Reposted from FB:
There are lots of things you "hear" in the SCA that simply are not true. Things like "pink is not period" come immediately to mind for that but these things sometimes go deeper into the culture than that.
There things that people say when they are trying to be helpful that might not be true at all, or just might not be true for you or your situation. I heard some doozies over the last several years, all said by people who genuinely wanted to help me "move forward". I want to mention them now because one of the often quoted things out there really DOES hold true and that is that doing what you love will lead you to the most happiness in this hobby.
One instance of this happened when I was switching my residency back to Æthelmearc. I started the SCA in the Principality of Æthelmearc, back when the Shire of Sylvan Glen was just starting and we would sit at a table in someone's house and argue about what the heck the device should be. My household formed there and my first events were all there. Even after moving to Atlantia, I still, for many years, drove back there for dance practices, household meetings and events. I always considered Æthelmearc my home even though my SCA membership listed me elsewhere. When we got the house in WV, I switched my membership back to the Kingdom I still called me SCA home (not to mention the state that has always been my home). Someone told me then that I should maybe NOT do that because it could "hurt my chances" to get a Laurel because I was not well known in Æthelmearc. I had to laugh and I did it anyways. I wasn't "on track" for anything. I really wasn't dedicated to any one art at the time. I had also only just got my AoA after 16 or so years playing. This is all a game, and for me part of the game is the SCA culture, the Kingdoms, the pageantry and pomp. I had a sense of loyalty to the Kingdom that started this journey for me, because that, to me, is part of the game. I followed my heart and did what I love and it made me happy to be received there once again.
Another instance of this was when I made a semi-public statement that I was switching my studies from 16th Century Ottoman to Viking Age Norse. Someone, again, kindly told me that might "hurt my chances". Chances for what? I wasn't actively seeking anything other than how to construct an aprondress. My passion had changed, and I was loving this new-to-me realm and pursued my new passion.
I was also told it would be harder to get a Laurel for Viking stuff, because there were lots of Viking folks, but few doing Ottoman... Again, why should this even cross my thoughts when I am diving headlong into something that was very satisfying? Are there not more postage-stamp size pieces of fabric out there to explore?
The most entertaining bit of misinformation that I ever got though, came last year. Someone (who really meant well) told me that I should maybe talk a bit less about my projects and my SCA thoughts on social media because it would seem like I was "trying too hard to get a Laurel". I had a ready response for that one. I stated that if one looked back at my long history of internet blather (going back to the yahoo-groups days as well as Tribe.net), one would see that I have ALWAYS talked far too much about my projects, research and general feelings about the SCA online, long before I even did anything "real" in terms of A&S. If I were to stop those exchanges, I would, in essence, stop doing something I love, and would that not defeat the point? Because if getting an accolade meant that I needed to do something less, well then a title just wasn't that important.
What is the long, drawn out point of this? There is a great deal of misinformation out there, often it is a result of some misunderstanding or some well-intentioned person who might not know as much as they think they do about something. Whether you solicit it or not, you will likely hear some of it at some point in time. It is not always bad or wrong, and certainly rarely is it malicious. But if you REALLY want to be happy, you need to be happy with what you are doing. Follow your passions, but don't fail to seek out help along the way. Learn to accept feedback and learn to sift through what might be relevant to you and your situation as you gather that information from others.
But seriously, beyond all else, do what you love (even if it is just hanging out with friends at events) because that is the only thing that will keep your happiness in any hobby.
Oh and one more note... Do what you love but also write in award recommendations for all the others you see out there who are following their own passion and turning it into something to give back to the SCA in some way. :-)
There are lots of things you "hear" in the SCA that simply are not true. Things like "pink is not period" come immediately to mind for that but these things sometimes go deeper into the culture than that.
There things that people say when they are trying to be helpful that might not be true at all, or just might not be true for you or your situation. I heard some doozies over the last several years, all said by people who genuinely wanted to help me "move forward". I want to mention them now because one of the often quoted things out there really DOES hold true and that is that doing what you love will lead you to the most happiness in this hobby.
One instance of this happened when I was switching my residency back to Æthelmearc. I started the SCA in the Principality of Æthelmearc, back when the Shire of Sylvan Glen was just starting and we would sit at a table in someone's house and argue about what the heck the device should be. My household formed there and my first events were all there. Even after moving to Atlantia, I still, for many years, drove back there for dance practices, household meetings and events. I always considered Æthelmearc my home even though my SCA membership listed me elsewhere. When we got the house in WV, I switched my membership back to the Kingdom I still called me SCA home (not to mention the state that has always been my home). Someone told me then that I should maybe NOT do that because it could "hurt my chances" to get a Laurel because I was not well known in Æthelmearc. I had to laugh and I did it anyways. I wasn't "on track" for anything. I really wasn't dedicated to any one art at the time. I had also only just got my AoA after 16 or so years playing. This is all a game, and for me part of the game is the SCA culture, the Kingdoms, the pageantry and pomp. I had a sense of loyalty to the Kingdom that started this journey for me, because that, to me, is part of the game. I followed my heart and did what I love and it made me happy to be received there once again.
Another instance of this was when I made a semi-public statement that I was switching my studies from 16th Century Ottoman to Viking Age Norse. Someone, again, kindly told me that might "hurt my chances". Chances for what? I wasn't actively seeking anything other than how to construct an aprondress. My passion had changed, and I was loving this new-to-me realm and pursued my new passion.
I was also told it would be harder to get a Laurel for Viking stuff, because there were lots of Viking folks, but few doing Ottoman... Again, why should this even cross my thoughts when I am diving headlong into something that was very satisfying? Are there not more postage-stamp size pieces of fabric out there to explore?
The most entertaining bit of misinformation that I ever got though, came last year. Someone (who really meant well) told me that I should maybe talk a bit less about my projects and my SCA thoughts on social media because it would seem like I was "trying too hard to get a Laurel". I had a ready response for that one. I stated that if one looked back at my long history of internet blather (going back to the yahoo-groups days as well as Tribe.net), one would see that I have ALWAYS talked far too much about my projects, research and general feelings about the SCA online, long before I even did anything "real" in terms of A&S. If I were to stop those exchanges, I would, in essence, stop doing something I love, and would that not defeat the point? Because if getting an accolade meant that I needed to do something less, well then a title just wasn't that important.
What is the long, drawn out point of this? There is a great deal of misinformation out there, often it is a result of some misunderstanding or some well-intentioned person who might not know as much as they think they do about something. Whether you solicit it or not, you will likely hear some of it at some point in time. It is not always bad or wrong, and certainly rarely is it malicious. But if you REALLY want to be happy, you need to be happy with what you are doing. Follow your passions, but don't fail to seek out help along the way. Learn to accept feedback and learn to sift through what might be relevant to you and your situation as you gather that information from others.
But seriously, beyond all else, do what you love (even if it is just hanging out with friends at events) because that is the only thing that will keep your happiness in any hobby.
Oh and one more note... Do what you love but also write in award recommendations for all the others you see out there who are following their own passion and turning it into something to give back to the SCA in some way. :-)
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