I caught the COVID in the “early” wave in my area: lucky me. And I’ll be quick with a note of how it’s really not something to take lightly: I am (statistically-speaking) young and in decent health, and I’ve still been knocked down for the count—even if I wasn’t required to stay in isolation because I’m contagious, I definitely couldn’t have gone to work or even left the house (and honestly, I still don’t feel well enough now, almost two weeks later). So, yes. Be safe, for yourself and for others.
In any case, this means we’re stuck inside for the near future. And it also means that when/if we leave our homes, we won’t be able to do much, save the essentials. Definitely no geeky gatherings (personally, I was looking forward to my favorite geek pub’s new Witcher theme launch SO MUCH).
And frankly, if I had to break down how I define what it means to be a geek? It means being so inspired and joyful about something that it lights you up, inspires excitement and creativity—and a big part of the the fact that, this kind of effervescence kind of begs, by design, to be shared: that’s why we create communities, hold conventions, create fan works, join Discord channels based around our fandoms, our passions, our nerdy joys.
So, when one form of community—for some of us, the primary/more valuable form—is rendered null and void, how do we geek (responsibly, but still fulfillingly) in the time of coronavirus?
Geek For Yourself
Yes, we generally talk about geeking in community (I literally just did), and what’s being shifted right now is the in-person part of that sense of community. But in order to geek and get the most out of geek community, in-person or otherwise? You’ve got to start with your own fannish joy. So let’s think about options to foster that first—it’s probably the simplest option available, and energy’s definitely a limited resource (whether because you’re isolating, or because you’re unwell, or because the grocery’s out of your potion of choice), so let’s start easy.
Plus: it often ends up with some level of community involved anyway, without even trying. (Look! More easy!)
Actually Go Through Your Watchlist
Take comfort in the familiar: I watched three Disney movies and have just started rewatching Lost and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (for emotional/aesthetic balance, of course).
But also consider giving something new a try. Maybe that show you clicked to add on the recommendation of a friend ages ago and continuously promise you’ll “definitely watch next”? Consider giving that a go. Then, you can build up some mutual flailing for the next time you video chat. (Or, dare we hope for it: have the choice, at least, to meet in person?)
(Nah, who am I kidding? For me, it’d probably still be a video chat.)
Play Dress Up (or Full-On Cosplay, because WHY NOT?)
Put your Black Widow robe on over your pajamas and call yourself “dressed.” Wear your Rey wrap, cuddle in your Toothless-face sweatshirt, flounce in your Ren Faire cloak and clasp it with a Leaf of Lorien. Wear your time-turner earrings and your “I Am Groot” ring for nobody but you.
While going through your watch list, paint designs on your nails you’d never have the time for otherwise. Hogwarts House Ties are easy to stripe freehand, scotch/sellotape makes a passable stencil in a pinch, and the classic △, O, X, ▢ controller symbols are always a good choice.
Or, you can always take a more aggressive approach. You do you. And for me, that means:
No one tells the Winter Soldier how best to self-isolate.
Culture and Chill
Whether you’re still enrolled in school, hate being enrolled in school, work at a school, and/or miss being enrolled in school: isn’t part of geekhood being a student for life?
While I am all for the argument that you don’t have to be productive right now—I’m not talking about studentship in the context of productivity. I’m talking about immersing in the things people do with their passion, with their geekdom. And there is so much culture being opened up for free, from all over the world. If museums and concerts and performances are something you live for, there are resources being posted and shared that many of us will never get the chance to see in person (and, in any other time and place, would never get to see, period.) Now? They’re on the screen in front of us, anywhere in the world.
For so many of us, reading is an indulgence. (At least, reading for pleasure, on my part—that’s definitely an indulgence and sometimes I do feel guilty for it, but hey, that article-link above says I shouldn’t right now, so ha!) I’m not going to go on a book-rec spree, but I am going to float the suggestion of picking two books to add (or begin) a reading list for quarantine times. If reading is one of your preferred forms of geeking, pick something from your endless collection of unread books, completely and random. And then, pick an old favorite, from a time in your life you draw comfort and solace and joy from, and/or that itself brings those feelings to life for you.
Regardless, remember: all of this is on your schedule, for your benefit and happiness, and as a stress-reliever and a bit of self-care. Too many times, I talk about these sorts of “treats” or “geek-out” sources to people, and they immediately revert back to the days where they were graded, measured, and made to feel more or less in connection with these sorts of activities.
None of that here. That’s some gatekeeping bullshit, is what that is. Pure anti-geek sentiment.
(Are most school systems inherently anti-geek, then, by design? Hmmm, I’ll leave that question for a time where thinking hard doesn’t feel so exhausting while I’m languishing with my coronavirus.)
Find a Podcast (or Another Kind of Listen-In)
Statistically-speaking, you probably have one. If so, and you joined it in progress rather than from the start, you can always go back and start from the beginning.
If you don’t have one you love, browse your friend lists just about anywhere and look for recommendations from trusted friends with similar interests. Or maybe even the opposite: something completely outside your norm. When better to explore than when the entire realm of expectation and timeframes has been turned on its head? If you’re too spoiled for choice, some of the specificity allowed by this site’s search features might help.
If classic podcasts aren’t your thing? Talk shows and stand-up comedy can serve the same purpose. My go-tos are classic chat-style or documentary based, the former of which are definitely not novel, but the idea opens endless possibilities.
(Particularly for documentaries, like, does Netflix breed them exponentially, and constantly?)
Game, However You Want
I love to game, but have had so little time for it in…far too long. Suddenly, we all have at least a little more time on our hands. So if you’re already immersed in gaming, or if you just want to get your feet wet; whether you’re a GM without a table to gather around (because you can’t all sit 2 meters apart) or if you want to be a little bit nostalgic; you’re pretty well covered. The realm of the digital was, unsurprisingly, ready to respond when we all had to swap to screens as a rule.
So, you can watch a stream, or you can dive into the streaming world (some solid recommendations can be found in the rankings here). You can take advantage of some of the awesome deals that are cropping up from industry giants who want to help out in the wake of social isolation protocols, like The Sims 4 for $5 USD or Steam’s Spring Game Festival. If you have an Apple product, it’s worth playing around with Apple Arcade—there’s a lot of content to dabble in and see if it’s your style.
If you’re more bummed about your D&D campaign being put on hold, though, don’t fret: while the move to the digital for some tabletop players may seem arduous, there are so many resources, for a number of leading titles. It ends up being (in my humble opinion) a really interesting blend of online gaming and tabletop that makes something both familiar and new (see, see me bringing up that theme again?) that is kinda fascinating in itself. And of course, it’s a way to keep playing despite pandemic-conditions (if you’re in the middle of a horror campaign dealing with a plague, though? Maybe at least think about starting something new. For now.)
Maybe you’re somewhere between pen-and-paper and the streaming age—mentally or physically or metaphysically, whatever works. Whether you’re interested in immersing in your childhood, your kid’s childhood, or your parents’ childhood game trends, if nostalgia is what you’re after? This free catalogue of MS-DOS games is arguably endless, so have at it.
Plus: Niantic removed most of the quintessential “walking” elements of Pokémon GO, so if you’re wanting to catch some adorable pixel-creatures, or just beat the crap out of some pocket monsters with other pocket monsters? Beginner or veteran, they’ve got you covered.
(And, bonus: you can be my friend!)
Find Your People, Gather Your Community
This one’s fairly simple, given the way our world is technologically connected almost as a given. But there are so many ways to make it work and have fun with it, however you’re using the digital to traverse the miles.
Kast, while it takes a little work customizing it and figuring out how it best works for you, is one of my favorite ways to get together and have movie night, even before we were sequestered. In part because, with all the ways you can tweak it, you can screen share the movie while still getting comments from your friends and arguing a plot point or telling them to shh. When you can’t be close, it’s a great form of creating the next best thing.
Netflix Party is brand-spanking-new, and I can’t say I’ve done a ton with it yet, but it has promise. It requires everyone to have Netflix (no screen-sharing, just synched streaming) and seems to need Google Chrome (which, if you use it, is great because it’s a lightweight extension; if you don’t use Chrome, that may pose a problem—which may get resolved, of course, because early days).
Of course, if neither of those appeal, here are some other options to consider, depending on your wants and needs.
Media, however, isn’t the only thing that makes us geeky folk happy. Our geek-innovations can also help us with the community part of just being together in the best way we can at the moment—and in ways we’re probably well aware of, but (if you’re anything like me) may have forgotten the simple use of for just talking and seeing someone far away, rather than for a work meeting or a research presentation or a panel interview.
Google Hangouts, Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger (which you can keep as an app on your mobile device even if you’ve deactivated your Facebook account) all provide the video capacity to traverse post codes, time-zones, and isolation orders. And what’s lovely about each and every one of them? People of all ages with all sorts of devices can jump on board and get set up without much trouble. My grandmother already has Messenger on her iPhone and oftentimes has pressed the “video” function on accident. My friends 13-hours ahead of me were able to have the whole family gather and video chat me in my quarantine, even though my computer’s memory was acting wonky, because these utilities are so ingrained in “basic” computing and mobile usage that they didn’t require so much more than what my device was already running. Sometimes—particularly when things are already oscillating wildly—the old guard can be exactly what you need.
Support Your Local Geeks
This takes the idea of “local” liberally: local as in proximity based; local as in community based (whatever kind of community that is); and local as in your “kind” of geek (fans of the same things, creators in the same vein, what have you). If you can’t go to your favorite nerd establishment (that pub I mentioned, for instance)? See if they have a store somewhere (shameless plug for them, because they’re brilliant, as an example).
But a lot of the key events that bring the geek community together en masse have been hit as hard by COVID-19 as the rest of us. ACE Comic Con Northeast was cancelled (though they’re trying out a Watch Party of previous panels), WonderCon and ECCC have been postponed, as has MCM Comic Con Birmingham — but that doesn’t mean the party has to stop, with #MCMOnline supporting content and artists alike. Point being, though, that we’re not hanging outside convention halls or browsing merch stalls in our annual geek pilgrimages. We’re not (at present) able to reinforce our nerdiness in the flesh via the big celebratory ritual of the Con.
But here’s where the community part comes through maybe strongest: the community events we’re missing out on are made so much richer, are crucially shaped, by the creatives we interact with and the way we offer our patronage—our purchases, our support and appreciation, our word-of-mouth promotion—to take home a piece of their talent and genius. So if you were going to attend one of the cancelled or postponed events—and even if you weren’t, let’s contribute all the more—take what you budgeted to spend on merch and spend it. Wacom has an amazing primer on some of the digital events and resources to choose from in browsing for something awesome to not only help support artists but, as a fringe benefit, brighten up your day when the post comes to bring you a geeky gift. #ECCCOnline (also on Insta) is a goldmine of skill and options, including this very-helpfully jam-packed thread, this exhibitor list with contact info included, and very very spaceship is doing incredible work giving creators a platform, as well. (Plus additional ECCC-specific links here for exploring further, because if you can’t attend a con, WHAT IS BETTER THAN BEING SPOILED FOR CHOICE IN YOUR COMFY CLOTHES ON THE COUCH?)
All of this to say, though: at its heart, being a geek is about being incandescently passionate. About lighting up with something you love so much you just can’t help but get excited. And while we can do that on our own, easily—that excitement? That incandescent passion? It’s so much more fulfilling when we get the chance to share it, whether it’s to witness someone you care for light up with the same love you have and join you in your fandom, or being able to just bask in someone’s joy and soak in a bit of it yourself. In community, we get to live our geek-dom so much bigger and brighter—whether that’s a community of two or two-hundred, across a table or with a screen in between.
We may not have much choice in which of those we get at the moment, but that doesn’t mean for a second we can’t live our geeky passions just as dazzling as ever.
(In fact, I’m going to add some dazzle to my day with some glitter tea. It’s not Earl Grey, but it is hot, and I feel like it looks enough like the stars that Jean-Luc would approve.)
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