1. First name and Last initial: Victoria M-W
   
2. Where are you from originally or reside currently?
   I am originally from Woodbridge, VA but currently reside in Baltimore.
   
   
3. How long have you been cosplaying for?
   I’ve only been cosplaying for a couple of years now. I was always too nervous to try it out until I pushed myself to go for it.
   
4. What characters have you cosplayed the most?
   Toadette, Sailor Mars and Raven from Teen Titans
   
   
5. Social Media pages:
   a. TikTok
   b. Instagram

Who or what inspired you to cosplay?
Sydsugoi.cosplay inspired me to cosplay. I really love her page. Her cosplays and content are always on point. She is beyond talented. She is one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve met in a long time.
Besides her, I’ve always wanted to cosplay since I learned about it in my 20s. I was always too nervous to do it because at that time I thought you needed to be exact with your cosplays. I didn’t realize that it is up to interpretation. I thought people would make fun of me or that I would start getting bullied online for cosplaying too.

What do you do when you aren’t cosplaying?
I love to travel when I can. I am a huge nature person. Have me near water and I am content.

What costumes have provided the biggest challenges/rewards so far and why?
I would say that it is my Carrie White cosplay. It was my first cosplay that I didn’t just purchase and leave as is. It took me months to paint and rhinestone all the components I wanted to. I also had to get some advice from my crafting friends or my paint would have chipped. It was the first time I tried using fake blood and rhinestones for the make up portion. I wanted the blood to look vibrant and playful
under the rhinestones for my outfit and props. In the end, it came out exactly the way I wanted it to. I’m going to see if I can play with more make up ideas the next time I cosplay as her in November. I am beyond proud of how she came out.

What is the best advice you would give to other cosplayers of colors?
Cosplay whom you want to cosplay. Do not let people dissuade you from a cosplay just because they aren’t black or a person of color. Cosplay is all about having fun and dressing up as characters we love. It does not have to be perfect. It does not have to cost a bunch of money or be exact either. It is up to your interpretation and how you’d like it to feel in it. If people don’t recognize it, so what? As long as you are happy with your cosplay, that’s all that matters.

What one thing could the cosplay community do better when relating to one another?
Stop looking at each other like competition. It is okay to collaborate with other cosplayers and it be a true collaboration. You do not have to treat the other person as a stepping stone for your own content. Treat others with respect. We are all people with real emotions at the end of the day.