What city are you based in? 

Orlando, FL.

Can you tell us about your first cosplay?

I would say my first official cosplay was in 2014. It was for a Disney 24 day where I made “Shipwreck” Ariel from The Little Mermaid.  I chose it for its simplicity yet it still had to be held together with hot glue and  I wore a wig straight out of the box. Definitely not something I look fondly back upon but it was my first attempt to make something myself. It really laid the groundwork for me going forward to improve and learn with every costume.

Do you have a cosplay piece that you are most proud of?

A cosplay that I am particularly proud of is my Black Cat from the PS4 Spiderman game. It involved making my own armor pieces which was a good challenge and I was very happy with the results.

What do you hope to achieve through cosplay?

I love how cosplay can work to imbue people with confidence and build self-esteem. It normalizes nerd culture and tells people they can like whatever they want and build relationships with other like-minded individuals. My hope in cosplaying is to build a friendly space for everyone to be who they want to be and know they are beautiful.

Is there a cosplayer that you look up to or inspires you?

I wouldn’t say any one cosplayer is my inspiration but I do like cosplayers that do what they can to be supportive to those around them. For example, people who use their platform to promote positivity and good vibes.

If you could give any piece of advice to new cosplayers, what would it be?

The most helpful advice I can think of is to always do what you love because you love it.

What would you say is the hardest part of cosplaying?

The hardest part of cosplaying for me is falling into the pit of comparing myself to other cosplayers. I’ll sometimes feel like I can’t do a cosplay because someone else has done it better or first.

What are you looking forward to next year?

One of the obvious things I look forward to next year is the conventions re-opening. I miss the opportunities to reconnect with friends who I don’t get to see normally and make new friends.

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?

My New Year's resolution this year is a continuation of each previous year and that is to complete the costumes that are “in progress.”