The Drupal community is extremely large, diverse, and established, and lately, we’ve started to grow beyond our own codebase.  For new members to the community, even the slack channels and issue queues can be daunting, but rooted community members such as myself also have a hard time finding our place.

There are pressures to contribute back to the community, both extrinsic and intrinsic, that can drive us to burnout.  I’ve been trying to find my place for over 10 years.  These are some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Don’t try to be a rockstar for the sake of being a rockstar.
Don’t let guilt be your driving factor.
Not everyone speaks English as a first language.
Take care of yourself first.
Everyone makes mistakes.
Help someone.
There are many more, but these seem to be the overarching tenets.  I’d like to share my lessons with you and help you clear a path for yourself, both in the Drupal community and out.  I'll talk about my journey over the last decade, how to navigate the excitement that the community evokes, how to reclaim your time and find your passion, and how that may fit in the community.

This session is appropriate for any person of any demographic, and any skill level of any job role.