Obsession
Kallista Wiseman (she/her)
Editorial Team Member
Everyone's life has a spark. Something that makes their feet kick and hearts fly. I’m not talking about love or relationships. I’m talking about interests—those time-consuming, heart-wrenching obsessions that cause us to impulse buy more merch than we need and to stay up late watching videos until night becomes morning. My Mom likes period-piece Netflix dramas, while my Dad prefers vintage car auctions; it's different for everyone, and that's alright. These interests give us a way to live. Truly live. They break up our daily routines so each day becomes unique. They keep us from becoming robots who live to work and give us something that is both our own and shared with thousands of other people.
We change, and as we grow, so do our interests. One week, you may be ride or die for Harry Potter, but change to Fullmetal Alchemist the next. Studies show that these interests keep us inspired and happy as we go through our daily motions. They act as a distraction from real-world living, a division between our professional lives and our personal ones. We work because it defines our stability; we imagine because it defines our future. What we pay attention to matters. Often, we see ourselves in media and project our own mindsets, emotions, and beliefs onto these figures, turning them from just characters into reflections of ourselves. This helps us realize our flaws and our potential through those characters. We become better by looking through these better versions of ourselves. My obsessions change and rotate weekly and monthly, but there are some that I always come back to that never fail to make me smile. Star Wars is definitely one of my favorite pieces of media to consume. I originally fell in love with the stories and world through the fandom during COVID-19, but my allegiance to the franchise has quickly grown into someone who religiously follows any and all releases. There is nothing quite like looking at a particularly funny piece of fan art to make my day better, even on my most stressful days.
We find joy in stories, whether you are a new fan or a returning one. The communities surrounding these pieces of media become shared havens. A place where people feel free to be themselves and connect with others in a positive light. Even when fandoms fight and people differ in opinion, there are still those who find light and don’t bash anyone for their opinion. The real truth is that, no matter what you think, you celebrate what you love no matter what.
