So, I Made a Thing

I didn't know if anyone would watch it. People watched. They felt heard and seen. Then a group of people created a convention for it.

I created The Fortnight because I wanted to tell a story about a girl, her found family, and the one that turned her world upside down. I wanted to share with the world the people, places and events that meant something to me in hopes that some of these things might be universal.

I remember these events from my past gave me the highest of highs that often paired with the lowest of lows. I hoped that even just one person out there who came across this little webseries, maybe on their darkest of days, would remember that although it might be a low point right now, the love we can feel makes it worth it to keep pushing through.

The light will come again. And if nothing else, this show might be a temporary distraction in a dark world. A bright spot if you will.

I didn’t know if anyone would watch.

I honestly couldn’t even imagine 1000 people watching. But little by little, this beautiful community of people formed around the show. They came together because they identified with someone or something within it. Viewers across the globe(!) were feeling seen and heard, some for the first time. People felt represented in a way they hadn’t before.

Our first episode reached 800 views in the first week. By our last episode--number 16, we would reach that many people in five minutes.

How did a tiny series with a lot of heart end up reaching 206 countries and territories and 4 million views?

It’s simple. I created a story. The Fortnighters created a movement.

The Restoration Retreat, the first official Fortnight convention, is a tangible result of that movement. It’s a place for anyone who has felt seen and heard via this series to come together and celebrate the thing that brought us all here. It is a place to acknowledge our similarities and celebrate our differences. It’s a place where we can all be who we truly are. An incredible team of people have come together to create the safest most inclusive environment for us to celebrate the show and each other.

I made a thing. And a group of us will make a new thing. Now let’s see how far we can go.

-Cory Xenos

Creator of The Fortnight