COVID-19 has cancelled just about everything in 2020 so far, including going out with friends and, of course, anime conventions. A lot of cosplayers have been really disappointed by this, with nowhere to showcase their new outfits and a lack of ways to connect with the cosplay community. But just because all of these events are cancelled, it doesn’t mean cosplayers need to let Coronavirus cancel all their fun!
We have thought of a few ideas to help keep cosplayers connected to their community and friends and, hopefully, fill the gaping hole that cancelled conventions have left in their lives. While nothing can compare to cosplaying together with friends in person and taking pictures, we hope that these suggestions can help you still stay connected and have some fun in these difficult times. Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you have to give up on cosplay!
Challenge Yourself to a Closet Cosplay
If you aren’t already familiar with the term closet cosplay, it refers to making a cosplay outfit entirely out of things you already have in your own closet. That’s perfect for right now when everyone is stuck at home and stores are closed, anyway. The challenge is to create famous anime and video game outfits from the things you already own! It doesn’t have to be spot-on and perfect; in fact, the more creative you are, the better the result is. This can be taken in a serious or a silly way depending on your mood. And don’t forget to post your finished product on social media! You might even discover some hidden gems in your closet along the way that you forgot you even had.
Recreate Famous Anime Scenes
Have you seen the photo sets going around of people at home recreating famous movie scenes and paintings? You could do the same, but with famous anime scenes! The trick is to only use things you have in your house already—so that goes for creating a cosplay, as well as creating the props and scenes around you. This is a fun way to get the other people stuck at home with you involved too, or even your pets! Be creative and have fun, and be sure to post it on your favourite social media platform. You and your friends could start a fun new trend for cosplayers stuck at home!
Create TikTok Videos
Okay, we probably don’t have to tell you what TikTok is, but just in case you haven’t come across it yet, its the newest social media platform out there. TikTok involves making short videos, usually accompanied by music, that are funny, flashy, surprising, and showcase a lot of creativity and talent. TikTok offers up a lot of daily challenges for its users to make a video for, and one of the common trends is making duet singing videos with other users. A lot of cosplayers have been making them in character with other cosplayers from the same series! The great thing about this is, you don’t even have to know the other person. If you find another cosplayer you want to make a video with in your own cosplay, you can do it easily through the app. It’s a great way to make new cosplay friends from around the world and connect with a lot of different people.
Host a Zoom Role-Play or “CosParty”
A lot of people are turning to programmes like Zoom or Skype that allow you to connect with your friends via your webcam from the safety of your home. There’s no rule that says you can’t use it for cosplay, too! If you and your friends have some old cosplays from a group you did together, its a lot of fun to all log on together and have a conversation in-character, like a live-action role-play! It can be about anything, since the point is just have to have fun with your cosplay friends in lieu of all the cancelled conventions.
If you and your friends aren’t that into acting, why not host a CosParty? And yes, we did just make that word up, but it sounds catchy, right? Anyway, Zoom is great for working on cosplays together. If you can’t all hang out sewing, making props, and styling wigs in person, you can at least do it online. Zoom also presents an opportunity to host a mini cosplay workshop from your home, where you can teach your friends how to make something - and they can do the same for you!
Finally Work on Old Projects!
Most cospalyers have a backlog of outfits that they either haven’t finished yet, need to fix something broken on, or just haven’t even started. Well, if you’re stuck at home and especially if you aren’t working, why not get started? There’s no time like the present to jump into a project since you have to stay home anyway! Making something new and using your creative powers can help relieve anxiety by giving your brain something else to focus on. You can also use it to stay optimistic about the future, knowing that you’re creating something that you can wear when the world gets back to normal and you can resume your regularly scheduled cosplay life. Just be careful to not set yourself any unobtainable goals or let yourself feel guilty if you aren’t finishing quickly; work on cosplay as a form of self-care, not as a stress inducer. You don’t have a deadline right now so just enjoy making art!
Final Thoughts
Okay, we will admit that that last one was meant to make you feel just a little guilty about not working on the projects you have been procrastinating with but we hope it gives you the push you needed! Plus everything else was fun, right? We hope that this simple list can give you a jumping off point at the very least to make the most of a tough situation and still pursue your hobby and have fun with it. It’s important to stay connected to friends, communities, and hobbies right now so have fun and stay safe. Here’s hoping we can all go back to attending conventions and cosplaying together soon!
How have you been staying connected to the cosplay community from your home? Have you taken the time to do anything from our list, or are you going to try something out now? Do you have another idea of ways that cosplayers can stay involved in their hobby safely from home? We would love to hear your ideas and questions!
Author: Jet Nebula