Today we’d like to introduce you to Starfall Blade
Hi Starfall, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It was 2013 when I wore my first cosplay. “Cosplay”, the portmanteau between “costume” and “play”, was a little silly, I thought. As much as I enjoy the holiday, do people really wear costumes when it’s not Halloween? Nevertheless, I was convinced by a friend to attend my first convention, where I quickly learned that cosplay was something far more intense and incredible than I could have imagined. I felt like I had stepped into a different world; while Halloween costumes are mass produced and easily bought at the store, the costumes I saw that day were handmade masterpieces, and I needed to know more. I dove into the world of cosplay, taking on progressively more intensive projects as the years went by, working my way up to my current state of master’s level craftsmanship competitor, and making friends with many amazing people in the community along the way. Since then, I’ve attended dozens of conventions, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art and Design where I received the Senior Studio Award for my cosplay-focused thesis project, won master-level awards in both craftsmanship and performance, and began my career as a scenic artist in Orlando, painting attractions and fabricating props for the theme parks. It’s safe to say that cosplay is the center of my entire life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Though I graduated with a fine arts degree, I originally went to college to study geology! Though I was encouraged by my teacher in high school that I could be successful if I pursued the arts, being able to live a comfortable life is very important to me, and the idea of the “starving artist” was ever-present in my mind. Having always enjoyed my science courses just as much as art (and receiving high grades as well), I believed the more socially celebrated path of a STEM career was the one I ought to pursue. I spent two years as a geology major in Vermont, and while I am grateful for my time there, the things I learned, and the connections I made, I felt isolated and increasingly miserable as I came to understand that I was ignoring my feelings. I took a semester off to gather my thoughts and refresh myself, with the full intent to return, but after two weeks at home I knew I would not be going back. I made my preparations to transfer to the University of Michigan, just an hour from my home, so that I could continue my studies in geology but be closer to my family and friends. It was sometime during my transfer orientation that I had the “eureka moment” that U of M was home to the Stamps School of Art and Design, and I could not just transfer schools, but transfer majors as well. From there, I dove fully into the arts and into my study of cosplay, and never looked back! I am very proud to say I am able to live a comfortable life in my career, and a much happier one at that, having followed my passion.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a cosplay artist, master-level competitor, and professional painter and prop maker for theme parks and beyond.
Cosplay creates a space in which I can push my limits with both creative skill and boundaries of self, through the lens of characters and stories that have helped me become the person I am. I devote hundreds of hours into sewing, fabrication, and other methods of crafting in order to give life to these characters in our world.
The core idea of both cosplay and themed entertainment is to create an experience that is separate from and greater than the “ordinary” world, but I believe it’s just as magical to consider these experiences as equal – the moments we share with them are carried in our bodies wherever we go, and are no less “real” for being man-made. In your time spent cosplaying, your character is alive.
In a space where you can be anything, what do you choose to be? The first step in cosplaying is choosing a character. Differentiating itself from traditional costume or fashion design, cosplay is by definition referential to an existing work, most often popular media such as anime, comics, and games. I choose characters that appeal to me, transforming into them for a short period of time and playing an identity different and greater than my own: this is the “play” in cosplay. It’s a unique and joyous experience, far different from Halloween; it’s more than just the fun outfit and the fun time, it’s existing in that space where the boundaries of “self” are blurred. When in cosplay, according to the altered set of societal rules determined by the new space, I am not myself dressed as a character, I am that character. And yet, by nature of using my body as the canvas for this performance, my true self remains.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.starfallblade.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starfallblade/
Image Credits
@allisonthephotographer
Bloom Photography
@hakuoro917
@ricecat.photos
