Growing up, my interest in the subject of Cosplay was ALWAYS there… Well, from my teenage years ;)!
So with this being said, why did it take me so long to actually get involved with the amazing art that is Cosplay? Let me explain into some, quite minor, detail as to why it is quite daunting to get into cosplay… But why if you go ahead and join in, it’s possibly the most fun experience possible.
I’ve got some interest
This is the first step. Once you’ve got an idea that you want to go to a convention, if you’ve ever considered cosplaying before, why not make that next convention you go to “the one”? Once you’ve got interest, you have a few hurdles to get over. Hurdles such as:
- I am terrified to make a fool of myself!
If you do not make a fool of yourself during your Cosplay antics, ever, I will be surprised. My first costume was so flimsy that it was practically ripped apart on a dance floor (My bad!) Ahem, it’s not quite as rude as that sounds! :)
Part of the joy of Cosplaying is to be a character that you are not. You are not going to be “you” when you are in this costume, although you can be should you want to be. What I mean by this is most people, myself included, liked to “get in character”. I was always into drama growing up, having even taken to the Bristol Old Vic in some performances (They were rather good, I may say!) Having some passion for acting/drama, even if you never wanted to take it seriously, will probably help you out here. You need to be able to throw away the “real you” and bring forth a spark of personality from your character: Even if you just want to dress up like them, you need to think like the character to think how the character would dress/wear their outfits.
- I don’t know where to begin!
Yeah, this was my real road block. I was a bit confused as to how you “get involved”. Honestly, it took me several attempts at saying “Yeah, I’ll Cosplay now” before I finally did it. However, the thing that got me onto my feet to actually get the materials and begin was buying a ticket to a convention in the first place. Then, I got involved with some forums, started to talk to people and wah hey! I started making a costume! Not a good one, I’ll always admit, but it was a costume!
I would recommend, for all of the UK readers who are interested, to check out Cosplay Island. They welcome everyone, from complete novices, to enthusiasts and experts. You can look at what other people have done and get into the spirit of Cosplay! A lot of people have made their own costumes, so when you step back, look at what people have made and really absorb it: You begin to realise just how much work people put into this. It’s a legitimate hobby, a great one at that, with a fantastic community and for the complete beginner, I’d wholeheartedly suggest going to Cosplay Island. They helped me out with some complete newbie questions and I am sure they’d help you too.
- I don’t know what convention to go to.
This was the last major problem for me: Which one do you go to!? There are so many!
Go to one you think sounds good and do what I did: Look at reviews. I picked one that had a good maximum number of people, without it being too big. I picked AyaCon Apocalypse 2013, which was absolutely awesome (Here’s a picture from the masquerade :D)
The next one I’m off to is Kitacon 2014 (March 28-March 30) which I have only heard great things about.
- I am not too keen on meeting people
WOAH! That can’t be true, as everyone meets new people all the time. Whether we want to admit it, or not, even a passing by on the street, if you say hello – You’ve technically met this person. You don’t “know them” but you’ve met them! So meeting up with people is a two way street: You’re going out there to meet them and they’re going out there to meet you.
Everyone has something unique to bring to a conversation which is why I am so excited to be doing GeekOut’s meet-up sessions. With great conversations and good beer to assist the conversations, there’ll never be a dull moment (Psst, hey, Bristol based geeks, why aren’t you there already!? See you on the 29th!)
I’d probably recommend convincing some friends to join you, as it makes a big difference being in a group. People have more confidence if they have more people around them, so do not be afraid to get dressed up, even if your friends do not. People want to meet cosplayers as it’s a hobby that stands out and shows your dedication to your interest and dedication to your craft.
- I have no skills!
Aha, I’ve caught you out for the last time. Skills are something you accumulate by doing, not by sitting there and shaking your head!
When I started cosplaying, I never picked up a needle before in my life. Never had I stepped inside a fabrics store. Never had I put pieces together to make a costume, all that was dealt with by the people who were good at it, right!? No! We’re in a brilliant time in the history of the world, full of changes. Full of surprises that, well hold on: We can all get involved! We can all get involved with something we really want to, which is exactly how the world should always have been.
If you’re not sure on something or want to find new skills, the internet is a great starting point. Local courses can help you, too. If you want a good website that I’d recommend to at least get “crafty”, try Instructables. This website has helped me in more ways than I can possibly thank it for! So thank you, Instructables.
Are you thinking of cosplaying? Great! Start up a discussion below! I will always aim to respond to you!
Related articles – Great posts to get you into the Cosplay spirit!
- The cosplay of BlizzCon 2013 (wow.joystiq.com)
- Guys in Cosplay (technikitty.wordpress.com)
- D.I.Y. COSPLAY: ‘Dune’ Sandworm (geeksaresexy.net)
GeekOut UK 
That’s a cool Space Marine costume. What a shame that Ayacon is no more.
LikeLike
Well, I always take “last ever” with a grain of salt. It was spectacular seeing him throughout Ayacon with various parts of his costume, then that spectacular end result!
LikeLike