Darlene ChaniMaya Postma

How was your TwitchCon? Had you been before? Did you make new friends? Did you meet your favorite streamer/player/host/personality? Did you meet a fan?

Now that you’re home… how are you?

After a packed weekend of reunions, introductions, and networking it’s natural to feel a little down.

Post-con blues are easily diagnosed, but not so easy to get over. TwitchCon cannonballs you face-first into a swirling pit of fans, allies, foes. Introverts push themselves. Extroverts are in their element. It is a boiling pot of affirmation and challenge. Imposter syndrome is dragged into sunlight to die. You navigate the vibrant smorgasbord of streamers, fans, industry; you make connections, you’re remind yourself of why you’re doing what you’re doing. You are among people who understand you…. and then, you leave.

Take a moment to appreciate how special the memories were. Think about the people you met, the hugs, the smiles, the selfies. Commit to memory how it felt to be with people who understand what makes you, you, now that those names in chat are back to pings on a phone.

When Uber drivers ask what Twitch is, what do you say? When parents, teachers, or coworkers ask what you do in your free time, how do you describe it?

TwitchCon is a special place to be among those who get it.

You aren’t alone. It’s draining, being seen. First, be honest with how you feel. Post-con blues have different strains. I’ve left events feeling hopeless, defeated, useless. I’ve left events feeling like there’s a place for me in the world. I’ve left events ready to work, and I’ve left events ready to quit altogether.

Then, take your post-con blues, and turn it into something. Use it. Let that ache turn into action. What’s your plan? What’s going to change? What’s next?

Remember, the taste you got at the event is real. Push forward and make that feeling a reality. Don’t be ashamed of it. Amplify that feeling, use your voice. Homogeny is the comedy – you don’t need to change a thing about yourself.

Was this was your first convention, ever? Have you experienced what it’s like to be surrounded by others who share your interests. Have you been lost for years, and finally found your people?

Is this something that you want to dedicate the rest of your life to? Maybe the answer is no. Maybe you don’t know yet. All you know is you’ve been scratching at something gasping underneath the surface. Something you’ve been chasing, something that’s been slowly materializing month over month. This is your time.

The beauty of TwitchCon is you have something in common with everyone around you. Tell us the road that brought you here, and where you’re going. Post-con blues lose their power when you share them with others.

Now, post-con flu? That’s a different story.