There are few things in life more exciting than seeing a project you’ve worked on come to life. That’s how I felt at Eroticon 2017, when I saw everything come together at Arlington House, and listened to snatches of exciting conversations – new projects formed, new ideas shared, new friendships made, and all that great stuff. And in 2018, too, watching everything come together was incredibly rewarding and made me realise how lucky I am to be a part of this.
Unfortunately, this year I was very ill in the run-up to Eroticon, as well as on the weekend itself. I tried to be on my best form but I was struggling quite a bit, and if it weren’t for the excellent support and phenomenal organisational skills of Molly and Michael, I wouldn’t have been able to come along at all. It was a brilliant event, with amazing speakers and fantastic sponsors and a community of super-engaged attendees, but thanks to a combination of mental health issues and other things in my ‘real’ life outside of GOTN, I wasn’t able to give it my all.
So that brings me on to the point of this blog post: I’m going to be taking a step back from Eroticon for the next year to look after my health a bit. Not a step away entirely: I will always be involved in this event in some way, because it has been so valuable for me as a blogger and I want to do everything I can to make sure that others get the same benefits from the event as I did. I’ll still be promoting the event, supporting Molly and Michael behind the scenes where I can, and of course attending the event next year. But Eroticon 2019 will be in the very capable hands of Molly and Michael who, if I’m honest, do far more work than me anyway.
This has been a ridiculously difficult decision to make, because Eroticon is one of the most rewarding things that I do, and wrenching myself away from it makes me really sad. But I think in the long run it’s the best decision: I can spend a bit of time getting better, then hopefully return next year refreshed and ready to tackle what 2020 might throw at us.
And from a very selfish perspective, I’m looking forward to watching from the sidelines and cheering Molly and Michael on as they put their ideas and plans in place for 2019. It’s going to be exceptional, and I do hope you can all be a part of it too.
Good to hear you are not taking a step back entirely, but also good to hear you are taking care of your health. Hope to see you next year, and in the meantime, I am sure Molly and Michael will make a fabulous job of organizing Eroticon 🙂
Rebel xox
I absolutely understand where you are coming from GOTN; you have to do what it right for you. I can honestly say that despite only seeing you speak in the opening talk at this year’s Eroticon, I’d not have known you were struggling. But I’m glad you feel able to share your thoughts with us, and I’m sure Molly and Michael will love having you support them in a ‘non-spotlight’ role. Hugs and hope you feel more like yourself soon. xxx