Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
Lisa Fary, founder and editor of Pink Raygun, is the Lady Geek of the Week! Pink Raygun is a blog that “offers a platform for geeks, fans, and creators who are traditionally underrepresented in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comics.”
My fave feature on Pink Raygun? The geeky pumpkin templates! So many zombie pumpkin options. The Hunger Games series is represented too! (Check out Liz’s Mockingjay pumpkim template here.)
Being Geek Chic was lucky enough to catch up with Fary and ask her a few questions about her geekiness…
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: Getting older, getting honest with myself, and getting guts. I spent a long time shoving my passions down in an effort to be something I never was because, when I was younger, I had bought into what my elders said: doing A, B, and C will lead to success and happiness. I bought into the lie that my dreams were stupid/not good enough/unrealistic and wound up leading a business casual life that made my family proud, but made me really unpleasant.
Something shifted in my head when I got older and I was able to start honestly looking at who I really was, what I really wanted, and how I could make those changes. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m making that last push to leave that old life behind.
Q: What inspires you in the world?
A: Human ingenuity. I’m always inspired by what people create and discover when they push themselves to break boundaries and move us all forward. Also, the bizarre and gross, like that giant eyeball that washed up on a beach in Florida - that totally made my day.
Q: First time you realized you were “geeky?”
A: I’ve always known that I’m a weirdo and have always been pretty open about it because you can’t really hide that much weird! My constant refrain growing up was, “You think I’m weird? Well, I think you’re boring.”
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: Don’t be so scared. Your skin will clear up. One day, you’ll announce that you’re a giant geek and the world will say, “That’s awesome.”
Q: “I admit it—I’ve never seen/read/experienced: ____”
A: I’ve never seen a whole episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the years BTVS aired, I had an antenna and The WB/UPN didn’t come in at all (unless I stood next to the TV, holding the antennae; then I could see a ghost of a picture that had no sound), so I literally could not watch it. Later, I made an effort to watch it and couldn’t get interested past the commercial break.
Q: What would be the title of your memoir?
A: Four-Eyed Freakshow: How One Nerd Learned to Give the Finger to Conformity
Follow Fary on Twitter @pinkraygun.
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
We’re not all carving Van Gogh’s - so how can we get a totally awesome pumpkin this Halloween without getting completely overwhelmed? Well, the answer is by sticking to iconic shapes.
As much as I would love to master anything that looked remotely close to these crazy detailed Star Wars pumpkins, I know my limits. Last year, I was fresh off a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter when I made my “modern Potter” pumpkin for my front stoop. The idea was simple: stick to the two most common things associated with Harry - his lightning scar and his round spectacles.
This year, I hope to pull of a simple Mockingjay and will share my results with you, but this all got me thinking that it would be worth pointing out some simple, fun and nerdy pumpkin carvings that you could do in no time at all.
Bob-omb from Mario Brothers
This one is so incredibly simple and cute, it would be a shame to pass it up. Take a pumpkin and carve out two eyes. Paint it black and use a piece of cardboard to cut out the winder for the back. Then, use some materials from around the house or a little painted styrofoam to embellish the top and the feet.
This awesome little guy is courtesy of smosh.com
Pumpkin Pi
I love dual meanings. Pi Pumpkin. Pumpkin Pi. Take your pick. Either way, this baby is a winner. It’s simple, funny and incredibly easy to pull off in 15 minutes or less.
This pumpkin inspiration is courtesy of GirlGoneGeekBlog.com, but go ahead and google it. I’m warning you now that if you’re hungry this is not a great idea. There, you’ve been warned. No go carve.
In Memory: Steve Jobs
This one is pretty self-explanatory and a little more difficult to execute. You almost need to be a pumpkin carving pro in my opinion to navigate all those little spaces around his eyes, but you could focus on JUST the apple and still get an iconic and memorable effect for your pumpkin.
For the brave souls who want to give this one a try, there’s a template available for download from Pink Ray Gun here.
