New Year's Resolutions for Cosplay

First day of 2025. It's hard to believe it. As everybody is making some New Year's Resolutions, or maybe have already broken them, I'm here to share the ones that I'm making as a cosplayer. This is going to cover resolutions strictly in how they pertain to my own cosplay journey, and not any personal ones. So, without further ado...

Number one, working out a bit more.

Wait, what? That's a personal goal isn't it? Well, yes and no. In terms of my own cosplay, I'll be honest, I'm still a bit self-conscious about showing my stomach to others. It's part of the reason I haven't done Nami yet. Even though I have cosplays that do show my stomach, I still want to tone that area of my body a bit more not just for health reasons, but to also feel more confident when I do those characters. I have had moments where I don't like how the photo came out because of where my stomach was. I've seen so many people of all body types cosplay characters that show a lot of skin, and props to all of them. This is just my personal feelings with my own cosplays and my own body.

So, my plan is to start creating a better workout routine where I can be more active, choose healthier snacks whenever I'm feeling hungry and drink a lot more water, because if there is one thing that cosplayers all yell at each other for, it's not drinking enough water (especially at conventions). I just have to remember that the results will be slow.

Number two, improving my foam skills.

Now we're at a cosplay skill goal. I really started working with EVA foam a lot recently to create some small props as well as my Orin cosplay. I've learned a lot with them so far, and I want to make some more props for some cosplays that I have planned for 2025. Currently, I've taken some templates and am working with those. They've been quite helpful. I want to have at least a couple props made for a con I'm preparing for in January, but I'm also going to search out some videos that give some other foam tips. At some point on this blog, I'll review the templates I used as well as compare and contrast the different foam I've used.

Number three, getting better at sewing.

While it's great for cosplay, it's also a good practical skill. Because of my next cosplay goal, this is something that I want to work on. I don't want to start with a very complex pattern, so I'll go for more simple designs and patterns. The cosplays that I really want to learn this for is my Reiju cosplays, both her white outfit and her raid suit. While they are cosplays that really have pushed some boundaries for me personally, there's some changes I want to make to make the cosplays a little more comfortable. I also want to try and sew a full cosplay from scratch for another con, which leads me to my next goal.

Number four, enter the Too Many Games Cosplay Contest and the Anime NYC Cosplay Contest.

I've never entered a cosplay contest before. Shocking, I know. So, I want to make it happen for 2025. I want to revamp my Orin cosplay specifically for Too Many Games. Since it is focused more on games, I figured it would be a perfect time to do her again and enter the contest. Anime NYC is another that I would like to do, but it isn't quite as high as Too Many Games at the time of writing this. I do have an idea for the character I want to compete as which will also make a funny photo with another cosplay I have. I might try another cosplay contest before these two, but since these cons are farther out, I have the time to work on the outfits.

Number five, improve my photo-taking skills.

A summer camp class did help me with figure out the best angles, but I want to be able to take more cosplay pictures as well as try some new styles to make them stand out. This goal also kind of carries over into my Instagram account where I want to try and get at least three photos out a week (more if it's con time), as well as start posting with the new styles to help keep my feed a bit more consistent. If it gets enough traction, I'm willing to take photos of others too! Taking photos is one of my favorite parts of being a cosplayer because I get to admire everyone else's cosplays too!

And that is all of them! Something that I will do is keep a planner and write down when I want certain things by. I'll create smaller steps for each day or week so when it comes time for the main goal I want, it'll already be achieved through those steps. I work a lot better when I write things down. At the end of 2025, I'll look back at this and see if I did manage to make these goals come to life. All of them are achievable, as long as I follow through with them. So, here's to 2025! Happy New Year!

#cosplay #newyear #resolutions #cosplayer #cosplaygirl