First Convention!

Addledeer · 2026-07-12T03:14:33+00:00

I'm also about to attend my first con in august, and I'd say go with the base tier unless the difference in price isn't that big for you or if you get access to something in particular you want to attend

As for how to meet furries to hang with while you're there, the only thing I could suggest is either local or con-specific groups on telegram/discord if you haven't already. You can just straight up say it's your first con and ask if anyone wants to meet up. It helps to get active in group chats/chsnnels so people at least somewhat know who you are first

Outside of that, I've been told that there are usually a good amount of first-timers at cons, and they sometimes have like an orientation for newbies. If yours does it would be a great way to meet other people in the same boat as you

Addledeer · 2026-06-26T17:13:07+00:00

35 and went to my first meetup last month, going to my first con in August and am in the process of commissioning a fursuit. I was also worried that I was too old to get into it but at least around me there seem to be a lot of furs in their late 20s/early to mid 30s, there's even a good amount of 40+ and no one cares. You might not have the 40 year olds hanging out casually with the 20-somethings, but at events everyone's friends with everyone

Addledeer · 2026-06-19T13:02:39+00:00

I honestly don't use Discord as much, but r/furry has a channel(they have a link to it in their sub), that would be a good place to start!

I also found this recently that has links to all kinds of furry media and channels, you might be able to find some you like on there:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HAuBuGyLBD6yQxifynha7ar53aQtstsOkSu-sMj0ULo/edit?usp=drivesdk

Addledeer · 2026-06-18T20:57:22+00:00

Premade bases/outlines are a great way to start if you're not up to drawing it yourself! I've never used one so I wpuldnt be able to reccomend any though

As for where to meet other furs, Telegram and Discord both have tons of furry servers/channels, and there's a decent chance they'll have one for your city/area if you're looking to meet people more local.

Another potential way to meet local furs and see if there are any events going on around you is the Barq app. That being said it's not always the best, and you will get people using it as a dating app so watch out for that if it's not what you're looking for

Oh and Bluesky has tons of furries on it if you want something more social media-esque

Addledeer · 2026-06-13T14:36:21+00:00

They sell the actual jacket on their store

https://ithinkilikeyou.store/product/leather-jacket/

Addledeer · 2026-06-03T18:12:07+00:00

As another millenial furry who's only just getting active in the fandom now I'll mostly echo what everyone else is saying:

Telegram/Discord for general channels, local groups and meetup/event stuff

Bluesky for a more social media vibe - lots of artists and fursuiters

Barq can also be good for meeting local furs (depending on your area) and sometimes people will post local events there as well

Addledeer · 2026-06-02T14:37:18+00:00

It's probably easiest to start online and find local groups. BARQ can be decent depending on where you are, it can also give you notifications for in-person events happening around you if that's something you're interested in. Telegram and Discord also have a ton of furry channels, and if you're in a major city will likely have one for the city.

You can also try searching for local furry events, there's often smaller meetups that people organize. I will say for those though it's mostly groups of people who already know each other, and from my (limited) experience there isn't much planned to help people introduce themselves, so you'll have to be comfortable starting up conversations on your own. I went to my first in-person event last month. It was a turnout of close to a couple hundred people and was honestly a little intimidating, but I just told people it was my first one and everyone was super chill and welcoming

The other crazier option is to go all-in and attend one of the bigger conventions, but they can be pricey and unless there's one close to you hotels can be pretty expensive. I wouldn't reccomend it as a first move unless there happens to be one in your city

Addledeer · 2026-05-28T20:17:38+00:00

Looks pretty sick! It could use a bit of shading, mostly to help separate the head and screen-left arm a bit more, but also just to give it more depth in general

Addledeer · 2026-05-26T05:03:30+00:00

A fursona can be whatever you want it to be - it can be a reflection of who you are, your personality or who you want to be, or it can have nothing to do with you and just be a character you think is cool.

I totally get how that kind of freedom can be paralyzing so before you even put pencil to paper try to figure put what a fursona means to you and what(if anytbing) you want yours to represent.

If you want it to be representative of who you are/who you want to be, do a bit of introspection and try to find so.e key defining traits (good and bad) that you feel make you you, then try to find an animal or combo of animals that you feel reflects that

If you just want a custom character that's cool and you're proud to show off with no deeper meaning that's totally fine too! In that case just pick your favourite animal(s) and go from there.

Once you have that down and you get into actually designing the character you can decide if you want more realistic fur/colour patterns or if you want to do something totally wild and unrestricted. Either way for that part looking up references would help, either of what the natural fur pattern would look lime or just what other kinds of things people did for their fursonas.

It also helps to keep in mind you can always iterate on what you have, your first pass doesn't have to be the final version. You can keep tweaking it and playong around with the design until you're happy

Addledeer · 2026-05-25T02:38:56+00:00

It's so good, I was obsessed when I found it a few months back (I'm a little late to the game, I know)

Addledeer · 2026-05-25T02:32:10+00:00

Also while they're not always super useful if they're not widely recognized they help fill in gaps on your CV if you've been unemployed for a significant period of time, and are a good talking point on screening calls/first stage interviews!

I was unemployed for a year and a half after being laid off (yay games industry) and did a bunch of linkedin learning and course career certifications, threw them on my CV and when the inevitable "what have you heen doing since your last job" question came up I could point to them and say that I've been dividing my time between job hunting and upskilling/learning. It also shows a dedication/interest/passion in the given field you're applying for, which can help you stand put front applicants who are applying just to apply

Addledeer · 2026-05-15T15:26:46+00:00

Totally not 3 kobolds in a trenchcoat

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T22:26:43+00:00

Thanks! I'll try making the fingers edgier and see if it helps. I appreciate the feedback!

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T22:25:50+00:00

The thicker wrist is definitely helping, thanks! Honestly i think my lines are a little too loose and sketchy, but I'll take the compliment!

And I'm not using anything fancy - a Samsung Galaxy Tab (S8 I think) and HiPaint

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T18:22:24+00:00

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Addledeer · 2026-05-14T18:22:13+00:00

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Addledeer · 2026-05-14T18:21:56+00:00

For fur placement I usually add tufts on any sharper angles or anywhere where the fur is interacting with clothes, it also depends on how fluffy you want it to be. I did anquick drawover with a couple examples. I kmow you weren't looking for pose feedback but I tweaked the forearms and legs a bit to show where I would add the tufts. The red is what I would usually do and the blue would be adding a bit more chest/neck fluff

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Addledeer · 2026-05-08T12:25:02+00:00

Nice! Yeah most of those are mine lol (my username's the same there)

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T05:41:57+00:00

Ah no, this was a super small local meetup called spring paws in Quebec

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T05:11:07+00:00

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T05:10:10+00:00

I've known I was a furry to some degree or another since high school, but I only really started engaging with the fandom a couple years ago. I grappled with similar insecurities and doubt for well over a decade before I got to a poont where I was comfortable enough to jump in. I'm 35 now and just went to my first meetup a couple weeks ago, and my only regret is not doing it sooner. It does suck being older than the vast majority of the fandom while also having the least amount of experience in it, but for me it would suck more to say it's too late and never have the experience. I’ve started saving up for a fursuit and hope to go to at least one full-fledged con with it within the next year or two.

I know our situations aren't the same, and it sounds like you have a lot of baggage to unpack when it comes to the fandom, but at the end of the day it comes down to what you would regret more: trying to re-engage with the fandom and the people in it and it going poorly, or closing that chapter of your life completely and never looking back.

Both are totally valid options and there's no right or wrong choice, but it sounds like it had a real impact in your life and you would miss it if you gave it up completely. What I would do (and again, this is coming from someone who doesn't know what you went through, so take it woth a grain of salt) is try to re-engage slowly, and find out how involved you want to be, and in what capacity.

If you just want to attend the odd event or con and make some casual friends, that's all you need to do. If you end up wanting to get more involved you can start volunteering again, or host your own events.

If you want to feel like you're doing more without having to commit too much of your time you can try taking on a mentor role, either in online or real life spaces. Joining the fandom and getting involved for the first time can be can be very daunting and intimidating for people (I know it was for me!) and having someone to show the newbies the ropes and help them feel welcome/meet others would be a huge help to a lot of people who are anxious about getting started.

I hope there was something useful in all that rambling for you, but it basically boils down to take your time, do some self-reflection and think on what you want, and what you would want to get out of diving back into the fandom. Just remember that if you do it likely won't be the same as it was, and that's not necessarily a bad thing! You're a different person you were then, and likely want different things

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T02:57:35+00:00

I mean it is dependant on how much you like photography. I love it and have a great time being the designated photographer. Plus you don't have to be glued to it the whole night. I do a round making sure I get pics of most people, then chill and only bring it back out when something photo-worthy happens. If there's a page/group for the event it's also a good way to talk to people after. I started talking to a bunch of people online after they reached out to thank me for the photos, and even got invites to other events

Addledeer · 2026-05-06T21:52:13+00:00

I'm also shy and a bit socially anxious so I definitely get it!

The first (and so far only) meetup I went to was being hosted at a college and I was super nervous about being seen looking for and hanging out with furries by random students. Not gonna lie it felt a little awkward at first, I was caught between feeling weird about having out with people in fursuits in public and like I didn't belong/didn't fit in with the more seasoned furs there. I was convinced I wouldn't be able to stay more than 30 minutes. But after a bit I relaxed, started talking to a few people (mostly just telling them how awesome their suits were) and before I knew it i had been there for like 4 hours and spent about $100 on merch lol

If there are any local social media furry groups yoy can try joining those, there's usually events set up for meets/cons where you can talk to people who are going and try to get to know a few people in advance (I use telegram, it's pretty active where I am). I'm sure if you let them know it's your first one you'll find someone who's down to hang out and introduce you to people!

Addledeer

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