Whenever I tell people that I cosplay, their first question is normally, "What on God's green earth is cosplay?" The second question is always, "Why?"

Cosplay is short for "costume play" and it is when you dress up as your favorite character from a movie, tv show, anime, pretty much anything. This isn't a daily thing, obviously, it's most often done for convention: Comic Con, Anime Expo, Leaky Con, there's literally a con for pretty much every fandom.

It's basically a staple in what is known as I guess "nerd culture" and honestly it's so much fun. I describe cosplay as being a face character at Disney World. You aren't just dressing up as that character, you are that character. This past year, for Wizard World New Orleans, I cosplayed as Rey from the new "Star Wars" movie and it was so amazing how many people stopped me to ask for pictures or to tell me how good they thought my costume was. I, like most people, made my costume and props myself, and it's the most wonderful feeling to have people stop you and tell you how good of a job you did bringing this person to life. Little kids would walk by me gaping and waving. Some of the braver ones would tell Rey hello and they would all get so excited when I waved back to them or told them hello or agreed to take a picture with them.

Naturally, cosplay is not only made up of good things. It is an expensive hobby to have, whether you choose to make or buy your costumes. Tickets for conventions are usually fairly pricey, plus all the fabric and materials needed for the cosplay and props. And at the end of the day, all it is is a hobby. Very few people are able to live as "professional cosplayers" and the ones who do get to do this for a living are extremely good at it.

If you look up the word "cosplay" on Pinterest, it will mostly pop up with professional cosplayers. They get paid to make appearances at conventions all over the world, to judge cosplay contests, and some, like Yaya Han, have their own fabric companies. Cosplay in itself is so much more intense than it can seem. Depending on the costume, you may need to start sewing and fabricating up to six months prior to the con. On the day of the con it can take up to four hours just to get ready and perfect hair and makeup. Conventions last all day, so you will probably need to touch up your costume or makeup every so often, and then if something breaks while you're out on the floor you had better pray someone has a repair kit.

In the end though, it's so worth it. All the tears and money put in are so worth it at the end of the day when that little kid recognizes you, or when you get stopped for a picture. I can't explain the immense accomplishment felt looking at yourself in your costume. You take something that is either drawn and animated or created by professional costume artists and you made it in three months with the sale fabric from Wal-Mart. And I understand that its not for everyone, and how typically "uncool" and nerdy it is, but I honestly do not care. The cosplay community is one of the few that makes me feel accepted, like no one cares what you went as or how bad it was, you're included no matter what. And that's why I love it so much; that's why I do it.