What city are you based in?  

Denver, CO 

Tell us a bit about yourself!   

Hi! I'm Ginny Di, a Denver-based cosplayer, YouTuber, and musician. I've been a full-time creator online for four and a half years now, but I've been telling stories and making things with my hands for my entire life. I love to sew and craft, to write parodies and original music to celebrate my favorite stories and characters, and to make people laugh or teach people something. 

What fandoms are you into?  

My interests have ranged far and wide over the years, from Harry Potter to Game of Thrones, but my latest obsession is with Dungeons & Dragons! I play in my own D&D games and cosplay my own original characters a lot, but I also love the liveplay D&D show "Critical Role," which was my introduction to D&D in the first place.

Can you tell us about your first cosplay? 

My first cosplay was Felicia Day's character "Codex" from her web series "The Guild." This year was actually my ten year cosplay anniversary, so I remade that costume from scratch. Looking back on it, I'm pretty impressed with past-Ginny's work! It's a challenging costume, and while I had a little sewing experience under my belt (and the help of my parents), it was still a big undertaking for a first cosplay. Wearing Codex for the first time really got me hooked on cosplay! It was amazing to feel like I could literally wear my fandom on my body, and anyone who looked at me would know that I loved this show, and if they loved it too, we were connected before we'd even met. 

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

That's got to be my centaur costume! As a sewist more than a builder, this costume was very "out of left field" for me — not normally in my wheelhouse! But I've loved the centaurettes from Fantasia for my entire life, so it felt like something I eventually had to at least try. I'm still a little bit amazed that it worked out in the end! When people see the costume, they're usually impressed, but when I start walking and the legs move behind me, they really lose it! It's very uncomfortable to wear and hard to transport, but it's worth the trouble for those moments of magic. 

What do you hope to achieve through cosplay? 

Ultimately, my goal with any creative project is to find somewhere to channel the passion that I feel for a show or movie, for an idea, for a character. But what makes cosplay so special in comparison to other creative works is that it's so inherently community-based. The fun part of a cosplay is sharing it! 

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

I get so many questions from people who want to be properly prepared to start cosplay, or who have "always wanted" to cosplay. But the secret is, you'll never be prepared! Cosplay is something you learn as you go, and you never stop learning. There's no point in waiting until you're ready! I just want to encourage everyone to put their hands on some materials and just start. Every cosplay is a new learning experience, and hands-on learning is the best way to pick up new skills. Try something that challenges you, tackle a project you're not sure you can complete, allow an opportunity to surprise yourself.