Yeeeeeesssss! I miss active fandom participation, too. Read some fic on Archive Of Our Own a couple of weeks ago - linked through TVTropes, on a whim - and it was nice just to remember that such things still go on out there, somewhere. The light's still on. In some form, it always will be.

I think a lot of the dialogue is on Tumblr. But I also get the impression that the crowd is younger, and the fandoms are different.

But I think it's also a very relevant point to think about one's habits, focus, life changes. Not in the sense that everyone must give up fandom at a certain age - they don't - but circumstances change. I know I'm not online every day anymore, let alone for hours on end. My writing projects and such benefit, but I don't feel like I'm up to date on the wider fandom discussion anymore.

Personally, as long as I'm doing something expressive/creative, no matter what that is, then I feel satisfied. It is more fun to participate in something that's shared, but if the time / circumstances aren't right for it at the moment, that's all right. The social aspect and the creative aspect are linked, but they aren't quite the same.

Gah, this has me wanting to join Tumblr! :p