Has being a pony fan changed you for the better?

[Octavian 5,421]

Has pony had a good effect on you? Let you try things out that that turned out that you are pleased tried, which allowed you to enjoy life in a way you wouldn't have otherwise?

Personally, ponies gave me a creative outlet which I don't think I would have had otherwise. From school, I saw creative writing as not fun but ponies got me to RP and write (I even tried to draw initially... but neigh  ).

[Silly Druid 6,964]

It allowed me to discover a part of me that was missing, or incomplete at least. The part related to emotions and social interactions. And it helped me make friends. Friendship is magic!

[Sfc.point 32]

I made some pony friends online. I love making friends, but it's hard for me. Having a shared interest makes things much easier.

[Nightlight1313 176]

The community has been a wonderful place for me, for one! Aside from that, the first time I remember really getting into music that wasn't just what my parents listened to was brony music. I've had such a hard time writing my whole life, but ponies are able to get me to put stuff on the page. The first screenplay I ever wrote was a FiM episode rewrite!

[jacibobsthebrony 115]

Absolutely. As an introverted teen, the community opened up my true personality and provided that sense of belonging I'd craved since primary school. The genuine passion of the fandom rubbed off on me, and encouraged me to share my interests with friends and strangers alike. And creatively, it introduced me to new genres of music and literature that forever shaped my own writing style. Sometimes it made life more difficult, but the positives always outweighed the negatives. If nothing else, it made me finally embrace my inner geek instead of hiding it away. A decade later, after so much has changed, this show and fandom still holds a special place in my heart.

5 hours ago, Nightlight1313 said:

The community has been a wonderful place for me, for one! Aside from that, the first time I remember really getting into music that wasn't just what my parents listened to was brony music.

Same here. I rarely listened to music until discovering WoodenToaster and AcousticBrony in 2011. Made those bus rides to school a bit more bearable. 

[Iforgotmybrain 5,660]

I'd say so. Mostly because I wouldn't have met a lot of the people I did throughout my teen years and in college. Being a pony fan lead to me becoming a furry which in a roundabout way lead to me discovering I'm bisexual + lead to meeting a lot of local and online furry friends. And even if I've soured on the (online) furry community quite a bit, the people I met through it absolutely changed me for the better and helped me discover who I am. Same with the pony community, especially when I was growing up.