Steampunk kerfluffle
I keep watching things happening right now in the Steampunk community and I can't help but wonder where our good natures went.
I mean we all love Steampunk, we love the Victorian era and the trappings that go with it, and yet we seem to wind up falling to our baser instincts when it comes to being nice to others.
I have always looked at the world via my own special set of rules and I get told often that I am too forgiving, too nice, too whatever.
I AM nice I was brought up to be nice to others, to say nice things when it is appropriate, to be good to others, and in the end that's what makes me happy. Why would I go against what makes me happy? Why would anyone?
But what makes me happy is not what makes everyone else happy.
Everyone else does not follow my rules.
Not everyone lives up to the expectations I have of them.
A lot do, so many do but then there are all those others.
I have a friend who made a dress.
IT was a lovely dress made off a pattern she found in a bunch of vintage papers she got for scrapbooking, a bundle of old newspaper, books bits, and patterns. A victorian day dress.
She took that pattern and made a dress for it, the basis of a costume for Steampunk, and then she accessorized it and was very pleased with it.
It was spot on, vintage pattern, she made sure to get fabric that was a cross between vintage and modern to mix with the steampunk and it was awesome.
She wore it to Dragoncon.
She was happy up until someone walked up to her and told her down their nose that it was NOT steampunk.
It did not end there the people they were with continued while she wore that dress/costume to harangue her, to tell her in no uncertain terms she was not doing it right, to make her feel angry and upset.
One of these folks was someone she considered a friend up to that point.
The rest were folks that are authors, editors, and others though she did not get names.
My friend decided at that point that she would NEVER be involved in Steampunk again if this was the type of behavior she would run into.
No one has the right to go around making anyone feel like these folks made my friend feel.
There is no reason to tear apart anyone's outfit, genre, etc except out of a false sense of superiority, a meanness, a jealousy that you are not getting the attention etc.
No matter what happens there is always the means and reason for civility, I read this and it's a good thing...
"A gentleman treats others with dignity and respect, regardless of the kind of forum in which he participates. He treats life’s fellow travelers as he himself would like to be treated. And in doing so, he makes the world a little better of a place everywhere he goes. He leaves those he interacts with feeling edified and uplifted instead of depressed and angry. Every man has the power to brighten his corner of the world, whether that corner be in the office, his home, or online. The more men who decide to take the higher road of civility, the more enjoyable everyone’s lives become. And choosing to reject our baser impulses in favor of our higher ones is a big part of becoming our best selves and building our legacy."
That quote is from this article... http://artofmanliness.com/2011/07/13/being-a-gentleman-in-the-age-of-the-internet-6-ways-to-bring-civility-online/ it's a good read.
I write this because I think there is room in the fandom for everyone, there is no reason to be mean to anyone, no reason to rip someone's costume to shreds verbally because YOU personally don't agree with it, there is room for all to have fun, enjoy, be happy and explore Steampunk.
I write this because of things I have seen and am seeing...
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/951214-what-on-earth-has-happened-to-the-steampunk-list#comment_53756426?auto_login_attempted=true
http://airshipneverland.com/blog/?p=234
https://www.facebook.com/groups/280847458662814/342602985820594/?ref=notif¬if_t=group_comment_reply
I do what I always do I am happy, I want others to be happy, I like to make others happy and I will continue to do so.
I think people who revel in others misfortune, who have to make others unhappy, who are negative etc need to reassess their lives and see if they can do something bettter.
I don't write.
I create art in other ways I draw, I sew, I can do many other things and I do all of that with all my heart to make others happy, to help them see the world in a different light. I think art whether it be books, art, etc should enlighten, entertain, make people grow.
I wish everyone could be nice to each other and just help each other but I am not naive enough to believe that that is going to happen though I can dream.