Why I cosplay

Photographer: Rene Hwang Photography

This time last year, I felt alone. Don't get me wrong. In real life, I have some of the best friends that I wish I could describe with sentences but truth is I just don't have enough space. My family has always been so supportive of my hobbies, even when they're stretched their emotional limits for me. And Myself-- i've always had this drive that I could never describe to anyone, but when I wanted something-- I just reached up and took it and didn't take no for an answer.

But the question-- always came up-- why do you cosplay? It's hard to explain why I cosplay. Usually with a costume there are multiple moments when I'm in tears because something isn't going my way, or a pleat isn't holding. You would think that it'd be easier to just live a normal life, and be a student, and work retail, and be amazing at it. The truth is-- it would be-- but I think it would kill me.

Photographer: N3 Photography

Cosplay to me-- is like breathing. It's something that since I began wearing and making costumes-- I couldn't stop doing it. You remember that drive that I mentioned before that was inside me? It pushed me forward. I was hungry to learn more, I am still hungry to learn more. I may not pick characters I love (I do quite a lot of that too though)-- but I pick characters that challenge me as a cosplayer-- that cause me to reach further than I ever thought I could reach before.

It's hard to explain to a person that doesn't cosplay, why I cosplay, and simply put that's why I felt so alone. I had all these people asking me why I did it, but not one person understood my passion for it. Through conventions, and through cosplaying, I found more people like me-- Yuuzuki, Tommyish, Calypso, Twittles, and there are so many more. I don't have to explain to them why I do it, or why I cry over it because they do too, and we all do it together.

And we have whole skype conversations talking about the right kind of glue and nobody asks why we're doing it.

Photographer: Rene Hwang Photography

But I think it's worth while to explain, maybe if  not to you-- the reader-- but to a cosplayer that has that passion and doesn't know how to reach for it. The truth is-- you're not alone. We are a community, and we always will be. And even though we have our ups and downs like any community does, we will shelter you and we will love you and we will continue to feed your passion for as long as you'll let it burn.

Don't be discouraged, and don't be afraid if you don't know which stitch to use on a stretch fabric because there's always someone you can ask-- and none of us will ask you why you cosplay-- because we already know-- and it's not words that can describe it-- but a feeling-- deep down that when you're in costume you're empowered and you can truly be whoever you want to be.

I don't know you. And truth be told, I may never meet you. But I'm here for you, and I bring with me whatever cosplayers decide to follow. And I'll cry for you, and i'll give you invisa-cyber-hugs, and invisa-cyber-kisses. Because I get it.

Photographer: Morning Addict Photography