official mush brain

In my undergrad thesis many many years ago, I included lurkers (folks who don't interact much, not even to leave a comment at times, but read fic or look at fanart, watch edits/fanvids, etc.) because fandom has long seen lurkers as key members of the community. Lurkers were never seen as bad, they were just doing community quietly. In fandom, you give what you can give and your participation or role is never something that is set in stone. You can be a lurker one day and organizing a Christmas challenge the next. You can be less active today and more in the future. And so on. Do not let people make you believe that you have to be productive and/or visible all of the time to be seen as a "real fan". But also, do not forget that when you're part of a community, you're not alone, and giving people small kindnesses, like liking a post or even just sending up a positive emoji when you see something you've enjoyed is part of maintaining a healthy, happy community. It does make a difference. (That said, please don't shake people down for positive interactions. We're all humans trying to find joy on a planet in a polycrisis.) Remember: You love the thing, you show it in your own way, and belong to a community. Do all that and treat people kindly, and that's all you need to be a fan. Do not lose the fun and whimsy!