Cosplay burnout is a real thing and affects many of us in several ways. Some people simply go MIA from the cosplay scene while others become depressed or sad. Don’t worry, you are not alone and these feelings are normal and happen to many of us. First, becoming stressed or burnt out over cosplay occurs all the time. Well, I am here to hopefully help with this issue. I want to discuss 10 tips that can help prevent cosplay burnout. Let me know what you think in the comment sections below and feel free to add any other methods you use to this post.
Pace Yourself
First up we have pacing yourself. When undertaking new cosplay projects we can easily get in the mindset that we have to complete every single aspect of our outfit by a specific date and time. We also procrastinate a bit and are forced to rush near the end. Instead of trying to complete 8 hours of crafting in one day instead break it into 1 or 2 hours every day. Just do a bit after work or in the morning before work. You can even work on items while commercials are taking place. On average American television shows have 16 minutes of commercials per hour. If you watch 4 hours of television that gives you 64 minutes of commercial meaning 64 minutes of cosplay creation.
Take Breaks
This is an extremely important aspect of cosplay creation. Sometimes we get stumped when working with lights, new materials or even old materials. I have found that if you simply put the project down for an hour or two and focus on something else the solution presents itself upon return. Maybe you play overwatch for a bit or even take a nap. These are absolute necessities for the brain and are proven to increase productivity. There are a few of us that can simply power through things but for the rest of us, we need large breaks to recollect our thoughts and keep us on task.
Set A Schedule
I am actively trying to work on this one myself and usually find that doing so prevents stress. If I adequately map out my week than I am not only more productive but also feel a sense of accomplishment when I reflect on everything I have achieved. Of course there are unforeseen events in everyone’s life but in general, most humans follow a rather set routine. By factoring in cosplay crafting into this schedule you will be capable of completing your costume long before the conventions start date. This will also leave time for any necessary final adjustment meaning you can look your best on convention day.
Sleep
Sleep is an often much-overlooked aspect of many of our lives. Americans usually average around 6.8 hours of sleep a night with cosplayers commonly reaching no more than 5 hours. Ill admit there’s way too many things to do and not enough time in the day but skipping sleep is not a solution to our lack of time problems. Sleep should be considered just as important as cosplaying or the cosplay creation process. Its recommended that we receive a minimum of 7 to 9 hours of sleep and if your not getting this amount its time to somehow make some changes to better your health and cosplay career.
Use Others For Inspiration
Burnout can present itself in many ways and lack of inspiration is definitely one of its presentations. Sometimes you have an idea in mind but simply cant finalize it. Maybe it’s a gender-bend cosplay or an elaborate armor build but either way you just can’t seem to bring the idea to fruition. Well, not everything has to be discovered and figured out on your own. Check Instagram and YouTube for tutorials related to your craft. They will not only save you time and effort, but possibly solve some of the problems stressing you out.
Don’t Bite off More than You Can Chew
It’s common to see cosplays and immediately think, I’m going to go home and make that. Well, at least I have thought that. But it’s not long before I realize this project is going to take way more time than I originally thought and it’s far beyond my current crafting levels. This type of thought process can lead to cosplay burnout. Im not saying do not undertake difficult projects, I’m saying you may need to break it into smaller chunks. Do not look at the project as a whole. Instead, view it as a lot of small projects. Kind of like a transformer. All the pieces shift and adapt to make one larger item. This thought process has helped me in all aspects of life and usually leads to less stress and fatigue.
Get Out
When all else fails get out. What do I mean? Simply go outside. Go to the movies or mall. Anywhere to get away from your crafting material and workshop. Taking breaks are great but simply removing yourself from a situation is needed at times. This step may require institution for a few days. Just take 2 or 3 days and do nothing cosplay related. If you are scheduling and have allotted yourself a ton of time, then this method will definitely help relieve some stress before convention initiation.
Ask For Help
Never forget that we are not in the cosplay race alone. We have friends and seniors with tons of information locked away just waiting to be requested. Amazing tutorials are popping up every day and looking at them is definitely a great method for leveling up your work. It also is good for helping prevent burnout by instantly giving you the answer to some difficult cosplay creation questions. Maybe your not sure which paint or glue to use. Well go ahead and hit up cosplayers such as Kamuai cosplay and you will instantly receive your answer.
Practice Other Passions And Hobbies
Having a mixture of hobbies can sometimes help with burnout. If you are passionate about multiple things in life then taking a break from cosplay and focus on something else you are interested in for the time being is very useful. Maybe you like sports or 3d printing or even music. Take some time to enjoy these other hobbies as well because cosplay is a marathon, not a sprint. That anime or costume will still be there when you return I promise.
Don’t forget we do this for fun
Cosplay is a hobby for some, a pastime for others and a profession for many. But regardless you need to be having fun. If you are stressed about your creations or making deadlines for your next convention sit back and remember why you got into cosplay in the first place. A lot of times we forget how much fun it is and get bogged down by all of the noise associated with cosplay. It’s ok to head to a convention and not cosplay. You can simply compliment others on their work or help friends get around in their hulking outfits. Maybe even take a new cosplayer under your wing and help them get more involved in the cosplay world. There are many ways to enjoy cosplaying and sometimes it comes in the form of helping others and simply observing rather than participating.
Thanks so much for checking out my cosplay burnout prevention post. I hope you enjoyed it and will seriously consider instituting some of these events into your life. I believe they can trully help prevent that annoying feeling of incompletion when we do not achieve our cosplay goals. For more awesome post and useful cosplay, information, feel free to click HERE. Well, that’s everything for today make sure you get some sleep and until next time, stay BOUNDLESS!!!
