If there is one thing I have learned since joining the adult industry, it’s that finding your passion within your work leads to far more joy than just doing what makes you money. In my case, cosplay has brought me great joy — and it might bring you happiness as well.
Cosplay can seem intimidating or expensive to get into, but all you really need is a place to start. There are a couple of common misconceptions about cosplay that we need to correct before moving forward. Your height, weight, gender, race, sexuality and everything else in between does not matter; you can cosplay any character. And you don’t need to break the bank in order to cosplay; you just need a creative eye. Cosplay is for everyone, always.
Start within your means; it took me a year before I finally was able to buy a sewing machine. Hot glue guns and needles were my best friends during that time.
So, what is cosplay? Broken down into its most basic form, it’s a blend of the words “costume” and “role-play.” It allows you to bring your favorite characters, real or fictional, to life in any way you want, whether it’s accurate to the character or your own original representation. There is no wrong way to cosplay, simply because cosplay is all about creating and having fun.
If it’s so fun, where do I start? Well, many people believe cosplay must always cost an arm and a leg, but that’s just not the case. All you need to start is an idea of who you want to be, like a character from a show or video game that you connect with. There are many paths to take from there, but once you have an idea, you can move onto budgeting and creation. Many thrift shops carry old costume parts and clothing that can be altered at home for low prices. Online shopping and craft store coupons are also good allies in the cosplay world.
If crafting or altering isn’t your forte, there are many pre-made costumes available online and in Halloween stores during spooky season. Sometimes, all you need to do is look at things from a different or more creative perspective. There is no shame in how or where you start, whether it be custom creations, thrift-store alterations or pre-made costumes. When building your costume, it can be really intimidating trying to figure out how to make each individual part or accessory. This is where you are in luck; the internet now hosts hundreds of cosplay tutorial videos, so don’t break your back trying to come up with a new way to create a part on your own when you’re already stressing about the rest of your project. Plenty of cosplayers are also willing to either give or sell you tutorials on their creations as well, if something ever catches your eye!
What about equipment and tools? Start within your means; it took me a year before I finally was able to buy a sewing machine. Hot glue guns and needles were my best friends during that time. You can always start with simpler designs for your costumes until you can afford the equipment you want. You can also build up your equipment over time.
With that being said, the costume is only one part of the cosplay: role-play is the other half. See, cosplay is a huge niche in the industry for more than one reason. There is a near-infinite amount of characters to cosplay as, and an unlimited amount of variations on each character. Not only that, but when it comes to role-playing, it’s a way to live out an otherwise unattainable fantasy. That’s why it is important that you pick a character that you connect with.
Ask yourself questions when picking out your character. For example, “What traits stand out? What flaws?” and “What quirks does this character have?” are good questions for personality, as well as questions like “Is this character already sexualized? What’s their most prominent feature?” and “What would turn this character on? Are they kinky? Do they have a love interest?” when you are trying to create porn around the character. This allows for a more immersive role-play experience. It’s important to have some basic character knowledge, but it’s even more important that you’re having fun. Fun is what it’s all about, after all.
A very important thing to keep in mind while cosplaying, possibly the most important, is that it’s all about learning, growing and joy. Don’t think you will be any good? Well, almost nobody is when they first try something new, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot. Cosplay is all about trial and error and learning what works for you. Like any other hobby or passion, it is meant to be for you, first and foremost. So, pick a character you love and try it out!
Wylie Wanderlust is a content maker and cosplayer who can be followed @lewdwylie on Twitter and at APClips.com/littlewanderlust for her latest creations.
