ABOOTLANDER LOVE is the ABOotlander way of spreading KINDNESS JOY & SUPPORT throughout the OUTLANDER Fandom.

The ABOotlander World FB Page is choosing some in the Outlander fandom who have made it their mission to add a touch of positivity & entertainment.

We randomly highlight bloggers, artists, podcasters, cast or crew members who simply share parts of themselves that bring happiness to those enjoying the World of Outlander.

I discovered todays ABOotlander LOVEs recipient on Twitter @jessicaleblanc1981 as a fellow Canadian in this fandom. 

the LOVELY Julia

Julia LeBlanc creates fan videos. Many shared by Diana Gabaldon.  Julia’s are heartwarming, funny and all together a great way to quench your thirst caused by Droughtlander.

GULP GULP *gasp* GULP

Julia’s interest in Outlander started in the same way many others have. “I had heard of it years ago, my sister was a huge fan of the book series, but I hadn’t read it. When she told me they were making a T.V. show I decided to watch it, I was hooked instantly. After the second episode I went online to read stuff about it and find out Claire and Jamie get married! What?! LOL so I immediately went out and bought the whole series. Read all 8 books in 10 weeks. I was sucked in.”

As many of us Outlander fans, Julia has a life outside of creating videos. She is a stay at home mom with two young kids.  Her background is in education. spending 6 years studying child development and 10 years working in the field. Unfortunately, there aren’t any jobs available in the teaching field,  where she lives so she and her husband decided to start a family. She has been a SAHM ever since. It’s a lot of work, but she has good time management skills, this makes it easier to fit her hobbies in and have “me time” when it is needed.

If you haven’t seen any of Julias videos…you are certainly missing another form of fan art.  I was curious as to what inspired her to create the videos.

“After the 4 episodes or so, I went on YouTube and noticed people making them. I started to think of songs that I thought would be perfect for the series. I would do searches for the songs and couldn’t find anyone that had done them. Songs like “Turing Page”, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “Against All Odds”. So during the fist Droughtlander, I decided to try and make one myself.  I was shocked at how much I loved making them. I like trying different things in my videos, romantic, funny, involving the whole cast…it’s a lot of fun.”

Since this is the whole Outlander environment, being a fan is what we do here.  I am always asking my fellow Outlanderites if they have had any exciting fancounters.  Julia has a BIG ONE!

“Meeting Sam was a BIG deal for me. He is so charming and sweet. We waited for him for a long time in the cold. When I met him I told him that he had shared a video I made and he got excited. Which of course just made my day.  And then he mentioned meeting me in an interview which was a thrill. He was sweet to all the fans there, he took time with us (as much as he could) and chatted with us. I have mentioned this before, but one thing I found really interesting happened while I was talking to the camera man waiting for Sam. The man told me that they have a lot of celebrities come in, but no one has been as nice and caring as Sam. He said Sam wanted to make sure he got to meet the fans, and was concerned because it was so cold. He said that we are very lucky to have him and he’s right. We are. I got to meet Cait too when she was in Toronto. I made a mad dash into downtown and got a quick meeting with her. There weren’t as many fans there (no one knew she was coming) so it didn’t last as long. She is even more stunning in person.  And very warm. The whole thing happened so fast, she had to quickly go to another location. I met Diana too when she came to the Fergus Festival last summer, which was something I was looking forward to.  She stayed late at the autograph signing for us and we were so grateful. I told her that she shared some of my videos. She told me I do a wonderful job with them. She also has this aura about her, I don’t think she stopped smiling the whole time.  And listening to her speak was a thrill I never thought I would have. She was very funny and took time to answer many fan questions.  I dream of meeting Tobias and I love Richard, Sophie, and Graham too.  Hopefully one day I will meet them. But I’ve been very lucky to have such great experiences with my idols.”

I asked Julia if she had any favourite videos and she gave me links to other creators.  It just goes to show that her love of making the videos isn’t limited to herself.  She promotes and respects others doing that same thing she is. That really is what attracts us ABOotlanders to her.  She is very kind.

Here are some of Julia’s personal recommendations:

“I really like Elena Vas videos. She’s so talented and has really inspired me to learn and try new things with my videos. I love this one Never Tear Us Apart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuaD_ZHtIxU ,  “Good For You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFFVrzjYQCE&t=7s , and “Survivor” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJEnfxv_H9E

This is a beautiful one by Silverxvideso who also makes great videos “Already Gone” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEDUgY_fIgs “

Here are some of Julia’s videos that are sure to engage you.

Who Wants To Love Forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPSATBXAUAo&t=212s

Uptown Funk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_QyGgrFFbA

I Put A Spell On You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWV0ZE1OHho&t=33s

Thinking Out Loud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzvQqVyq82Q

Better yet. Subscribe to her You Tube channel YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nancy777ca/videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/nancy777ca

Each of us have characters and actors we gravitate to more than others and Julia is no different.  She loves the whole cast and crew as she sees them to be inspiring. Everyday, it seems to change which one she is most inspired by. “I think it’s hard to pick one and my answer may change depending on what day you ask me. Today I’d probably pick Sam. He is so sweet and accessible to fans. He interacts with us and seems to genuinely have fun with his fans. It’s not at all to say the others don’t-they do! But His MPC is something that really is helping me and others live healthier, and overcome an obstacle, change something they’ve been wanting to. I can’t wait to get really started on it when the kids go back to school and I can be more organized again.  And Jamie is probably my favourite character in the series”

Many Outlander fans have not had a lot of experiences in fandoms before and it is new territory. Julia talks about her walk in the fandom world.

“I’ve never really been in a fandom before.  I was a bit in the Glee one, but I just followed towards the end-never participated. This is the first one I’ve really been in. It’s a lot of fun. To have people you could share ideas and creations with, so many talented people in the fandom. I love watching everyone’s labour of love. And I get really interested in other’s points of view. I don’t always agree, and sometimes it’s really hard to not get into arguments (I try though). Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive when you see some negativity. But overall, this is a great fandom. The vast majority of this fandom is wonderful, and very accepting, warm and encouraging. To the cast and crew but also to each other.  It’s a community, and in the end, we all want our community to be a fun place.”

I am not a creative kinda person so when I come into contact with them. I want to know how their brains work. Knowing that they must have ideas and notions that spring up, I wanted to know what Julia had up her sleeve for Season 3.

“A few…last I counted I had over 70.  Yes, I know I’m crazy. I have a few I’m really looking forward to doing. “Don’t Know Much”, “Battlefield (by Lea Michele)” …and I’m really looking forward to doing one for “A Thousand Years”, it will be a recap of their love up to the Print Shop. Every time I hear a song I wanna do it.  And I get a lot of ideas from fellow fans.”

We all have a special dream for what Outlander will look like in the future.  Julia is no different.

“Diana has said there will be 10 books, so I’m envisioning 10 seasons. I’m an optimist. I especially hope we get season 6, because ABOSA is my favourite book in the series-if I had to chose one. I’m envisioning a show with longevity, with a cast and crew that gets accolades not only from fans but from the entertainment industry. They are so deserving of awards and nominations; I know it will come. The books just get better and I know the series will too. I also would like Diana to write more episodes. It was so much fun watching all the little tidbits she shared and insights she gave us into writing an episode. I hope we get that again.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Julia has a few words of encouragement to share with the Outlander fan family.

“Make it a fun place! I think everyone should have a place they can be a fan girl or fan boy the way they want to. Fandoms are supposed to bring joy.  There are great people in this fandom. We are very lucky to have such interactive cast/crew and Diana! There are a lot of Twitter/Tumblr accounts and groups on Facebook that are a lot of fun.”

As per each time we interview someone…we ask this ABOotlander deep and meaningful question.  What is your favourite – Moose Droppings,Prairie Oysters, Beaver Tails or Taber Corn?

When you say “moose droppings” you mean the chocolate treat right? LOL. I would choose Taber Corn…because I like corn, and I could say that without making a funny face.

You can also find Julia on Tumblr

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/moduinne-and-redjamie

Droughtlander is to end soon. Share some love and share the gifts that Julia presents you in the form of her videos.

Sher

AKA SL

AKA #ABOotlanderFounder

ABOotlander on the ground.