From Reference and Recipe to Garment and Garnish

I just watched Julie and Julia for the second time and I just loved it. The first time I watched it I had just finished cooking a delicious meal of mashed potatoes, sauteed asparagus and tuna casserole. I felt so accomplished and the instant feedback from my roommates (not to mention my happy tummy) made it so rewarding. After the movie was over I decided that cooking was a skill that I wanted to develop and so far, I definitely have. This semester I am tackling several Japanese dishes with a special someone and attempting to master the million ways of cooking potatoes on my own.

A while back I realized the similarity between cosplay and cooking. They are both physical projects involving raw materials (fabric and food), instructions (the reference and the recipe), and the end product. With cooking you don't have to be motivated for very long because there is gratification as soon as the meal is ready! Cosplay, as many of you know, is almost opposite. Why work on a costume that won't really fulfill you until months later? Why you know, I think I will just spend time on facebook stalking album after album of someone's trip to the Netherlands! I know some people can do the whole making things early thing but its just not in the cards for me unfortunately. I guess what I am getting at is that I want to rectify my inability to get down to business by adding in a source of daily gratification. I tried to do this on facebook with a cosplay progress album but it is not enough. I need to be held accountable. I need to conquer my fear of difficult work and start practicing the fearless lifestyle of Julia Child that Julie Powell undertook before me. I want to make progress every day and have people watch and give me feedback. I think I am going to take inspiration from their story and make things happen in my life. I am going to start a series of entries in this blog about my adventures with each costume I make. I will post photos and text daily and I highly encourage comments and questions. I'll sort the rest of the rules out when I actually start next week.

Please join me on my quest to develop good habits and ACTUALLY GET EVERYTHING DONE I PLAN FOR by reading my blog or, better yet, making a progress blog of your own! I'll read yours if you read mine!

I suppose its lame that I am 22, a Berkeley student, and still have trouble with motivating myself to work but whatever. I am doing something to better my life because I am fed up.

Are you?

(oh PS it was one of my new years resolutions to be an ACE pick of the month this year so that's part of my motivation for all this shenanigans)

I feel better today!

So I felt really overwhelmed yesterday, thinking about the amount of work I had to do and how I think I am going to have no time at all, but I really am going to have time. I only have to take one of my classes this semester for a letter grade so I will try in the other but if i happen to have to miss a few readings it'll be no biggie.

Also, I thought back to Anime Expo when I won the ACP Gurren Lagann contest. That was such an amazing feeling and it was just with my Leeron costume. Its not even up to my current standards of craftsmanship! I can do so much better now and I will. People told me my cosplay of Leeron really brought the character to life for them. A friend even said that during the second movie screening people cheered loudest for Leeron. She speculated that it was because of their newfound love for everybody's favorite tranny! If I can make people love all of the characters I cosplay like I apparently did for Leeron I will be a super happy camper. I just have to keep that goal in sight!

What do you guys think about this? A friend of mine is doing mermaid melody cosplay and I want to do it with her but there are basically only 2 guys in the series. Kaito the goody guy and Gaito, his evil twin brother. Both costumes are cool and neither present any problems that I won't be able to handle. Which should I do first?

Kaito?

or Gaito?

What's in Store

So in case you didn't know I don't work on cosplay during the fall since I have a ton of Cal Band stuff to do all the time. I was lucky enough to be able to make a few Halloween costumes for some friends and myself, but I didn't buy any materials or work on any cosplays. With the lack of activity came a lack of thought on the subject of cosplay. I really missed having this blog to empty my brain of thoughts.

So the title of this post has to do with a few different things. First, my reservations regarding buying fabric online and second, the curtain of uncertainty blocking my view of my future.

I love fabric shopping. It is one of my favorite parts of the cosplay process. When I buy fabric I really need to touch it, hold it up to the light, wave it around, stretch it, and do many other diagnostic actions. Buying fabric online is so scary for me since I can hardly do any of those things. This time around I have checked all of my usual places for some very specific fabrics and I can't find what I need. I am going to have to order stuff. AHHH! Thank goodness for free swatches. Ok I guess its not that scary, but I am proud of myself for broadening my horizons or whatever.

So, the future. I am graduating from Cal this year and as excited as I am to not have homework or reading to have to do all the time, I have never been so uncertain or terrified about the future. I have no idea what is going to happen after my lease ends at the end of June. I have no guarantees. The only thing I really have as far as the future is concerned is cosplay. As long as I have money I am going to keep doing it. But even then, I don't know when I will have a job to make money. I am really upset that I have to say, depending on how long it takes me to get a job, I may not be able to cosplay for a while. This spring/summer could be my last hurrah for who knows how long.

I don't think I can write on any more today. I'm too depressed now. :(

Sickness

Oh Man. I love the prospect of a new cosplay. I get obsessed with the images and want to look at them all the time. I show everybody I know. I do a bunch of research and the only thing that is stopping me from making the costume is all the other stuff I have planned. "What are you talking about?" you ask. Samurai warriors, Dynasty Warriors and (BAMBANANA!) GRIMGRIMOIRE. Oh dear. Let me tell the story. I was sitting reading about the plot of Odin Sphere on Wikipedia and I scrolled down and saw familiar and unfamiliar titles in the "See also" section. It read GrimGrimoire and Muramasa: the Demon Blade. Muramasa, blah blah blah katana and armor. BUT OH DEAR LORD GRIMGRIMOIRE. I had no idea this game existed. The costumes are BOMB! I might just have to wipe my cosplay schedule clean and do this beautiful pirate alchemist sexy man.

Then I can force Nathalie to be the most adorable character I have ever seen! Margarita Surprise! SO CUTE! I would put up the picture but blogger is acting up so I cant. In summary, I have no emotional attachment to this game or any of its characters. I just think the clothes are beautiful and I want to wear them. It like every time I see a pretty outfit I want to make it and wear it. I think I need to calm down. What costumes to I really really really want to do? Who knows. The question probably should be, what costumes CAN I do? I may be starting to doubt the possibility of doing Date Masamune from Samurai Warriors. Its beautiful but oh so difficult and Idk if I have the chops.

ON THE EVE OF AX!

Dude, I am so spent. I want to go back to being productive. Working on everybody else's stuff and seeing it unfinished is not as rewarding as sending my own babies out unfinished. As much as I love helping out other people I have been really inspired lately because I went to fabrics-r-us and also found out about Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. I wish I could be starting work on those costumes right now or just at AX. Being my first time at the con I don't even care what I wear but I brought 4 costumes anyway so I guess I am wearing those. Meh. At this point I will be fine just wearing Leeron for the contest.

Also, everyone was talking about why we cosplay when it is so stressful and the only product is a costume. It doesn't seem worth it at all. For some reason we all do it. Just something to think about in the near future I guess.