It’s now 2 weeks today since the last day of Dragon Con 2023, wow, 2 weeks already, and post-con depression and withdrawal is a real thing. Even after 2 weeks I’m still feeling the effects of not being at Dragon Con. Granted, I’m not as depressed as I was when it was the first day after but it’s still close enough for me to remember that 2 weeks ago on a Monday I was just getting out of the Adam Savage panel at this exact time. I was so happy that I finally got to one of his panels, I had tried others but I didn’t get in line in time, so I had to wait until the last day to do it. Which turned out to be a great way to end Dragon Con 2023 for me.
Still, even at 11AM on a Monday September 4, the last day of con, I was still planning out what I was going to be able to squeeze in those last few hours before it all ended. Now 2 weeks later I’m sitting at work and only thinking about adulting stuff. Not as fun.
Side note for any con goers that are first timers or still new, if you can afford it and can do it, pick the latest check out time your hotel provides. Having the luxury of not rushing to get everything packed and loaded out of the hotel and into the car while still wanting to do something at the con is never fun. I done it for years and I lost a lot of time and missed a lot of things because I had to spend those early hours getting out of my room. Now, we get the latest check out time available allowing us to do a little more before it comes to an end.
End it did and then came the post Dragon Con depression.
If you have it, like I still do, then I want to try to help out some in fighting it off. To do that, I’ve made this list of ways you can fight off the depression of not being around all that fun, greatness that Dragon Con gives us.
1) Halloween – It might seem a bit early but when you are in the mood to be in cosplay and you don’t have a convention between the end of Dragon Con and Halloween, then start prepping for Halloween. You can start planning your costume or costumes if you want to do more than one. If you put a lot of work and planning into your Dragon Con cosplay, then what is stopping you from doing the same for Halloween? Maybe throw a Halloween party if you’ve never done that before. You could even have a theme where everyone attending has to dress up in that theme and then do a photo shoot. You can set it up like the shoots at the Hilton. For example, the Barbie shoot, have only Barbies in one set, then all the Ken’s, then together, then variants, and so on. Maybe have a panel at your party. Find a topic that a few of you are interested in, get a moderator, and have your own panel. Pick one of the best costumes or the most outgoing person and set up a “guest” photo op.
2) Find a convention – Look around your area for a convention to go to. It might not be one like Dragon Con but when you are craving that con experience, then don’t be too picky. Maybe try one that you would never go to just to see what it’s like. What does a con for make up have going on? What about a car show? Not quite a con but similar and if you aren’t a car person you can go just to see what it’s like.
3) Prep for Dragon Con – In 345 days, Dragon Con will be back and though it seems like a far way off, it really is not. Especially if you are wanting to work on your cosplay. Maybe you are like me and put off to the last minute what you want to wear for your costume and then when you are there you tell yourself if only I did this. Well, now is the time to start prepping. If you felt like your costume was only half complete this year, then start working on the other half. Set up a schedule where maybe one day a week you will go out to look for parts of the costume. Don’t just order off Amazon, spend some time and effort looking for what you need at places like Goodwill or antique shops. Maybe you won’t find them but if not at least you are getting yourself outside doing something related to Dragon Con and who knows, maybe you will find what your want or even something better.
4) Do something different for next Dragon Con – This seems simple, just do something different, but make it more than that. What I mean is do something you never have and then see what else you can do with it. For example, I take photos, well, maybe next year I’ll have photos of more posed cosplayers instead of just doing a quick click, thank you, you look great, and leave. I can work out through the coming 345 days on how I could do this. Maybe start a group in social media, which will take time for it to get around to people, talk to cosplayers to see if anyone would be interested in letting me do some shoots with them, and get the word out that I’m wanting to do this. There’s also trying to practice some before going there so I know what I will do. Maybe make some cards to hand out. If you have been to Dragon Con and know the hotels, then make a map and set up locations that you would want to post at so you can get photos. Find something that you want to do and then prep for doing it next year and to do it at 135% effort.
5) Try to be a part of Dragon Con – What if you were a host of your own panel? How could would that be? What does it take to make that happen? Are you creative? Got lots of stuff at your house? Then look into getting a table at the vendors. What if you want to volunteer for next year? Do you watch Dragon Con TV? Like what you see on there? Then make your own video for it. All of these are things that aren’t accomplished in a day or week or even a month. It will take a lot of time, maybe even more than 345 days, so, start working on that.
I hope these ideas will help fight off the depression and if they don’t, then find me on instagram, @green_ninja_mack, and I’ll happily talk to you and share photos with you or even ideas of what we can do for next year. In the meantime, just remember, a year flies by really fast, especially if you are over the age of 30, and before you know it, I will be writing an article about Dragon Con 2024 being over and looking forward towards Dragon Con 2025.
