Hi everybody, Ace of Hearts Fox here and welcome to another Fursuit Friday video. In today's video, we're answering a question that manages to make a swing to my inbox relatively often. So what is this magical mystery question? That one. Yeah. There's no perfect answer to that question, but I'll do my best, so let's get started. First things first. You don't need a Fursuit. For some reason, people think a Fursuit is like an entry requirement into the fandom, but it's really not. Actually, according to a 2011 Anthrocon survey, only about 10 to 15% of the fandom owns a Fursuit. If you want one that's great, but don't feel like you're required to have one in order to join the fandom. Another way you can join the fandom is by utilizing social media. One of the easiest ways to get initially involved with the fandom is with the power of the internet. For instance, if you're interviewing and purchasing art, then for affinity might be a good place to start. I'm a poet and I didn't know it. If you're into the more day-to-day social aspect of the fandom that I'd recommend starting on Twitter or Instagram, both of those platforms have really active furry communities. You can also look for some local Facebook groups depending on how active the furry community is in your area. One of my favorite websites right now actually is Furri amino. It's a relatively new social media site geared specifically towards furries. One feature I actually really like about this as opposed to other social media platforms for furry stuff is that Furri amino has live public chat rooms, so it's kind of nice to just be able to hop into a group chat with a bunch of random people. Another thing I really like about Furri amino is that it's completely safe for work. I mean to other social media platforms, but it's kind of nice to not have to worry about a not safe for work built in. Or if you're not completely sure, you can try them all. Try everything! Another good starting point when you're first joining the fandom is to contribute something. Think about any skills or talents that you have that you can share with other people. Do you like video games contribute to a game room at a convention or maybe enter a tournament? Do you have some kind of art that you like to perform or create and try those? One of the coolest things about the furry fandom is that it's built on artists of all backgrounds. And whatever your talent is, whether it's drawing, sculpting, writing, singing, whatever, take that talent and use it to stand out. Make something cool. Share it with the will. This next point is really important and it's one of the only don'ts on the list. Don't take the fandom too seriously. When you're getting into a new hobby, it's really easy to get carried away with it. And as much as Furri is a tight-knit community, it's just a hobby and hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. And that's how it should be treated, just like any other hobby. So if you want to share this new interest with your friends or your family, try not to make a big deal out of it. Typically, if you present something casually, people are going to respond casually. It's the difference between, hey, a man, can I share some cool art with you? Why yes, identical looking person? Awesome. And this. I have a confession. What is it? I'm a frug. And the last tip for today is connect with your local community. Once you feel like you've started to find your bearings in the fandom, try to reach out to people in your area. With a little click at Google search and you might be able to find a local meet-up or a convention. And if there's nothing in your area, maybe you could organize something. Even if it's just a meet-up in a local public park or something, it's a lot of fun to get together in person and socialize with other people in the fandom. So get connected. Thanks again for watching today's Furci Prime video. Everybody, I hope you enjoyed it. Do you have any stories about how you first got involved in the fandom? Let me know down in the comments below. I still read every single comment and I try to reply to as many as possible. Also, if you really enjoyed this video, go ahead and hit like and subscribe down below. Also, if you guys wanted directly support the content that I produce on this channel, my merch store, and Patreon links are in the description box below. And speaking of patrons, I want to thank these lovely Patreon supporters for producing today's video. And I'd like to thank these patrons for sponsoring today's video. Well, that's all I got for you guys today. Thanks again for watching everybody. My name's Aisa Fartsbox, and I will see you all in the next video. Pshh.