What Cosplay Means to Me

I wanted to take a moment a express how lucky I am to have cosplay in my life.

Growing up, as with most "nerd" types, wasn't the easiest for me. 

I grew up on the outskirts of Nashville, so when I wasn't in school I spent my time at my house playing in the woods or on my farm. 

Not a lot of opportunity to make non-school related friends.

I spent my years in school being made fun of for one reason or another. Sailor Moon was my big love as a child, and walking the halls with themed school supplies was basically marking me for bullying. The laughter and harsh comments still ring in my memory. I was even physically assaulted on multiple occasions for simply being different. Children can be cruel, and trust me when I say my bullies were.

The thing for me was, I never wanted to change who I was for those people. Of course I hated the bullying, anyone in that situation would... but not once did I want to change who I was to make it stop. I just continued to be who I am until I found a place to fit in... 

And for me, that place became theater.

When I began performing in my local community theaters in High School I knew I had found a home. I continued to follow my creative drive, and ended up majoring in Theater Performance in college.
I had found the place where other "weirdos" like me gathers to be creative and do things outside of the norm. I found myself more willing to express my love for a variety of things from video games, and anime, to sci-fi and cartoons... and I found wonderful people who opened my eyes up to a side of the geek world I hadn't experienced yet, like comics and conventions.
It was just after I had completed my bachelors degree that I attended my first convention. Dragon Con 2010 was a life changing experience for me. I walked in having no idea what to expect, and ended up finding my place in the world. I had seen all the amazing costumes and met so many amazing people that I couldn't wait to come back the following year and participate in this amazing art! 

I had finally found a place where I could not only combine my love of geeky things with my love of theater... but I could be recognized for it! People would see my cosplays and ask me how I made it and what inspired me. People asked to take pictures with me. I was being told that I inspired others to cosplay as well! I found so many new friends and began to finally feel as thought I had become a whole person.

My journey into cosplay has built a sense of pride in myself. I have become proud of the person I am. It has become my drive to help others in this community feel the joy I have from cosplay.

I tell you all this not to make you feel sad for me, or see the hard path I've been down, but so you can understand why I work so hard to bring positivity to this amazing community.

Being someone who has felt both the joy and the sorrow that can come from living life as a nerd I have made it my goal to bring more positivity and acceptance to the cosplay community. Everyday I see people fighting and hurting each other over silly topics like 

"sexy cosplay" 

"being a real nerd" 

"who's cosplay is better"
Why do we do this? Haven't we all experienced enough of this before? If you have felt the pain of being bullied just because you love something, why would you want to spread that pain? 

It doesn't make us who we are. I doesn't help people grow.
Being supportive and constructive it what helps us become bigger and better. Cosplay is a safe haven for so many of us. Its the place where we feel most like ourselves, and it is important that we make sure to keep it that way. If we, as nerds, geeks, and dorks, tear our community apart, what will we have left?

So next time you see something on the internet or in person that you don't like or agree with 

(as long as it is doing no harm)

Do yourself and the community a favor and just ignore it. We cannot keep complaining that only the negative behavior and aspects of cosplay we don't like get the attention if we keep feeding those things the attention.
 The way to make that stop isn't to add to the negative behavior, but to find something you love and build that up instead! 

Offer advice to a new cosplayer on new techniques and ways to grow their craft!

Cosplay has changed my life. 

It has made me into a better artist and a better person.
I will continues to build this community up as long as I can, and I hope that if it has touched your life the way it has touched mine, you will do the same.
<3 <3