I always have people talk to me about how to get started cosplaying. Usually, when I ask if they are interested, they say that they might be but first they need to get into shape, or they don’t know what to cosplay because they don’t know what would fit their body type, or they really like a certain character but they could never cosplay as him/her because they don’t look like that character.
This kind of goes back to the blog I posted earlier on here about not having DD-sized boobs. The same thing happens with people who feel that they may be too overweight, too underweight, or not chiseled enough. So here’s what I have to say to you, all of you people who ever ask me this question. I’m going to be real with you, here, but I hope that you understand.
Here’s what you gotta keep in mind when you’re cosplaying. There are always going to be people that tease you or reject you or say negative things about you. But there are also going to be people that love your costume, love your creativity, and want to take pictures with you. Which voices are you going to choose to listen to?
There will always be a cosplay that’s better or cooler or more accurate than yours, but your costume will always be better or cooler or more accurate than others. Are you cosplaying for the right reasons?
Are you doing it to show off? If you are, then you’ll value what others say about you. But if you’re doing it to have fun and because you love the character, then it shouldn’t matter what anyone says! You’re doing what you love! So I say go for whatever character you love the most and want to dress up like the most.
When I first started cosplaying, I was doing Jack Sparrow. I look nothing like Jack Sparrow, but I loved him enough that I wanted to look like him, act like him, and be like him. I got laughed at, teased, and made fun of. I got told I was too girly for that character and that I should only cosplay what category everyone else thought I fit into. If I followed what people told me, I would have never kept cosplaying because everyone has a different idea of what you should look like or who you should be.
You gotta be yourself and go for what means most to you. That’s not to say that you can’t cosplay something that you look like but you’re not that interested in. I cosplay Jubilee and I really don’t know much about the character. But I look like her and her costume’s easy to pull off. I have no idea what she sounds like and I barely know anything about her history. She’s not my favorite character, but I utilize what I know about myself to be true.
So- absolutely- if you look a certain way or can do a certain voice, use it! Claim what you consider your weaknesses right now as your strengths! Don’t let any other person ruin your fun or your happiness. In the end, they have to answer for what they said or did to you and you have to answer for your actions. There’s absolutely no reason to get your feelings hurt, get angry, or take it out on anyone else. Continue being you and let the rest of the world take care of itself.
This extends past cosplay, as well. Even in life, people have problems with their self-esteem. They don’t follow certain dreams of theirs because they feel embarrassed, and they don’t want people to think negatively of them. If you follow what the world tells you to do, you’ll only be following unhappiness because you can never satisfy the world.
Instead, look at what God tells you. He loves you just the way you are! He makes commandments to help you become a better person, not to appease Him. He tells you to be in the world, not of the world- that means while you’re here, don’t listen to what the world tells you that you need to be! You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Why would God want one of His most prized creations just trying to move with the crowd and follow the example of the rest of the world?!
He wants you to be your unique self and use your special talents, abilities, and interests. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t have given them to you in the first place. So if you want to cosplay, DO IT. BE YOU.
Ignore what the world says about you and keep in mind what your Creator says. Don’t worry about the responses you might get if you cosplay something you don’t exactly look like. If you’ve got morals and you’re enjoying it, what do they matter anyway?
Cosplay is all about being comfortable enough with yourself on the inside to show that to the rest of the world! God doesn’t make junk. So go out there and show the cosplay community that you’re awesome.
Hey! If you liked this blog post, you should listen to this song. It’s by my favorite band, Casting Crowns.
Today’s featured image courtesy of Seven Notes of Grace.
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