Cosplay Gave Me Confidence Like Nothing Else
Cosplay gave me so much confidence in myself it’s actually hard to articulate.
As a kid I would always play dress up and pretend I was a hero. I’d be as strong as I needed to be and I would have the power to save everyone.
But once I took off that costume, that was it. I’d return to the me that couldn’t do anything. Over time, and after many unsuccessful attempts, I gradually learned how I could manifest a tiny bit of that ideal version of myself in my real life. Always fleeting, never sticking. Just enough that I could get by.⠀
That was until I learned about cosplay.
And that magic was back, I could play out being a character once again. For just a day, I could be the version of myself I wanted to be. There was no reality holding me back and I could become the real life version of my heroes for just that day.
Eventually, it hit me.
The person inside me who could do anything, and the person inside me who could do nothing, they are the exact same person with nothing but a different set of beliefs.
So many people speak out about how toxic the cosplay community is but I can’t say I agree with that opinion at all
-Cosplaying helped me develop the confidence to be myself after years of holding back my true nature
-Cosplaying Goku gave me the encouragement to finally undergo a fitness transformation and begin strength training
-Cosplay conventions and guest appearances have given me an anchor to aid me in travelling the world
-The cosplay community has provided me with more like-minded friends than I ever thought possible
-Cosplay has provided me an income stream and an online community as well as the opportunity to guest at conventions as a speaker and panelist
-Cosplay contests and hosting panels at conventions have helped me overcome my anxieties through performance
- I met the love of my life dressed up in Cosplay and with her positive influence I managed to stay sober after years of failed attempts
Cosplay: Son Goku (DragonBall Z) Photo: Nomes Cosplay (taken at Cosxpo 2019)
Over CosXpo weekend, I met a likeminded guy who goes by the name Professor Cosplay, he created a brilliant hashtag which in my opinion captivates the message about in a single sentence: #betterwithcosplay
⠀
It goes without saying that without cosplay I would be a totally different person, it’s enriched my life in more ways than I ever thought it would.
And now I truly accept in my heart; everything we think we know about this world, it’s people, who we can/can’t be, it’s nothing but a work of fiction.
We really can author our own destiny and take control of where our story goes. Cosplay brought me that, and I know it can bring out the hero in you too.
Be the hero of your own story, Be More Shonen
Having the confidence to stand topless in the pool whilst photographers snap photos of me 💪 Cosplay: Portgas D Ace (One Piece) Photo: Jamie Flack (Taken at Viencon 2019)