)
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We Have Wasted Too Much Time Caring About Our Social Media Presence, Let's Take A Lesson From Canada
If I wasn't ready to move here, I am ready now.
I'm very aware that it's 2019 and social media is the forefront of our world. And for us millennials, social media is not just the hub for everything communication, but for many, it is also a large contributor to our self-esteem. We all know the pit in our stomach that emerges when we're disappointed in the number of likes we get on our Instagram pictures, or when you see a Snapchat story of a hangout you weren't invited to, or when your friend doesn't post for your birthday. Oftentimes we only show the pictures we look the prettiest and skinniest in, and frankly, just the best parts of our lives. I'm guilty of it, and so are you.
Recall the last time you took a picture not just because you thought you looked good in it, or that it matched your ~trendy feed~ but because you wanted to look back at the special memory of that moment. How many times have you whipped out your phone because your friend was doing something drunk and stupid and you wanted to document it for your private story rather than just laughing it off and enjoying the moment? Because let's face it, those moments are few and far between.
On the other side, think about how many times your parents, teachers, and coaches reminded you to keep your social media clean and not post something that could get you in trouble or negatively impact your future. All those cumulative hours spent being cautious and deeply thinking about these things is absurd. Social media is EVERYTHING and your digital footprint has an extremely large influence on how you live your day to day life.
Nonetheless, I am a supporter of social media and its opportunity for creativity, expression, and connecting with people. There are so many wonderful things such as job opportunities and reestablishing old friendships that can come from the powerful tool we call social media. It is a way for us to find people to share in common interests, seek advice, and show off the people and things that we love the most. Social media may have its problems, but it is certainly not practical or even wise to get rid of it in its entirety. Again, it's 2019.
However, I firmly believe that there are changes to be made and ways that companies can help fix the unhealthy obsession with materialism and physical appearance it can foster. Sure, we can't stop people from posting what they want on social media, and unfortunately, we still may get a little hurt at what we may see. Yet I do see the value of trying to stimulate positive changes that can make social media a place to lift people up rather than bring them down.
A few weeks ago I was scrolling through "The Morning Toasters" Facebook group (if you're confused about what I'm talking about you can view my past article here), and came upon something that caused me to think a lot. A fellow Canadian toaster shared this photo regarding the changes that came with their new Instagram update:
Look! You cannot see other people's likes, just you're own! In my mind, this is truly revolutionary. After doing more research, pretty much Instagram is doing a test update with some users in Canada where they are hiding likes from anyone you're following. You can see who liked the photo (and theoretically do the math if you were really desperate to see how many likes your followers have), but the count feature is no longer accessible. When it comes to your own pictures, you can see the number of likes you get, but you have to click the "others" button to be able to do so.
I'm sure if there is a positive reception of these changes from Canadian users, then they are likely to be applied to all Instagram users worldwide. Personally, I think this is an extremely beneficial change for the platform in helping to stimulate social media usage in a positive light. For me, at least, I think that knowing that my followers no longer will be able to see these types of numbers will come with a sense of relief.
It's hard to stop caring what others think, and quantitative features put in place such as like or follower counts greatly contribute to anxiety and feelings of self-worth amongst social media users. I am such an advocate for social media but have seen the adverse effects and even stress that it creates. I truly think that a small change like this is a step in the right direction in creating a place for a healthy, authentic online presence for everyone involved. Praying that these changes can come to the United States soon!