mangosirene:

I get messages on a regular basis from people who are scared of cosplaying, and it makes me so sad that there are people out there who really want to try cosplaying but are too afraid of getting internet hate to participate. That just ain’t cool.

Bullying is never okay, but unfortunately it’s a pretty frequent occurrence in the online world of fandom. And realistically, the bullies probably aren’t going anywhere. The internet makes it really easy for people to spread hate, and I don’t think there will ever be a day when it isn’t an issue in the cosplay community. (Depressing, I know, especially considering we’re all a bunch of weirdos pretending to be magical girls/ninjas/dudes with giant swords/elves/etc. In an ideal world, we’d all stick together, but unfortunately, it’s not an ideal world.)

When you see someone else being bullied, it can be easy to stand up for them – but when you’re the one receiving hate messages on Tumblr or someone is leaving cruel comments on your photos, it can be a lot harder. I’ve found that when it comes to dealing with hate you may get for your costumes, the best thing to do is let it go.

Don’t acknowledge it, don’t give it a second of your time, because it seriously does not matter. Seriously. Doesn’t matter. No, really, it doesn’t. Step back and look at the big picture. Does a message from some jerk on the internet who hates your nose or your weight or your fabric choice really affect your life? No. It doesn’t. There are so many awesome things to enjoy in life, ain’t nobody got time to waste on jerks like that.

Just don’t care what other people think. Someone thinks you make an ugly Sailor Moon? Who cares! You had a great time cosplaying her and you got to spend the whole day with your Sailor Scout group, and you’re really proud of the pictures you guys took together – so share those memories, post them all over your Tumblr and your Facebook, spam them everywhere! If that person doesn’t like your costume, that’s their problem. You keep on doin’ you.

It’s easier said than done; having self-confidence takes practice, but once you get there, it’s an insanely good feeling to know that their words can’t hurt you. Focus on having fun with your hobby, spending time running around as ninjas with your friends, and crying over your sewing machine the night before a con because your SnK jacket isn’t done and you still haven’t started on the straps and oh god how does 3DMG even work.

This got a lot longer than I intended, but tl;dr: Don’t let the haters stop you from sharing your artwork with other cosplayers and bonding with each other over this silly, ridiculous hobby of ours.