But THIS TIME will be different.
That's what they all say, true. But it's been my experience, you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take. So why not give it another go?
Meet the Blogger
My name is Elizabeth Cole. The details of my backstory will come out eventually, but for now you should know that I am from Texas with strong ties to Arizona and I currently live in Utah. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's in English (I minored in anthropology). And I'm still in Provo. Yes, it's a crazy town, but it's a better place for me to live and work.
For the record, yes, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a.k.a. I'm a Mormon. You can view my LDS.org profile here. I do have a lot of political, social, and moral views that you, dear reader, might consider unpopular. I might not discuss religion/politics/morality so much on this blog but they might still come up. You have been warned.
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| Me when I graduated from BYU |
Another thing: I have Asperger's Syndrome. I was diagnosed at age fourteen after my violin teacher realized I didn't have any friends. According to my diagnosis I have a milder form of Aspergers: I have all the symptoms but they're not overwhelming. I don't have (many) sensory/stimuli issues. I am an introvert and it takes effort for me to socialize. I am very obsessive and I like to harp about my interests to anyone who will listen. I can jog in short spurts but I can't run. And I love, love, LOVE to write. So be warned, I will try to keep my posts for my blog short but they will get long-winded, even on subjects I'm not nearly as passionate about. I spent most of high school learning to socialize and make small talk. It's difficult but most of the time it's worth it. Most people who meet me can't tell that I'm different.
My sophomore year of college, I came down with depression. I found out I also have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder--not the germophobia kind but I can get stuck on repeated negative thoughts that might translate into behaviors. Thankfully nothing bad happened and I not only fought my depression/OCD but I also graduated from college. I did have one or two periods when I was suicidal. I am still taking Prozac, which helps keep my thoughts from getting overwhelmingly negative.
If you're wondering about my current job situation, it's complicated. The AS might be part of the reason why. For now, I have a job blogging for a product review website (we won't go into that here). Notably, I am currently a co-author for The Geeky Mormon with Jake Dietz. The position is unpaid but I love being able to contribute to the discussion on major sci-fi and fantasy topics.
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| Me as Agent Carter, with added checklist FanX 2015 |
My goal in life is to be a fantasy writer. I already have two complete written drafts, one of which you can read on Wattpad. I'd like to be as big as J.K. Rowling--let's face it, who doesn't? But a more realistic goal would be to be a part-time author and parent like a lot of the local LDS authors that I read a ton of, such as Brandon Mull, Shanon Hale, Jennifer A. Nielsen and (my current favorite) Jessica Day George. I am single, so I'm still working on the parent part, too. As far as my dating situation is concerned, I have chosen to take the advice of Peggy Cater and Steve Rogers: I'm waiting for the right partner.
What this Blog is For
With my job situation a little imbalanced, in addition to my books I focus on my hobbies, and my hobbies are, well, fandom-oriented. My major fandoms right now are Star Wars, Harry Potter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the Lord of the Rings. I also like Narnia, Pirates of the Carribean, Disney, and, right now, Hamilton and Supergirl. Since getting out of college, I have started attending fan conventions and doing cosplay (I am scraping by, technically, since I don't have a job).
I am starting to get around in the local fan community, and with my cosplay and my blogging getting attention and wanting to use those to get my name out there, I am going to use this blog as a hobby blog, and since I want to promote my Jedi in Jeans brand that is the label I will use.
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| Photo from a recent Scarlet Witch photoshoot. Photo by Marissa Okolowitz |
Here's a rough outline of what to expect:
- Fandom: I frequently have deep thoughts about films and books and I will share them here if I'm trying to save room on The Geeky Mormon for other stuff.
- Cosplay: Will include photoshoots and works in progress. I will focus on my own cosplays but I will sometimes include pictures of other cosplayers around events and conventions.
- Conventions and Events: Including but not limited to Salt Lake Comic Con, FanX, convention panels, press conferences, movie premieres
- Books and Movies/TV: I will use this blog as a platform for reviews that won't necessarily make The Geeky Mormon (a.k.a. Hamilton). TV shows I will likely wait until after the mid-season or end of season. Currently I'm only watching Supergirl and Rebels.
- Faith/Religion: I don't like getting involved whenever there is a huge internet crisis going on in the Mormon blogosphere. If I have something important to say, however, I will say it. It would probably be more realistic to say that rather than making entire posts devoted to my faith I would more often integrate my religious views into my other posts. The Provo City Center Temple is gearing up for the open house and dedication so expect to see something about that.
- Other interests: History, science, travel, family, whatever I think is important to write about. As a writer, I am a jack-of-all-trades. Everything is experience.
How the Jedi in Jeans Started
Lastly, a story. The first day of my first job at BYU, I got to go through the remnants of a clothing swap at the dorms and I could keep whatever I wanted. One of the few items from then that I've held on to was a knee-length blue knitted cardigan.
That fall, my next-door neighbor had a Star Wars party. Initially I came as I was because I couldn't think of anything to wear. But then I remembered something: the cardigan. It was a perfect Jedi robe. Underneath it I put my dark blue Disneyland hoodie and I put a Padawan braid in my hair. Voila! I was a Jedi. I wore the outfit again to a Halloween party and came up with a character name and backstory. Since the blue robe goes so well in denim, I call myself the Jedi in Jeans.
I have been to Salt Lake Comic Con twice and FanX once, and I've worn the Jedi in Jeans to all three as well as to the press conference in November for the upcoming FanX in March. It was the outfit I wore a year ago when Carrie Fisher smeared glitter on my right cheek and gave me her autograph. I keep telling myself I'm going to upgrade it or phase it out, but it makes the perfect outfit for when I want to dress comfortably and if I'm going somewhere else later. The only real change I've made is going from a padawan braid to wearing two braids pulled back on my head: I just felt like I needed to grow up a little.
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| The Jedi in Jeans meets an old friend at Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2015 |
The Jedi in Jeans is an orphaned Jedi Apprentice who fought in the Clone Wars and survived Order 66. Somehow she came to this planet and made a new life for herself. I suppose it's an appropriate premise for this blog, since I'm just an outsider trying to make sense of life on Earth.
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