I'm certainly not planning on leaving, but I can feel some of the forces you describe. I personally like the fandom BECAUSE it is full of young people - dealing with them helps keep me young.
Some people who are creative feel eclipsed. They usually join while they are still improving their skills and they soak up the egoboo of producing grander and more respected creations. Then they hit a plateau for a few years and suddenly feel overwhelmed by the fact that they haven't done anything incredible "lately" or overwhelmed by what the other fans have done in the mean time. This can stir up all sorts of unhappy feelings. Self doubt. Paranoia. Fear of irrelevance or being a "has been".
As a parent of a pre-teen and a young teen, I certainly understand the feeling of inhibition one lays upon one's self. While you can't turn back the clock and become a doe-eyed newbie again, I think it is possible to ease your way back in. Enthusiasm is contagious. Long talks with new people about what they love about the fandom help firm up the base. For example, chat up someone who discovered the fandom late in life and is still in the euphoric stage. That's a great mix of life experience and enthusiasm.
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Date: 2004-12-12 02:25 pm (UTC)Some people who are creative feel eclipsed. They usually join while they are still improving their skills and they soak up the egoboo of producing grander and more respected creations. Then they hit a plateau for a few years and suddenly feel overwhelmed by the fact that they haven't done anything incredible "lately" or overwhelmed by what the other fans have done in the mean time. This can stir up all sorts of unhappy feelings.
Self doubt. Paranoia. Fear of irrelevance or being a "has been".
As a parent of a pre-teen and a young teen, I certainly understand the feeling of inhibition one lays upon one's self. While you can't turn back the clock and become a doe-eyed newbie again, I think it is possible to ease your way back in. Enthusiasm is contagious. Long talks with new people about what they love about the fandom help firm up the base.
For example, chat up someone who discovered the fandom late in life and is still in the euphoric stage. That's a great mix of life experience and enthusiasm.