While I may not have plans to cosplay any time soon, it doesn’t mean that cosplay isn’t on my mind. I have already started to create a list of characters I want to cosplay when I return. I also started compiling a list of goals or things that I haven’t accomplished yet with cosplay. I don’t have a time period as to when these goals would be completed, but these are things that I want to keep on my radar.

Learning how to apply Body Paint

When I think about what I have left to learn in cosplay, body paint is the first thing that comes to mind. I know that you aren’t supposed to apply body paint to your whole body. Instead, you’re supposed to wear a fabric body suit and use body paint on your face and neck. Beyond that, I am completely new to body paint. There isn’t anything holding me back; I simply haven’t found a character that I’m passionate about cosplaying that would require body paint. With that said, one character I’d like to cosplay is Vaelus from Aramán. She’s a Drow, so her skin is a light purple. Vaelus could be the cosplay that pushes me over the edge to learning body paint.

Supporting Small Businesses

This is the goal that I’d argue is the most important to include on this list. If I’m being transparent, I use Amazon way more than I should when it comes to cosplay. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that I usually wait until the last minute to prep a cosplay. I order from Amazon because I know my items will show up quickly. The second is that I receive a lot of Amazon giftcards either as presents from people or through work. I almost always save them for a future cosplay I plan because I usually never need anything else from Amazon beyond that. These are all excuses. If I focus on why I chose Amazon, I can build a strategy for deviating from it. This means planning cosplays months in advance versus weeks. I want to come up with a list of other smaller businesses that sell wigs or cosplay accessories. Depending on the cosplay, I may be able to thrift from local thrift stores. I am looking forward to starting the process of moving away from Amazon.

Doing a Cosplay Cleanout

I have a full dresser drawer in our bedroom filled with cosplays. When I say filled, I mean when I open the drawer, the drawer will get stuck when I open it. I haven’t done a cosplay cleanout in years. I have donated things that don’t fit, or I have thrown things away if they break, but other than that, I have years of cosplays on hand. While that’s great, it’s obvious to me that I don’t wear everything I have. I probably won’t get to doing this cleanout this year, but for sure next year, I will be trying everything on and donating anything that I no longer need or want to wear.

I’m keeping this list short because I feel that my goal of supporting local businesses will be the most time-consuming. If you have any tips or tricks for body paint specifically, I’d love to know those in the comments below.