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This year our #BeCreative campaign continued with a really fun photoshoot with creative people from all walks of life. But it’s probably not going to surprise anyone who follows mayamada that cosplayers are one of our favourite groups to speak too!

Whether it’s at a convention or online, we love seeing the talent and creativity on display by amazing people from all over the world who are able to craft cool costumes and take on different characters so well.

Here’s the latest interview series featuring six fantastic cosplayers from the UK and USA telling us about their creativity.

Sara Moni

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a cosplayer from Phoenix, determined to bring attention to lesser known or obscure characters. Some of these have been: Omega Sentiniel, Ember, Coco Macne, Karnilla, and Havok.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is repurposing ideas and objects. Seeing what something could be instead of what it is.

Describe your creative process?

Inspiration usually comes from some kind of source material first, but other times, someone will share the character with me or draw attention to them.

From there it’s excessive research not only on the character but the design of the selected costume. Often I’ll look at certain past projects to see how they differ if the outfit is similar. I like to challenge myself with new crafts or techniques with each costume.

When are you at your most creative?

Always most creative at night! With music!

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

I’ve been looking at and loving Kevin Wanda’s art for years. He does things with characters that virtually no one else is. Coupled with his style, he’s a huge influence on my work.

Instagram: SaraMoniCosplay

Twitter: @krayolakid

April Gloria

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m April Gloria and I make costumes in my spare time! When I’m not cosplaying I enjoy art, hiking, disc golf, playing around with makeup, and playing Skyrim, my favorite game.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity to me is being able to make something from nothing, or to have a vision for an end result and thinking up ways to get there.

Whether it be creating a costume from scratch, or altering pieces to create a costume, or just adding the right color of paint or amount of weathering. It all happens in my head first.

Describe your creative process?

When I first decide I’m going to cosplay a certain character, my brain goes into overdrive. I can spend hours and hours online researching it. It can be fun or frustrating depending on availability of materials!

Most of what inspires me to even cosplay certain things is the look of the character. The ease of making the outfit, the colors, even the hairstyle all play a role. Once I have most of my materials, then I can sit down and plan out some of the first pieces. I’m a lot better at planning for costumes now than when I first started.

When are you at your most creative?

Inspiration can strike at almost any moment but I find info my most productive creating in the evening hours.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

I really can’t choose a favorite! There are so many creative people in the world. We all have our own unique ways we can be creative. I’m constantly amazed at what my friends and fellow cosplayers come up with. It inspires me to keep creating and be the best I can be.

Facebook: April Gloria Cosplay

Instagram: @april_gloria

Dean McQueen

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Scout Dean McQueen and I am a cosplayer and blogger for Geek A Gogo and occasionally a podcaster for the 5-dollar bin. I am best known for my Kotobukiya Freddy Krueger Bishoujo cosplay.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is the center of everything. We as humans are very imaginative and inventive. It is an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream and integrate ideas from people who follow on my social network platforms.

Describe your creative process?

The inspiration usually comes from my childhood heroes and memories.

Planning ahead of time is essential. The cost of materials and equipment is important to take into account. I usually have a few picture of the cosplay for reference because it helps break down the character. Breaking down the character gives me a better sense of what I would need to create the cosplay.

When are you at your most creative?

I am at my most creative when I know I’ll be attending one of my favorite comic con and knowing that I will be debuting a new cosplay.

I get the extra creative boost when I know I will be around my friends and people who follow my social media. I only get to see these wonderful people a few times a year and I want to make sure that I am at my 100%.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

The most creative person I know is also a cosplayer and goes by the name of the Brown Ranger. He’s an east coast cosplayer and his costumes are big and elaborate.

Facebook: Scout Dean McQueen

Instagram: @dean_mcqueen

Shiro Masamune

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Danielle and I am a cast member at The Lion King theatre, as well as a freelance dancer and actress. I am also training as a prosthetics and special effects makeup artist.

I regularly draw, sculpt, sew and dance (as a member of two j-pop/k-pop inspired groups, SARDONYX and MK Dance). I am also an avid video game, comic book and anime fan and I draw a lot of my inspiration from these genres for my projects. I have studied a variety of different dance styles, as well as gymnastics and yoga and I am also a black belt in martial arts, I like to keep my fitness levels high whilst doing fun activities.

I regularly attend gaming and comic conventions such as MCM Expo, Eurogamer and London Film and Comic Con. Some of my favourite cosplays have included Ryuk (Death Note), The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), Steampunk Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Kratos (God of War), Jecht (Final Fantasy X), Rem (Re:Zero) and Bowser (Super Mario).

What does creativity mean to you?

To me, creativity is dreaming up and developing my own unique ideas. It’s a way of expressing thought processes and perspective, to create something new and interesting. When I’m exploring and being creative it’s extremely therapeutic and I love seeing the end result of my projects after going through all the various stages.

Describe your creative process?

When it comes to cosplay, I must have a connection to the specific character and game/anime/movie. It’s then easier to visualize myself as that character which helps with the overall process and trying to embody that character as much as possible.

Whether I’m working on prosthetics or cosplay my next step is to always pour through references. For prosthetics, I’ll study and look at different traumas, injuries and fantasy creatures and for cosplay I’ll spend a long time looking at concept art and a variety of different images of my chosen character from different angles so I can start sketching out my ideas.

Once I have drafted out my initial idea, I can start working on making patterns for sewing or developing plans for armour or props. I’ll also regularly do makeup tests, to ensure any character features or SFX prosthetics are as realistic as possible.

Following that, I will go on a hunt to find suitable materials to use in the construction process and then I can start crafting. I also work on my own original designs and concepts, which is extremely enjoyable. The final process is the photography stage, I’m very lucky to regularly work with a brilliant photographer, whose work you can check out on Instagram under the name ‘thegaragestudio’.

When are you at your most creative?

I’m at my most creative when I’m crafting or performing, I love to study and learn and take classes and courses in drawing, sculpting and prosthetic makeup.

I always feel creative when I’m in the company of like-minded people, it’s great to discuss and bounce ideas off each other. I also tend to be at my most creative during the late hours of the night, as it’s when I feel like I can really focus and not be distracted.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

It’s really difficult to choose just one. Rick Baker is an incredibly talented special effects makeup artist mostly known for his creature effect work. I’ll never forget when I first saw the werewolf transformation he created in “An American Werewolf in London’ and the huge variety of character makeup he created for Eddie Murphy in ‘Coming To America’.

Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy gaming series) is a phenomenal artist and I have drawn a lot of inspiration from designs within the franchise. I have also had the privilege of attending the Final Fantasy Distant Worlds orchestral performance three times and fully understand the importance of music within creative processes.

Standing atop the podium, however, is Stan Lee. He was the architect of my childhood and I would often find myself immersed in his comics. I have always loved how he has added a sense of humanity to his characters and tackles real-world issues within his comics.

I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting him a few years ago at London Film and Comic Con. His talent, influence, and enthusiasm for his work have truly inspired me. I have already cosplayed as Black Cat and have many other Marvel characters on my ever-expanding costume list.

Twitter: @shiromasamune

Instagram: @shiromasamune

Stephanie Storm

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Stephanie Storm and I’m an actress and cosplayer most known for my Black Canary and Black Widow cosplays.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity means that I can do what I want. I have no boundaries.

Describe your creative process?

Usually, I’ll be watching a TV show or movie and see a character I really like and it inspires me to make it.

Most of my costumes take about 3 days – 3 weeks to make, but there is a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and love that goes into every piece I create.

When are you at your most creative?

When I have a really great album blasting and a clean workstation.
I like to surround myself with very passionate creative people because they bring out my creativity.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

Nicole Marie Jean is probably the most creative cosplayer I know. I’m so lucky to call her a friend because she is so passionate and has such a major love for the craft it becomes contagious. She always offers to help so that I can expand my craft. She is so supportive and just an all-over genuine person. She never judges anyone and wants everyone to look their best.

Instagram: @stephaniestormcosplay

Facebook: Stephanie Storm Cosplay

Kaede Lynn

Who are you and what do you do?

I am a small town Canadian girl who works as an Office Assistant and actress. I got into cosplay as an escape from the daily grind. I really love watching anime and have always delighted in the beauty and complexity of anime characters.

The first anime character I cosplayed was Yuno from ‘The Future Diary,’ and from there it became an addiction. I tend to be attracted to the gritty warrior type, or dark and mysterious female archetype. So far, I have really enjoyed cosplaying Kikyo from ‘Inuyasha’, Jesse from ‘Pokemon’, Poison Ivy, and Sailor Mars.

Future cosplays will include characters such as Teresa from ‘Claymore’, Revy from ‘Black Lagoon’, and Elektra from Marvel Comics.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is the true channel of self-expression. It is where the realms of illusion and reality merge. Creativity the grand escape; a safe haven, a release; it is freedom.

Describe your creative process?

My creative process can be sparked by watching an anime series or simply by an image or the idea of a character.

The first step is to study the character’s outfit and begin to imagine if or how I can construct the cosplay. If I decide it is within my creative reach, I begin ‘the hunt’. The hunt is an exciting phase of cosplay construction that entails searching far and wide for supplies and items that can be transformed and used as part of the cosplay.

Once I have all the necessary supplies it is then time to begin the construction or “deconstruction”. The former refers to building a cosplay from scratch, while the latter entails building upon or deconstruction and reconstructing a pre-made costume similar to the cosplay.

Completion of a cosplay can take anywhere from 3 months to 1 year. I always want to give myself at least 3-6 months to construct a cosplay before a Con; although, I have been known to construct a cosplay from scratch in as little as 2 weeks (not a good idea).

When are you at your most creative?

I am at my most creative when I am experiencing a calm period in my life. If I am experiencing a lot of stress or my life becomes busy, it is hard for me to create. My creativity flows best when I have a great work life/balance where I am able to easily dedicate myself fully to each.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

Years back, I discovered the works of a contemporary sculpture Lee Bul. Her sculptures are immense creations that invoke my deepest sense of curiosity. Her work triggers my curious inner child and I become lost in wonderment. When you see her pieces you can tell she has poured her heart and soul into her creations.

She is the master of curiosity and offers the admirer an imaginary escape.

Instagram: @kaede_lynn

Twitter: @kaedelynn