First name and last initial: Bethan W.
Where are you from originally or reside currently?: I live in the UK, England.
How long you have been cosplaying?: I have been cosplaying for four years – since 2012.
Other Characters cosplayed?: Super sonico, Midousuji from Yowamushi Pedal, Faust VII from Shaman King, Cole from Dragon Age, and Satsuki from Kill la Kill.
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 1. Who or what inspired you to cosplay?
I first found out about cosplay when I was 11 years old after seeing it online on DeviantArt. At first I didn’t really understand what it was, I assumed it was just late Halloween photos, but when I researched more into it and found out that they had whole entire conventions where people dressed up as their favorite characters, I knew I had to attend.
Later I found cosplay groups like Parlé Productions on YouTube. Seeing groups of people have so much fun with their friends was a real inspiration to me. I’d always been into typically geeky things as a kid and I had the mentality that these things were something you should be embarrassed about and keep hidden because it wasn’t cool, but when I saw how people would flock to popular cosplayers and how much everyone enjoyed watching them and seeing their skits and shows, it made me realize that I’d been wrong before. I’m sad it took me so long to stop caring what people thought, but now that I’m older I’m glad I’ve decided to take the inspiration from those cosplayers I saw as a child and just do what I want, especially now that I have the time and money to do so.

2. What do you do when you aren’t cosplaying?
I work full time at a company that creation virtual reality media for games, companies and events. I mainly work as an animator and I model 3d assets for games. Outside of my job I like playing games but my main hobby is honestly just cosplay. If I’m not at an event I’m usually just working on props or costumes regardless, but I also enjoy photography, though it is mainly photo’s of other cosplayers.

3. What costumes have provided the biggest challenge and rewards so far and why?
My most challenging costume was Cole from dragon age Inquisition, mainly because it was my first time working with leatherette and I had no idea how difficult a material it could be to use. He’s a character I adore, so I wanted to do him justice, so I was hyper critical about every aspect of the cosplay. Even now I’m not completely happy with him, and I’m remaking a different version for a con later this year, but the response I get wearing him is well worth the struggle it took to make.

4. What is the best advice you would give someone new to cosplaying?
You will mess up.  It happens. You’ll spend hours making something, pour your heart into it, and the night before a con you’ll hate it. I’ve never met a cosplayer who it’s not happened to, but at the same time everyone always eventually gets over it, learns from their mistakes and moves on. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes but don’t let it stop you from trying again.

5. What is one thing the cosplaying community can do better when it comes to dealing with each other?
Accept that people cosplay for different reasons. You’ll hear a lot of people say ‘cosplay is for fun’ and this is true, but peoples definition of ‘fun’ can differ. Just because someone likes to cosplay to enter contests and get attention doesn’t make them any less valid then a person who cosplays as a Disney princess to make children smile. You might think that someone’s reasons for cosplay aren’t valid, and that the costumes they pick are just for attention and ‘likes’, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. Cosplay for whatever reason makes you happy, let people do what they want, concern yourself with yourself and focus on having your own fun before ruining the fun of others.