Office of Multicultural Affairs

I’ve always felt the need to look eccentric. It’s almost as if I can’t be happy unless I have a creative outlet that allows me to put on an interesting appearance. Most people would say that anybody that wants to appear unusual or shocking simply craves attention, but what if we just enjoy the thrill of seeing something intriguing, and so that’s what we strive to become? My first creative outlet was Japanese Street Fashion. Walking into a high school adorned in frills, pastels, cute motifs, and lace was how I showed the world just how much I loved these fashions. Despite the disapproval and mockery I had to experience, I kept wearing these clothes because I wasn’t obligated to please my schoolmates. I wore these clothes for myself.

Since I started college I’ve discovered cosplay as my next creative outlet. Cosplay is basically what costuming is referred to when applied to Japanese Anime, Gaming, and Comic Conventions. Although I only wear cosplay during convention weekends, I still spend nearly every day enjoying my hobby through making my own costumes. Unfortunately, costuming has a bad stigma to those who consider it ‘immature’ or a waste of time, but to me it’s creating and becoming art.

Despite the judgment that I’ve dealt with, these hobbies have helped me become the person that I am today. Through eccentric fashions, I learned to be proud of whom I am and to stand for what I believe in, even if it’s met with resistance every day. Through costuming, I learned that with enough hard work I can accomplish things that seem impossible. My involvement in creative hobbies has greatly contributed to the amount of creativity that I have as an individual, and that same creativity is valued and prized not only in my area of study, but where I work as well.