Cosplay & Self Esteem

Cosplayer: Kim Bishop as Mitsuru Kirijo from Persona 3, Photo: AR Photography

I have written and rewritten this post many, many times. Cosplay has made such a huge impact on my life in ways that I don't always feel comfortable sharing with people. But today, I want to tell you a little bit about my personal experience with cosplay.

Let me be candid with you - my biggest struggles are internal. I am lucky in many, many ways, but my brain is constantly working against me through depression and anxiety, which tend to manifest in self-destructive behavior. Along with other self-care techniques, cosplaying has made a really big impact on the way I view myself.

Cosplayer: Jelfish as Supergirl, Photo: Obtuse Photography

Cosplay as a Transformative Hobby

Cosplay has taught me many things - trimming bangs, applying false eyelashes, sewing skirts, and carving props, to name a few. But cosplay is so much more than learning new skills or dressing up for a day. It is transformative, externally as well as internally. Of course we all love to completely change for a day - becoming our favorite characters is just too much fun! But I definitely believe that cosplaying has changed me on the inside, too.

Since I began cosplaying regularly, I have experienced my self-esteem improving by leaps and bounds. I used to feel uncomfortable in my own skin. I didn't have any hobbies or skills and I generally had low-self worth. Now, I'm not saying that cosplaying has completely removed all those feelings, but I think it's had a unique, positive impact, unlike anything else I've encountered.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that cosplay has a few different aspects that help improve your self-image: the actual creation of the costume, your perception of yourself through photographs, and the ability to be who you want to be.

Cosplayer: Maddison as Reese from Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Photo: Mel Shardae

Creativity, Learning Skills, and Improving Confidence

Cosplay is such a wide hobby - two cosplayers can have completely different motives, skill sets, and costume genres. There are also so many components to participating in this hobby that I feel are crucial to how it positively impacts self-esteem.

First of all, working on cosplaying widens your skill set. I went into this hobby without knowing how to sew, paint, or do anything remotely crafty. Slowly but surely, cosplay has improved a huge range of skills and made me realize I am a creative person. I feel more confident in taking on totally new projects - cosplay has shown me that I can learn how to do anything I want to, even if it takes some work at first. That translates to areas outside of cosplaying, too - I'm a lot more comfortable trying something new without beating myself up if I don't succeed right away.

There's something nice about having a completed project under your belt, especially one that's just for yourself (rather than an external factor, like school or work). I've found that one thing that helps my anxiety is measurable successes. Each component of a project that gets checked off my list makes me feel like I'm in control of the situation. It feels really good to be able to say that I made something and to actually finish a project I've started.

Cosplayer: PirateKitty as Queen Nehellenia from Sailor Moon, Photo: Velton Baker

Photography and Self-Image

Not only does cosplay involve creating something, but unlike many other hobbies, you actually wear your creation, usually in a social setting. My first few times cosplaying, I shied away from cameras, posed awkwardly, and generally felt uncomfortable. But the more I cosplayed, the more I learned how to look the way I wanted in photos and how to pose to evoke a character. I've now realized that a lot of the "bad" photos of me I used to be so embarrassed of were caused by my own poor body language and uncomfortableness. Cosplay has helped me improve my confidence taking pictures, and therefore improve my own self-perception. (You know all those articles about how selfies are empowering? Totally applies here!)

For someone who is insecure in their looks, it can be refreshing to know you have the ability to look nice in photos. Posing a trained behavior, not something that everyone is a natural at. Once I discovered that I could improve my skills in front of the camera, I was a lot less intimidated by taking photographs. In turn, my photographs turned out better and I felt better about myself - sort of a domino effect!

Cosplayers: Mary as Princess Kenny from South Park: The Stick of Truth
Mia as Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, Photo: FirstGlance Photography

Be Who You Want To Be

Finally, I think there's something to be said about embodying characters you idolize for one reason or another. The first time I dressed as Ramona, I realized that I could theoretically be this person if I wanted to be. It's not as far away from reality as I originally thought. In other words, dressing as and acting like characters you admire can help you realize that it's entirely within your power to be the person you want to be. You're not tied to the person you are today; you can change your appearance and behavior to suit your desires. And for me, that's an incredibly freeing feeling.

So what about you? Has cosplay changed the way you perceive yourself? Which elements give you the most confidence?

I'd love for you to share your experiences in the comments, or even in a submission if you feel inclined!

(And a shout out to all my fabulous cosplay friends who lent their beautiful faces for this article! Mwah!)

---

Mia is one half of SHe's founding team, in charge of social media, blogging management, and guest content wrangling. MBA student concentrating in Digital Marketing by day, geek of all trades by night. Loves dressing up, advocating for self-love, and crying about magical girls. Find Mia? Twitter ★ Facebook ★ Blog