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Trends and creative development in the otherkin community
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I find it very interesting how trends develop in the Otherkin community. A lot of nonhumans wear masks now. This is a fairly new thing, or at least did not used to be common. Same with quads. I find myself at a loss for advice when younger kin want to know about masks or quads because, despite years of experience in the community, I have experience with neither of those things. XD

But this isn't a bad thing! And honestly, five to ten years ago the kin trend of the day was... moodboards. Oh, and fashion and self care products being curated upon request. That was huge on tumblr. Still is. I think it's kind of great that the new trends are more creative and physical in nature. Otherkin are making their own masks from scratch and navigating the world from a new perspective and I think that's a healthier way to express oneself than the abject consumerism I used to see. (Plus it's nice to see younger folks using masks to obscure their faces online.)

Now, some of us only have online. Some in living situations that are unsafe to be themselves in. Some disabled with no safe way to do quads. Some who can't afford to make a mask and have no place to wear it. Some who express themselves anonymously and must leave no trace of themselves offline. And some who just want to make and look at moodboards because they bring joy and affirmation. This is all good too, and I'm glad that we have flourishing online communities on many platforms.

To get the full scope of the way our community members express ourselves, you need to engage with a lot of nonhuman communities across the internet (and real life, if you're lucky). We're always more than our trends, but with those trends brings some pretty groundbreaking self-expression.

I'd like to hear from folks who are in the mood to talk about themselves a bit! I want to know; What is your favourite way to express your nonhuman self and why? What ways do you prefer not to use to express yourself and why? What is your opinion on the various trends in the Otherkin/Nonhuman community?

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This is great, OP. I might sometimes come off as "anti-mask" or something, which really isn't my point. As a therian who's older than the average user on Reddit, I try to be "anti-trend" - whatever that trend is. I actually do think that quadrobics, when practiced safely, is cool! My joints can't handle it for long though.

But whatever the trend is, people should be aware that it's just a trend. And also be aware that if you do something in public that reminds of some other subculture/identity, it's completely understandable that outsiders will get it mixed up. Don't take it as an insult. If you're a "teen wolf" with dyed hair, fake fangs and heavy eyeliner (as was the trend about 15 years ago) - of course people will assume you're emo. If you put out videos of yourself wearing an animal mask, tail and paw pad gloves (as is the trend now) - of course people will assume you're a furry. If you post a lot about reincarnation, astral travel, "the veil" and spiritual names (as was common 20 years ago) - of course people will assume you're into New Age.

Anyway, to answer your question:
The ways I express my wolf instincts nowadays, is mostly subtle everyday stuff. I'm married to another therian, and so it's natural to mix in animal noises and body language in our communication when nobody else is around. I also enjoy taking walks in nature, especially to look for deer and hares. I also mix my therianthropy with bdsm: I'm into pet play, and sometimes bondage makes me mental shift too. I enjoy watching videos of canines, and listen to music that mixes in howls. When I was younger, I used to watch all the werewolf movies I could get my paws on. I no longer do that, but now then, I might rewatch some of the good ones.

To express my therianthropy outwards, I chose to have a wolf-themed avatar when possible. So on Discord, for instance, I have a custom wolf avatar that looks like "me". I used to blog about therianthropy, but don't do it as much any longer. I also have some jewellery with wolf imagery, that I wear sometimes. But I try to be subtle, and not go over-the-top with wolf t-shirts or such. I enjoy sharpening and painting my nails so that they look a bit more like claws, but I can't do that too often. I work in a lab, and sharp nails don't mix well with that.

Over the years, I've gotten quite a lot of gifts from people who know and try to show their support. Faux fur mittens and legwarmers, wolf plushies, stuff like that. But I don't use them that often. I made a mask before it was a huge trend (so it's not exactly like the "tiktok style"). I've worn it at a couple of occassions, such as Halloween parties. But it gets so sweaty and is a bit fragile, so I can't really wear it when actually shifty.

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9 months ago