Day 3: What AFF taught me

AFF taught me  how to love-

Hello Kitty: Keeper? 

Lemme finish.

AFF taught me how to love what I create :3 Everything I did in the past, I did it for the grade or for other people. Not once did I feel overwhelming joy after completing a project. But it changed here when I started doing things for myself. Even if my fic or graphic is flawed and would need an edit overhaul, seeing that I finished it, makes me want to do more. 

I learned a lot in my stay here about myself, what I am capable of. I am free to do what I want (without breaking TOU). When you silence the noise around you, when you eliminate the fear of judgement, you will learn and improve - from writing fics to winning my first nanowrimo, from making posters to animated gifs to coding layouts... (Just look around and you'll find so many tutorials - from making posters to learning a new language.)

I am excited about all the things I could accomplish but I am also well aware of my limitations, my flaws... and AFF made sure I deal with it by exposing me to all kinds of personalities and circumstances. Lessons on patience and self-control were really tough to swallow. And every day is a decision to be nicer... more understanding... to be civil... I fail many times. I annoy people without even trying.

But I feel that I am getting better at communicating what I feel and I am more sensitive to others' feelings. Less critical. More accepting. Sympathetic. Maybe because I've been writing stories, and writing compels you to look beyond yourself, to see things in different perspectives and to be flexible and accept change. Or maybe because I read your posts and somehow I get a glimpse to your hearts. But certainly, I wouldn't be who I am now if I never found AFF.

Before AFF, I lived in a small bubble of expectations, objectives... But AFF had burst that bubble a long time ago.  I learned a lot about myself, people, different cultures and living from all the interactions I had. 

I grew up. And yes, it is possible to grow up here in the playground. 

I would like to thank Hello Kitty and Professor Snoopy for their cooperation. No animals were harmed in this post. 

Hello Kitty charm, Snoopy charm and mini heart charm tutorials by akkozozozo
This is part of the themed six times/days challenge for AFF's 6th anniversary