Here to Create

To distract myself from the impending frenzy of National Novel Writing Month, I’m participating in a how-to writing contest for Geeks Are Sexy.

When I was a kid, it was a bad thing to be a geek. It meant you weren’t cool, the rich kids wouldn’t talk to you, and you sat at the lunch table with the weirdos. I’ve always been a geek. But sometime in the years since then, being a geek has become chic. Being a geek means being creative, tech savvy, even cool in certain company. Posers now label themselves geeks.

Geeks come in all types, with all kinds of interests. Look around and you’ll see theater, gaming, food, computer, music, roleplaying, board game, scifi, Photoshop, martial arts, comic book, SCA, bike, programming, writing, web design, and photography geeks. Do you recognize yourself in any of these types? A geek is really just someone who is passionate about her creative interests. Geeks are intelligent, curious, and always learning. Who wouldn’t want to be a geek? So how do you become a geek?

Specialize
Pick your geek focus, the more complex the better. What do you already love to do that you feel you could never learn everything about? Look for inspiration in the things you’ve wanted to do but thought were too difficult and the things that others told you couldn’t be done. What have you always wanted to do? What would you do if you had all the time in the world?

Immerse yourself
Now, learn everything there is to know about your geek specialty. Read books and websites, subscribe to blogs and magazines, talk to others on forums and IM, find like-minded geeks in your community. The more diverse your sources of information, the more comprehensive your knowledge will be. Find a geek hero, someone who has already gone far in your specialty. Your hero can be someone you know personally or someone you’ve only read about. Find out how your hero started and emulate his path.

Learn continuously
Geeks strive to be experts in their field. No fact is too trivial, no process too complex, no endeavor too time-consuming. Identify gaps in your learning and always be open to opportunities to fill those gaps. If you really want to master your specialty, you’ll have to sink a lot of time into it. In order to learn continuously, you can’t just see your specialty as another “job.” It has to be something that you do for fun whenever you have a chance to relax.

Create
Geeks don’t just learn, they create. Geeks write software, design websites, roleplay, take photos, and write fiction. Put all your knowledge into practice, delve into the roots of your geek specialty, and create something new, exciting, and creative. Most importantly, jump in right away. Don’t wait until you’ve learned “everything” before beginning. Another way to expand your skills is by teaching. Offer your expertise when you see someone struggling with a problem you can help solve. It’s true that you can learn more by teaching than by keeping all your knowledge to yourself.

So why should you become a geek? Because geeks master their interests. Immerse yourself long enough, and you will be the expert that others come to for advice and assistance. Not always the best thing, you say? If you’re building a true specialty, you have the right to charge for it. Sell your computer, mechanical, writing, or design skills and watch all your hard work pay off. If you don’t want to start your own geek-related business, you still have the benefits of an enjoyable hobby that challenges, stimulates, and entertains.

Still not sure you’re a geek? Take the test and find out. (In case you’re wondering, I’m just a Geek at 19%.)

So what kind of geek are you? Let me know in the comments.