Disclaimer: Submissions may be edited for clarity of reading and comprehension.
Dear The Magic Rain Team,
Cosplay is something I did and still do have a lot of passion for. I had so many photoshoots planned and my money was revolving around cosplay. I guess that’s pretty bad considering those were the only things I bought. But I met a lot of friends through cosplay and I felt so happy to find people who I could relate to, who had the same interests, and were actually willing to act dumb along with me (like doing cringey animu stuff) but I had to stop because my parents weren’t happy with me cosplaying.
When actually, the main reason was, for some reason, I felt embarrassed doing it all of a sudden. Not that I was scared that I looked dumb pretending to be an anime character. It was more like I got scared that I looked bad in cosplay so I decided to stop. I was scared of what people thought of me both in and out of costume. Funny, I guess, it’s so sudden it’s really laughable. I actually lied to someone about why I quit saying that it was my parents but really it was all my fault. I’m sorry to that person. I deleted my coser account and everything I had related to cosing out of embarrassment. I wanna meet my coser friends again but I’m scared to go for events now.
Sincerely,
Conflicted.
Hi Conflicted,
Maybe you’ve come to a point where cosplaying is just not for you anymore. Maybe take a break. You can come back to the cosplaying community anytime you want later. It will still be there, so worry not. However, if you want to see your cosplay friends you should just do so. You don’t have to cosplay to see them. You can go in your normal clothes if you feel embarrassed. Moreover, you shouldn’t be scared that you look bad in cosplay… why stop there? Try your best to improve yourself. Also, I don’t think your friend will care whether you look good or not. They should like you for who you are and are friends with you for a reason; your personality, not your looks.
Always stay true to your authentic self… in and out of cos. That way, people who meet you for the first time will see you for who you are. If you are having issues with non-cosplay people judging you because of cosplay, try to introduce yourself and get to know them without letting them know about your cosplay side first… eventually when you start to get along well with them, show them your hobby. This way cosplay will not be their first impression of you.
At the end of the day, I guess my advice to you is to always stay true to yourself and never feel sorry if you’re doing something that’s true to you. If you have to, take a break from cosplay and let your friends know that you’re going through something complicated, but will still be there to support them. Take your time. Cosplay is a hobby that you can go back into anytime you want. If you need time away from cosplay then do it. Do it for yourself and not for others. If you’re uncomfortable or embarrassed, then stop. It’s simple… and once you feel that you’re ready, come back. If you still don’t feel comfortable then life goes on. You’ll find other hobbies you’ll love eventually and your true friends will still be there as time goes on. All the best, confessor.
Sincerely,
Miss Scrumptious
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