Costuming VS Getting Your Life Together

Photo by Future Photography by M3

As of late I have observed numerous individuals that are so passionate and focused on costuming that they unknowingly disregard the responsibilities of their personal life. I want to point out that there is certainly nothing wrong with being devoted to cosplay. Costuming is healthy. It is creative and takes hard work. To many, it is a form of self expression. To others, it can be therapeutic. Its fun and delightful to research a costume and put it all together. Sewing, painting, molding worbla, everything involved in creating a costume is bad ass. However if the craft has taken over your life to the point where you can hardly put food on the table, your living situation is not where it should be or majority of your paycheck is going to costume building yet you are creating Kickstarters for "life expenses", something is very, very wrong. Its time dear friends, to make a choice between costuming and getting your life together.



Ill be the first to admit that it completely and utterly sucks when you want to put a costume together but you just dont have the funds to do so. You feel stuck; like you have reached a dead end. The only thing you can do is make a U-Turn and try to find another way. That is not only an important lesson in costuming but in life. You have to make choices and sometimes those choices mean sacrifice and compromise. You need to change your perspective. What is more important? Spending hundreds of dollars buying supplies for your next costume or paying off your past due cell phone bill?  It boggles my mind when I come across someone on social media who is posting daily updates on all the supplies they purchased for their new costume and yet that same person will create a Kickstarter to pay their rent. If you didnt fork over your hard earned cash for supplies, you would have that money to pay your landlord or roomates. Is it really worth risking getting evicted just to make a costume? Is it worth loosing your home? And furthermore you are attending the next big convention out of state, thousands of miles from where you live. Pay your bills, my friend. Granted it stinks when you cant attend a show you have your heart set on but it will still be there next year and you can always live vicariously through your friends posting on social media. In many situations, it would be better for you financially to stay home. You will  be saving money on travel, hotel, food, costume building and shopping. You can pay your bills on time and may even have some money left over.

Ive observed many people who are stuck in a rut. They are accomplishing great things in costuming but their personal life is a mess.  They dont realize if they skipped a con or two or perhaps made a little less costumes this year, they would have more money in their pockets. Maybe you can finally upgrade your busted phone. Perhaps you can finally get those repairs your car so desperately needs. And maybe, just maybe, you can change your living situation and be independent.

Stop taking costuming so seriously. Redirect your focus from time to time. Do this only when you are financially able to. Stop sacrificing improving your life to attend a convention. Pick and choose because sooner or later, 10 years from now you ll be looking around wondering what the hell happened. You will not have made any progress and I dont want to see that happen to anyone and it pains me to witness it currently.  You can do better. You can progress in the real world and grow. I believe in you :)

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Supergirl Pilot Leaked! A Review Some Spoilers

The highly anticipated live action Supergirl series will premiere November 2015. Today (May 22, 2015) the pilot was leaked online onto numerous Torrent Sites in HD quality. News of the leak spread like wildfire on the internet and many fans gave into their curiosity. The response? Overwhelmingly positive. The anticipation was killing me so I decided to watch it for myself. And I loved it.



Theres a lot of speculation if the leak was in fact piracy or a marketing ploy by CBS (who has not issued a statement regarding the video). Whatever the case, Im grateful for a glimpse into the series, 6 months before it debuts. First and foremost its a wonderful thing that a female superhero is headlining her own show. For decades the superhero market (movies and television) have been centered around men and the female themed ones turned into disasters (Catwoman and Elektra to name a few). Black Widow has essentially been blacklisted by Disney and was wiped from Age of Ultron merchandise. Young girls everywhere are craving for a female hero. I have a first hand look in seeing how excited little girls get at charity events when they spot me as Supergirl or Wonder Woman. I dont want to give too much away but the series starts out with Kara being sent to Earth to protect her cousin Kal-El right before the explosion of Krypton. We witness everything from her first encounter with Superman, her adoption, her job in National City, her relationship with her boss and coworkers to her rescuing a fiery airplane. Thus #Supergirl is born (complete with hashtag) and she faces her first adversary; a criminal from an alien prison.

The show has special effects worthy of the big screen. The script is solid and dives right into the mythology and action from the first frame. This is a great introduction into the series and as a life long fan of Supergirl I was very satisfied. The best thing about this show is that its family friendly without being corny. Supergirls integrity has remained intact. I was worried that in an effort to make her cool and trendy she would be given a darker, brooding makeover like so many other superheros throughout the years. Even Man of Steel was a darker incarnation of Superman and judging by the Dawn of Justice trailer, the next film will be even darker. This is not the case with Supergirl. Its exciting and brings hope, not depression. She is someone you are rooting for. I am unfamiliar with Melissa Benoist (who plays Kara Zor-El/Supergirl) previous work and was very curious on how she would do as this iconic character. I can say she was adorable and amazing. A perfect combination of the everyday girl learning to accept her inner hero. She gets two very big thumbs up from me as does the pilot.

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Real Life Latina Superheroes

Today marks the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th-October 15th). My third and final article celebrating Hispanic Culture features Teresa Waters and Evelyn Santiago. Both ladies are coordinators for the Heroes Alliance, a nationwide non-profit volunteer group whose mission is to bring a "real life" superhero experience to medically fragile and terminally ill children. Evelyn also serves as a Council Woman for the Heroes Alliance. These beautiful and talented women took some time to talk to the Confessions of a Cosplay Girl Blog about giving back to their community, the difference between cosplay and charity work and their message for other Hispanics in the geek community. 

Victoria: You are both coordinators for the Heroes Alliance. What states do you represent? 

Teresa: Texas. 

Evelyn: Central Florida. 

Victoria: What made you decide to get into charity work? 

Teresa: I have always enjoyed giving back to my community, as my family and peers in my life demonstrated to me. The most generous moments in my life, which inspire me to give, was the Puerto Rican community picnics and holiday parties my mom would take us to. We would all share gifts of music, dance, food, cooking, games and joy. Those moments of community are some of the most happiest moments in my life, especially while my dad was out on deployment. 

Evelyn: Having been hospitalized (for one reason or another) throughout my life Ive learned how being constantly sick can affect a persons state of mind. Since childhood I had Wonder Woman as my source of strength whether it was from gifts received by loved ones or watching the Lynda Carter series. I use Wonder Woman to give back to my community and as a way to inspire others to fight and/or overcome whatever illness or disability they may have. 

Victoria: Had you ever done any volunteer work prior to joining the Heroes Alliance? 

Teresa: Yes, I started with girl scouts through military housing and always was involved in something throughout my extracurricular school activities. In college, I was a member of Kiwanis and that is where I met my husband. We were very active with the Hampton Roads Special Olympics track and field days and enjoyed the aspects of play and celebrating life the most at those events. 

Evelyn: Yes, I have always been active in my community, whether it was coaching a youth cheerleading squad, raising money for our Veterans or organizing events for military families. 

Victoria: Which costume would you say is a favorite among children at the events you volunteer for? 

Teresa: Black Widow, which is surprising to me as how popular a hero she is in Texas. I have to agree that shes pretty inspirational. She is brave, is clever, and overcame incredible abuse to rise above her need for revenge and healed herself by living a good life with her new family. I am always amazed at children and their level of understanding such of complex details of character in those that most inspire them (and seeing little boys jig for joy when Black Widow is around... Im still amused and mystified as to why this hero speaks so much to the hearts of both boys and girls alike.) I love everything Black Widow represents as a hero and I am very happy that children feel the same.

Evelyn: At the moment, I only have my (Lynda Carter) Wonder Woman costume to wear at events. I have to say that most of time the moms are more impressed with it than anyone else. Lol 

Victoria: Can you tell me what is the difference between charity work and cosplay? 

Teresa: Charity work is so refreshing to me and such a joy for others, I really cant help but to focus on this fact; bringing mercy and comfort to those who need a reminder that life is always changing and we are never alone. I want nothing more than to make a charity work event be an uplifting experience for others. In cosplay I really just think of doing my best version of a character as my way of thanking the character creator and artists for creating someone I appreciate, and its a magical experience for me and my ego. I dont get as much joy out of cosplay as I do with charity costuming through Heroes Alliance Texas.

 Evelyn: Charity work for me is simply bringing joy to others in moments when they need it most. Using Wonder Woman for the greater good is extremely rewarding. Cosplay allows me to explore the different layers, versions or interpretations of Wonder Woman. I get to play her in ways that others may not have thought of while still staying true to who she is at the core. 

Victoria: Do you have a favorite memory while volunteering? 

Teresa: Yes, definitely the day I saw an amazingly humble, handsome man across the field throwing a softball back to me at a Special Olympics Track and Field day. The sky opened up, time slowed down, and I thought to myself that this guy is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with because he makes everyone feel important. He always is inspiring me to be better and after 22 years with him hes never let me down. We still volunteer together. 

Evelyn: A 6 year old little girl going through chemo had only one arm and asked if she could hug me. I said "Of course." She said that she could only hug with her left arm cause she was missing her right arm. I told her that one armed hugs were my favorite and she squeezed me with all the strength she could muster. I still tear up thinking about how precious she was with me in that moment. 

Victoria: During this time of Hispanic Heritage Month what would you like to say to other Hispanics in the geek community who may be interested in giving back?

Teresa: Giving is a huge part of our Native American heritage. Some may not realize how important all those days of babysitting your siblings or cousins were, or sharing your joy and lessons learned in life to your familia were, but they were! Sharing our talents and joys is a big tradition in all Hispanic communities, and teamwork. I see how enthusiastic Hispanics are to always help and smile, we are never afraid of hard work, its a natural talent. We are a gift to America and the world, and we shine with an ingrained hospitality few others still practice, so please dont be afraid of volunteering in some way using your talents of costuming. Just remember how much joy it was the last time you did something for another, keep the traditions of storytelling alive, and know that those gifts of hospitality and joy are a small aspect of our Hispanic Heritage that makes our race so great. Share and know that you will be demonstrating this while keeping such traditions of our ancestors alive in a new way that everyone can appreciate. 

Evelyn: Find a cause (or two or three) that youre passionate about. Give of yourself and your time selflessly. Spread hope to those who need it. Go into it with an open heart and be prepare to be inspired in return. Always remember that super heroes are strong and that strength is meant to be shared.

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