The Roar Cat Reads Discord Community is Saving My Life Right Now

In Modern Mrs. Darcy, Anne Bogel (yes, that’s the woman behind the excellent podcast What Should I Read Next) recently posted a challenge to write a list of the things that are saving our lives right now, especially as we approach February 2nd, the midpoint of winter.

As I thought about the good things that are happening in my life right now, I realized that a lot of them were based in the Roar Cat Reads Discord community. Through interviews and charity events, I have gotten to know many queer nerdy people who are truly awesome. Here are some of the reasons our community is saving my life right now:

1. The support. Rachel and I recently launched a new D&D podcast, DM’s Pocket Guide, and it made my heart happy to see our new friends reacting with joy and support. This was not a one-off event! My absolute favorite part of the community is seeing someone share something they’re working on and be greeted with praise, questions, and support.
2. The creativity. This is tied into the first point. There are so many people in our community who working on awesome, creative projects! Whether it’s Halli’s fandom surveys, Jessy’s DMs of Vancouver podcast or Tory’s Boardgame B*tch podcast, Haley’s artwork, or the random crafts that are shown off, I am so often inspired and impressed by the cool stuff being made.
3. The inclusive cat pictures. When I started the Discord community, I knew I wanted a channel for cat pictures. Since some people (weirdly) choose to have pets other than cats, we quickly allowed dog-cats and bird-cats. There is nothing better than a cute animal picture that is shared in the middle of a long Wednesday afternoon at the office!
4. The queer nerdiness. This is why people join, but I never stop being delighted by the opportunities to play Wanderhome, try out regency-era eldritch horror TTRPGs, and launch charity events. These are my people, and I’m so glad to have found them.

A year ago, I didn’t know any of these people! Roar Cat Reads wasn’t even an idea in my brain at that point! I’ll be doing some year-in-review posts as we near our anniversary on March 2nd, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to revel in the gratitude I feel for our community.

What about you? What are one or two things that are saving your life right now?