2022 SNOWFLAKE CHALLENGE INTRODUCTION
In the very first year of this challenge, way back in 2012, @akamine_chan said:
I think fandom is a wonderful creation, a society of people who feel passionate about so much—art, music, sports, theater, cinema, television, writing, crafts, social justice, the world, etc. The people in fandom are creative and beautiful and feel strongly about the myriad things they love. Where we fail, so often, is having faith in ourselves. We've let ourselves be convinced that it's not good to love as much as we do, that we shouldn't open ourselves up to possibilities, that we shouldn't put ourselves out where we can be seen. So we try to hide ourselves, our talent, our brilliance. We talk down our creative works ("it's just fanfic"), we don't rec our own works, we're shy about friending others for fear of rejection. It's safer, easier to be quiet, to lurk, to keep our heads down. I want to change that, if only for a little while. I want us to be proud, to be bold, to be loud. To be unafraid, just to prove to ourselves that we can. The gift of ourselves. Because, in the words of one Mr. Gerard Way, every snowflake is different. That's what makes us special. That's what makes us beautiful.
I've been doing this challenge off and on for ten years and helping mod for three, and I don't think I could say it better than that. However, for those still saying, "Well that's lovely, but what is this about?" a few words of explanation: Ever other day, starting on the first and running through the twenty-ninth of January, one of us will post a challenge or idea or prompt. We will also be hosting a friending meme on the thirty-first, to close out the fest. Participants use your own space to respond to that challenge in whatever way suits you best. If you like, you can drop a comment on the challenge post and link to your response, so that you can share your thoughts with other fans. Please comment, interact, and celebrate each other, as all together we are what make up fandom! There is no minimum for the number of challenges you have to do. One is a complete acceptable number, as is zero, as is all fifteen. You do not have to do them on the day they're posted, and you can do them in any order you please. You are free to interpret "fandom" as widely or as narrowly as you please, and talk about any kind of fanwork or type of fandom interaction you can think of. Although snowflake_challenge's original home is on dreamwidth, we are multi platform: you can add us here at @snowflakechallenge, 2022snowflake on twitter, or our Pillowfort: Snowflake Challenge. Thank you for your time and attention, and I hope you all enjoy the festival!
