Hey there Fanpeeps! (Is this a good term? IDK)
Last weekend (September 30-October 1) I went to
Geek Girl Con (GGC) in Seattle!
(I also made my Star Wars skirt from a sheet, but we'll talk about that later!)
This is my third year attending, and my first with a press pass, and it has been the best one yet! It's also been the biggest with over 12,000 people in attendance. I was so excited to be able to hang out with my fantastic friend
Hilary from The Cutie Life and her husband Fletch and see so many friends and make a few new ones! You can read her post about the con
here and watch her video on her youtube channel
here
With all the negative and disastrous things happening in our world recently, it was nice to escape into a nicer reality for a while. If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to go to a place where everyone is respected and included regardless of the factors that usually divide us: this is it. And it is a beautiful thing.
If you haven't heard of GGC, or have brushed off the idea of a con aimed at a female audience being any good, then you're really missing out!
Geek Girl Con is first and foremost inclusive. That means no one is left out of any geeky discussions or events regardless of their physical and mental states or abilities. I say geeky, but you don't even have to identify as a geek to be a part of this convention! (I'm mostly just saying it out of convenience.) The convention name also says "girl", but while this convention is mostly aimed at females (because we are so often overlooked in geek society), no one is excluded because of their gender identity. All are welcome! There are gender neutral bathrooms! And one of the best things is that it's completely run by volunteers!!! I think that's pretty impressive.
The convention hosts activities, booths, and panels with a wide range of subjects in anything from science and mathematics to fashion and feminism. A lot of times the subjects aren't mutually exclusive and they overlap to form something new and creative. It is really family friendly and even has a science center for kids to experiment and learn new things. No matter what interests you have, there is probably something for you at GGC. If anything you will walk away from the convention having learned something new!
The Panels:
There are always so many really cool and introspective panels to attend at Geek Girl Con. Not to mention that the rooms are named after extraordinary female characters! Last year we attended a panel called "Women in Pixar" and this year we attended one called "
Looking for Leia". The panel and it's documentary namesake showcased an incredible group of female Star Wars fangirls from all walks of life. You can watch the same inspiring and tear-jerking preview here:
We also got a really rad poster for attending! As I am a huge Star Wars fangirl myself, I approached the director of the film,
Annalise Ophelian, after the panel to talk about being interviewed and she told me to talk to anyone if I saw them on the con floor. I kept missing them, but as we were making our way to (I think it was) the Cosplay competition I was stopped by the team for an interview! Of course I told them about my Lightsaber Scarves!!!
Mega huge thanks to Hilary for capturing this behind the scenes look at my interview and for waiting for me! I was nervous and fidgeting but she helped keep me grounded and hyped! Thank you so much Hilary & Fletch!!!
The Artists:
There are SO MANY remarkable artists and I wish I could support all of them!! If you've been looking for new fandom art, look no further than the Exhibitor floor at Geek Girl Con. A few of the artists I've known since my first GGC 3 years ago and have grown close to in the passing years!
Chrissy from Winged Warrior is one of those and she is the absolute sweetest!!!
Not only that but she makes amazing art. At this point I will have a wall of her prints in no time! (I just need some more frames.) Her Disney Princess series is one of my favorites. I must collect them all!
At the booth next door was
Art of Nikki Ward /
Geek Fire Labs, who also does fantastic prints and had a spectacularly geeky assortment of products. Last year I got lip balm and this year I got a Leia print and a
wax melt in "Wonderland". It smells amazing!
Some others artists I would like to mention are:
Erika Rae Heins- gorgeous Tolkien and fantasy inspired art. She also makes some pretty cool upcycled steampunk clothing items
Bunny from S2Heart Designs- Hilary introduced us and she makes super cute chibis and other designs including cute penis pins (I promise that's cute! I should have gotten one!)
Jayme Twins art- really fun and simple character profiles from multiple fandoms and more!
Katie Clark Art- Bright, colorful prints and original paintings inspired by video games and much more
The Gorgonist
The Vendors:
Not only will you find great art at the con, but you will probably walk away with some really cool fangirl swag as well! This year was especially exciting for me because I would finally get to meet two spectacular small business owners that I have looked up to for years:
Jordan from Jordandené and
Elena from the Colorful Geek!
These ladies kill it with their shirt designs and other products!
Fanmail was across the exhibitor hall and had a really fun wheel of prizes. I got a bath bomb!
I love seeing what new surprises they have in each box! You should check them out if subscription boxes are your thing!! I snagged a beautiful bag that says "All men must die, but we are not men" from them and I love it so much! It fit perfectly with the shirt I bought from The Colorful Geek that says "Mother of Dragons".
At
Geeky Caticorn I got this REALLY CUTE Fangirl necklace! I absolutely adore it!!!
Planned Parenthood had a really fun booth where you can take a picture with Phillomena (sp?) the Birth Control mascot!
And so much more!!!
The Fashion Show:
Saturday evening at 7:30 was the Fashion Show which featured designs from
Little Petal,
Haute Geek, Jordandené,
Booty and the Geek, and
Elhoffer Design with Makeup by
Espionage Cosmetics and styling by VAIN Hairstyling. It was a really fun experience! I loved seeing the diverse group of models. They were all beautiful! (But very hard to photograph because I only had my phone! lol)
The Environment:
I have never felt so comfortable at a convention as I do at Geek Girl Con. Granted, I haven't attended many conventions in the past, but Geek Girl Con is the most welcoming I have ever experienced. As someone with anxiety (specifically social anxiety) I often find it hard to fit in with strangers in large groups. That has never been the case with Geek Girl Con. I feel like you could talk to just about anyone and have things in common with them. Almost everyone is friendly and wonderful and it is so very comfortable. (I say almost here because there's always some people who would rather keep to themselves, and that's completely OK!!!) This is why I keep coming back. I feel like you can make meaningful connections with people you hardly know, and there's not a whole lot of other places where you can find an experience like that.
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| Crochet BB-8 unit by @elliemcphee7437 on Instagram |
Being a geek girl is weird sometimes. It feels like we have to constantly remind people that we exist, that our credibility is up to date, and that we're adhering to whatever guidelines there are for us. Geek Girl Con reminds us that not only do we exist, but we have always been here, will continue to be, and we define ourselves and our geekyness.
It doesn't hurt to surround yourself with lots of like-minded people either! Hilary introduced me to a few new awesome people, and I finally got to meet
Mia Moore from XO Mia who came all the way from Texas for this show! She makes super cool cosplay and is all around awesome! I bought pins from both her and Hilary. (Support your friends!!) It was wonderful to have met all these amazing women and be surrounded by positivity for the weekend.
Going back to reality is hard even a week later.
Let me know in the comments if you've gone to Geek Girl Con in the past and what your experience was like OR if you would like to have a similar convention in your area!
Spread the geeky love around!
💗💗💗Kelsey💗💗💗
