Photo : @mandragora_media
I’ve always wanted to be Lara Croft because of how strong, confident, bold, and how fun she is as a character . My cosplay journey started back in 2016 when I was inspired to do a genderbend Lara Croft cosplay. I started learning how to make costumes out from scratch by watching others online make their cosplay from scratch from different material.
My Lara Croft cosplay has dramatically increased from starting off with using cardboard to build the classic backpack and holsters to knowing how to work with eva foam, hand paint, other materials to make the backpack, holsters, boots, other accessories! I also have found new and better ways to build my costume pieces compared to the more simplistic why I used to start out. Also from the character perspective my poses and facial expressions has evolved as well I pose better as Lara Croft now and have more of a variety of poses now compared to when I first started
Cosplay has taught me that it’s okay to be myself and to love feeling like a badass in character. I used to get put down so much for simply being me and looking like me from my past and cosplay has shown me that I am awesome and I am good enough and I am not what happened to me in rhe past.
My definition of being successful in cosplay is when you actually start to realize you enjoy what you do. It’s not about the fame or followers count. It’s about feeling free and happiness and content with what you put out there and to inspire someone else to do the same thing you are doing? That speaks volumes! That to me is success! Cosplay shouldn’t feel like dreading work! It should feel like a fantasy world!