It happens to us all! Coping with last minute stress

Hey guys!

I apologise that I have been unable to update anything lately. Stupid Ellie! Life has been super hectic since my last post with all these interviews, studies, costume work and I am even about to settle into a new full-time job!

All cosplay veterans have been there; we start a new costume early and what happens? Life gets in the way! No matter how early you start you may have setbacks that makes this time of year super stressful, especially if you have less that 2 weeks to go! You may have a lot of stuff to do left but you have worked to long and too hard not to try to get the costume finished!

You may be able to tell that I am in this exact same situation. I have a lot of painting, gluing, biasing and thermoforming left to do. What can we all do int his situation?

Consider what exactly needs doing and make a list
Sometimes, this could make a difference between a doable or far-fetched project. Your stress levels may lower just as you cross things off the list. I might be just some minor details such as painting little details or making a full garment. What may help is consider realistic deadlines and stick to them!

Think about whether or not if it is really a realistic goal
This may be the hardest decision you would make at this point. It might be sad to leave your costumes to one side but the rush might end up ruining your costume. If you are confident enough to proceed there are ways to get everything sorted. If things go go wrong what can be done about it?

Think about your schedule
What days can you work on your costume? Do you have any important events you can not cancel? Try to do bitesized chunks between your activities to lesson the load the next day. TRY NOT TO PULL A SICKIE! Use them only for when you really do need them as in my opinion cosplay is no excuse to interfere with your work life. Alternatively, it may be a good idea to get the week before the con off if possible.

Make sure you eat and sleep properly too! You will not be able to work your best if you don't feel your best.

Have sewing parties
Your friends might be in the same boat too so if it is the case try to band together. This can reduce the stress and you all can help eachover out, as well as giving tips to speed some processes. You can also arrange to come together in town to go shopping together for supplies and toiletries to get a precon buzz! The fresh air will do you a lot of good!

Have a dedicated workspace
If you can, keep most of your work in a corner. That way you can ensure you keep everything together to hopefully save having your stuff going missing. Cleaning up will be easier at the end.

Start packing about a week before the con
If you need to wait a little before advancing onto the next stage then packing may be a really good idea. For starters, you can make sure you can take everything you need, secondly if anything is missing you have time to buy whatever it is, thirdly you are less likely for forget anything and most of all you have mostly 1 thing out of the way so less pressure for you!

Cosplay...on your CV?

Hey guys, long time no see!

I apologise for the lack of activity as life has been pretty hectic lately. It was a jumble of volunteering, costume making, attending Em-con and stuff. Hopefully pretty soon things will settle when I get a job and I can post more again.

Warning: This is written way past midnight so forgive me if any of this sounds like gibberish.

While I have been on-topic a common question that cosplayers ever ask themselves is: is it ever okay to put 'cosplay' on my CV?

What is the purpose of a CV (the UK equivalent to an American resume) is to give an employer an insight to who you are as a worker. This will include you personal details, work history and education and is often a first step for employers to determine your suitability for the role.

We are talking serious business here but at the same time you want to show that you do more in your life than watch Jeremy Kyle and drinking cheap ciders on street corners. As a cosplayer that may be the unlikely case but for someone to just know you on paper they may be unaware that your life is far more exciting that that.

On the flip side, many outsiders are very unaware of the nerdy side to this. Not aware of the many hours you have spent behind the sewing machine getting the seams right or the hours of emboldening they might only see cosplay as a childish and unprofessional hobby. The media shows mixed and sometimes even distorted views on the hobby so watch out!

There is no definite right or wrong answer to this, and the decision varies from person to person. However if you do decide to proceed with it you may want to consider the following:

Be smart! What exactly are you applying for?
Consider how it fits into the job description. If you are going for a seamstress job, theatrical costume designer or a haberdashery/fabric shop then YES!!! However, if you are going for something more serious and reputable like Law or Science then that might be another case.

How would you word it?
One common idea concerning this is that you should avoid using the word 'cosplay' and use something more universally understood such as 'sewing', 'dressmaking' and 'theatrical costume design'. 'Cosplay', to someone who is unaware of the hobby, might sound ludicrous or even a fetish scene so it could be off putting to some potential employers considering that the term is not widely used and understood.

Would you feel comfortable explaining it?
You might be asked to elaborate on that hobby at an interview at some point. While I like to tell my none anime-fan friends that it is simply 'the recreation of attire sourced from fiction', the way I would word it elsewhere may vary depending on how comfortable I am with that person. I often say that 'I do a lot of sewing so I am familiar with different types of fabrics and textures' at an interview for shops that sell soft furnishings or clothing.

Cosplay involves the following:

• Careful planning and initiative; ability to plan ahead, budgeting, research and working interdependently. 
• The drive to meet deadlines, priorotisation, concentration and working under pressure.
• Problem solving and creativity.
• Ability to use various tools and materials.
• Ambition, challenges and confidence.
• Willingness and confidence to be around people, especially strangers.
• Mathematics.

Actually many jobs will require most, if not all, of the above skills!

With caution cosplay can show that one can be a promising and determined employee. Cosplayers come from all walks of life, many are students and many work too. I'd strongly advise that playing around the terminology and thinking about how you can make sewing sound as if it is in a professional light.