I delivered a presentation earlier this week at a work conference about being your whole self. It was called "Avengers Assemble: Bringing Your Hobbies and Passions to Work," because, of course it was titled that. I got to talk to my work colleagues about ways they can incorporate their likes and passions into their work lives and work spaces, which basically means I got to talk about how much I like Marvel Comics and Harry Potter for almost an hour.
Probably my biggest takeaway from the session was "Let People See You." Because at the end of the day, you have to be comfortable with people knowing what you like, what you're passionate about, in order for you to feel comfortable living that truth in a space that's not traditionally known for that level of honesty.
And, it gave me yet another excuse to wear my Ravenclaw tie to work (as if I needed one to begin with).
Though it totally wasn't planned this way, it's actually pretty fitting that the conference was this month, and that I did a presentation like this, because it IS Pride Month, and feeling confident in letting your coworkers know that you are a history buff, or that you like avant-garde art, or that you like to collect figurines is something you should be proud to share.
As Mystique put it in X-Men: First Class: Nerd, and proud.