Supernatural; The Fans, Fiction and Art

    Have you ever wondered about what fandom's may look like within your favorite shows? Well with this blog, you don't have to search any farther. In some cases they're just little things like pictures or artworks or maybe even a new fan fiction wrote by a die hard fan themselves. However, other times it's more than that. Sometimes its people helping people within the fandom find happiness, sometimes its people showing others love and kindness for the thing they also love the most. Within three short paragraphs, you'll get a little bit deeper into something you love too. 

Artwork by Kateryna Vitkovska 

    Sometimes, people within a fandom create what's called fan art. Some people have made it themselves and others haven't ever heard about it before. Take a look at this piece by Kateryna Vitkovska. She is an amazing artist who posts her artwork onto Art station. Or maybe artwork isn't your thing, well this fan fiction by Emiline Carter might grab your attention. Terror at 20,000 Feet is an amazing article about the thrilling story of Sam and Deans new adventure of, “hunt[ing] a creature that drops people from the sky and has an obsession with shiny things” (description). These things dive just a little deeper into how the show can affect a person and their life. Artists see things differently. The world, shows, movies, even songs. To see an artist remake something into their own is amazing. 

    Sometimes its not about the show at all. Sometimes its all about how a show makes a person feel seen or heard about what is going on in their lives. Being able to talk freely about your life and what all is going on and relate it back to a show that people understand, helps you regulate and understand how you feel within yourself. Finding a place to be able to find yourself and how you feel within your life and then be able to openly talk to others about it helps you regulate your emotions and what you do within your life. 

    Everything happens for a reason. Everyone joins things together and when you find a fandom that makes you feel included and happy with everything you do in your life, you should stick with it and find yourself. 

Steeler Nation Comes Alive On Gameday

     Being a Steelers fan all my life, I have been essentially invested into this football organization for close to 14 years I'd say. You could say I've seen a lot of different types of Steelers fans, but there is so much diversity among this organization that even the average looking fan is closer to a superfan. The fans are so committed to this team, I've never seen anything like it, and I'm one of them. As I was developing my fandom research project, I have learned that fans really do go above and beyond when it comes to showing support. Diving deep into these ways of the Steelers fandom, it really goes below surface level to highlight the most surprising things. 

Steelers Game in Ireland, 2025

    The first surprising thing I've learned about the Steelers fandom is how international Steelers fans are. We are one of the most popular international fanbases in the NFL, which is something special. According to a study completed by Gambling.com, "the Steelers are the NFL franchise with the sixth-highest percentage of international fans, when it comes to their social media followings. Of the accounts that follow the Steelers, 38.7% are based internationally". This article by WPXI News shows the research done that the Steelers have the 6th most popular international fanbases, which is something to boast about. Going international is something that the NFL has been trying to grow for years now, and the Steelers can reach these nations just by playing in their homeland. For example, the Steelers took on the Minnesota Vikings in a game in the NFL's first ever game in Ireland last football season. Just by setting these games in these nations, the Steelers will become even more international. 

Body Mural

    The next surprising thing I've learned about the Steelers fandom is the commitment to going all out. Steelers fans are no strangers to obsessive fandom, whether it's a memorabilia-full man cave or a full body mural, Steelers fans will really do anything to feel like a part of the organization. The superfans who surround themselves with this team show unbelievable levels of team love. As far as I know, I have not really seen other fandoms in the NFL that are committed or obsessed with the team as much as Steelers fans. It is really awesome to see what Steelers fans do, and what they will do next to feel that level of involvement. 

    The last thing I found surprising throughout this research project is the amount of consecutive home sell outs the Pittsburgh Steelers have had for decades. To be able to sell out home games since 1972 is something to be beyond proud of. Aside from the Denver Broncos, the Pittsburgh Steelers hold the second-longest active streak of consecutive sell outs in the NFL. Regardless of not being the first in sell outs, it is an impressive stat and sucks the fans in to keep the streak going. Why let this streak ever end? Having some of the most passionate fans in the NFL, I do not think the Pittsburgh Steelers ever have to worry about losing the streak.

    

Inside the Era of Swifties

Ever since I was a young girl, I have been a fan of Taylor Swift. I remember sitting in the back seat of my mom's car singing songs like "Shake It Off," "Love Story," and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." However, since completing the fandom research project analyzing the extreme behaviors of Swifties, I realized there are much deeper layers to being part of this community that I had ever known before. Exploring these aspects made me appreciate the fandom so much more because of the way fans connect with others through their shared love for the pop star.

One surprising thing I discovered about the Taylor Swift fandom is how Swifties are practically detectives. We all know and love how Taylor and her team, Taylor Nation, drop hints in music videos, social media posts, and lyrics known as Easter eggs for fans to decode. This fandom unites when working together to solve these special clues, something that other fan bases do not do. An example I found was from an article called "Taylor Swift fans solve 33 million Google puzzles to unlock new song titles," where Swifties collaborated through these complex activities to get the song titles for 1989 Taylor's Version. Considering the amount of time and effort fans put into this is honestly insane and what makes us so united. Being a Swiftie is all about participating in fan-led experiences with people from all different backgrounds around the world.

Another surprising thing I learned about Swifties is how we made The Eras Tour into something much bigger than any ordinary concert. It became a full cultural event. Fans didn't just attend shows, they started unique traditions to make the experience unforgettable. Inside the stadiums, we traded friendship bracelets and hollered chants. Outside the stadiums, fans without tickets still drove hours to be there, dressed up in elaborate costumes, brought their smiles and friendship bracelets, and stood outside to simply hear the music from afar. This proves how popular this tour became because everyone wanted to feel part of it. The Taylor Swift fandom transformed concerts into communities, and I believe that is why so many people were so invested during tour season.

Last but not least, Swifties have a direct influence on the economy. We don't just support Taylor online, we start trends in person and impact entire industries. During The Eras Tour, fans sold out flights and hotels in concert cities across the world. These places embraced Taylor's arrival as local restaurants offered limited-edition Taylor Swift themed menu items to support her. As seen in the image, I attended The Eras Tour with my best friend Emerson in 2023 at MetLife Stadium, and I can assure you that it was more than just a concert. May 26 now holds a special place in my heart because I will always cherish the memories we made that day. It was a beautiful visual celebration of Taylor's career and the people who got her to where she is today.