Cosplay Burnout: All you need to know!
My fellow cosplayers, we’ve all been through it: You used to enjoy cosplay, decided to post “Cosplay Hiatus” on your cosplay social media account and after a months or years of hiatus, you can’t push yourself to go back on this hobby. Or perhaps you have plenty of cosplay plans in your bucket list, but you don’t feel like accomplishing them. If you relate, then you might be experiencing a cosplay burnout!
Cosplay Burnout is an exhaustion or mental stress of a cosplayer caused by many factors. This can lead to loss of interest in cosplay. Some cosplayers quit their passion because of this.
Please be aware that “cosplay burnout” is different from the medically recognized word “burnout.” Please click this link for more information about “burnout.”
If you think that your feelings are a burnout, not just a cosplay burnout. Please seek a counselor as much as possible. This blog is about cosplay burnout, not a serious mental burnout. I'm not a doctor but a cosplayer, so I cannot give you advice to overcome serious burnouts.
I repeat that I can only give you advice to stop cosplay burnout. Professionals should handle the real burnout.
Key Takeaway: Overcoming Cosplay Burnout
Cosplay burnout is a common issue caused by various factors, leading to a loss of interest and even quitting the hobby.
How to Cope:
Reconnect with your passion: Revisit your favorite source material, cosplay for yourself, and surround yourself with supportive peers.
Jump back in: Simply putting on a costume can sometimes rekindle your love for cosplay.
Seek inspiration: Look at other cosplayers' work, experiment with new techniques or characters, and rediscover your initial motivations.
Attend events: Immerse yourself in the cosplay community, and try new events for a change of scenery.
Prioritize self-care: Set boundaries, collaborate with others, and seek professional help if needed. Don't hesitate to take a break and explore other hobbies.
What are the causes of Cosplay Burnout?
There are many reasons why cosplayers experience cosplay burnout. financial instability, toxic community, boredom, priorities, laziness, lack of support from cosplay groups, past history of getting bullied, bad experience from conventions, conflicts with other cosplayers, pressure, personal issues, etc.
Without further ado, let's see the 6 common reasons of cosplay burnout:
Financial Instability
While cosplay is one of the most accessible and affordable hobbies, it may also affect your finances. That's why you should watch your spending for cosplay by allocating a manageable budget.
In my previous blog, I mentioned that going into debt is one of the dangers of cosplay. Yes, it's actually true! There's some instances where affordable things like cosplay can cause financial instability if you go out of your budget.
If you are financially disabled, this can cause a cosplay burnout. I advise you to spend wisely even if this hobby is cheap.
Toxic Community
Let me say the truth, the cosplay community is toxic! There's so many incidents of toxicity that happened inside of cosplay conventions.
Cosplay community is not perfect. It's just formed by a group of normal human beings. Many cosplayers that faced toxic moments in their journey were forced to stop their passion. In the worst case, they will quit for good.
Lack of Support from Peers
Cosplay is a social hobby. Cosplaying without friends is just like playing a multiplayer game alone and your opponent is nothing. That's so boring!
Some cosplayers don't receive support from their so-called “cosplay moots”. That's the reality of social hobbies, you might encounter some fake friends that will not support you. This can be disheartening to some individuals that caused them to get burned out.
Pressure
A pressure to attend every convention even if you are running out of money for transportation. You are getting pushed to cosplay every character in that specific game franchise. These are some samples of cosplay burn out.
These kinds of pressure can cause a burnout to a cosplayer. It's essential to set a boundary for yourself.
Personal Issue
Some individuals are going through the hard times of their life. This difficulty in their internal side can cause outstand the enjoyment of specific things like cosplay.
These personal issues are family problems, relationship issues, school, work politics, etc. These personal issues can cause a cosplay burnout.
Mental Health Condition
According to WebMD, depression is one of the risk factors of a literal “burnout.” Sometimes, “cosplay burnout” might be a “burnout.” Don't be confused by these two words. Cosplay burnout is for cosplayers but burnout is a general thing that you should take seriously.
If you're experiencing some signs of something wrong in your mental health, please seek help from professionals like psychiatrists for your own well-being.
Coping with cosplay burnout
If you are experiencing cosplay burnout, here are some useful guide to overcome it:
Revisit the source material
Reread the manga or comic, re-watch the game, play the game again. Try to completely immerse yourself in the fantasy world that your favorite character lives in. This tip might give you a burst of motivation to go back to your cosplay hobby.
Cosplay for yourself, not for others!
This is the biggest mistake that cosplayers make, even the professional ones. Comparison trap makes cosplayer failed in this hobby. Cosplay is all about expressing yourself, not expressing yourself to others! Repeat the previous sentence in your mind ten times! Most of the cosplayers are being affected by what other people say to them.
If someone criticizes their cosplay in a bad way, they would quit cosplaying as they feel that cosplaying is not for them nor others don't like their cosplay.
The worst case is that they compare themselves to other cosplayers. Every detail of their cosplay is being compared to others without realizing the positive part of themselves! Perfectionism is the most ideal way to ruin this hobby.
Remember that happiness from cosplay should be to yourself, not for other people. Don’t compare yourself to other cosplayers, be unique and be your true self! Cosplay is not a competition nor a competitive hobby, so do it at your own pace, not for others' pace.
Cosplay with your peers.
Every hobby is fun with others like your friends. Cosplay is no exception! By having peers on your cosplay journey, you can have a good support system that can be motivating to pursue this hobby.
If you got a cosplayer's block due to a toxic peers or cosplay group, you may consider choosing other peers that deserve you more. Remember to know your worth and have friends with people who deserve you.
Don’t be alone, my fellow cosplayer, I encourage you to escape your social anxiety and dive into the social aspects of cosplay! Cosplay is more fun with friends!
Just start cosplaying again!
If you used to wear that cosplay wig to express yourself as your favorite character and now can’t even bear to re-style it again, just start wearing it at your home! There is a possibility that once you start stepping on your desired character’s shoes, your cosplay enjoyment would come back to you!
Simply Look at Other Cosplayer’s pictures
You don’t need to actually cosplay by yourself; simply looking at your fellow passionate cosplayers enjoying their hobby will help to restore your interest in getting back from a long time cosplay hiatus.
It's just like a writer having a creative block, they will sit down and read books of their fellow authors. This applies the same for cosplayers. You need to inspire yourself from your fellow enthusiasts.
Try Something New
Experiment with different characters, genres, types or techniques. Explore new materials (if you're a DIY cosplayer), try a new wig styling method, or challenge yourself with a complex prop build to break out of your creative rut.
There's so many types of cosplay you can try out. While a standalone cosplay is mainstream, there's way more styles of cosplaying that you should give a shot! If you're interested in it, you may check out my blog about types of cosplay.
In my personal experience, casual cosplay is one of my favorite styles. This style is way too simple and cheap to perform than standalone type.
Rediscover your Passion
Reconnect with why you started cosplaying in the first place. Look back at photos of your favorite costumes, rewatch inspiring cosplay videos, or attend a convention as an attendee to reignite your love for the craft.
Passion is like a mobile network signal, if you lose, you should exert an effort to find a spot that has a strong coverage.
Brainstorm your "Why?"
Take a step back and reconnect with the initial spark that ignited your love for cosplay. Was it the thrill of embodying a character, the creative outlet, or the community? Revisit those core reasons to rekindle your enthusiasm.
Question yourself some valid rhetorical questions on why you love cosplay. Why did I start cosplay in the first place? Why do I join the cosplay community?
Attend Conventions or Events
If you're a cosplayer that does cosplay online but not going outside to showcase your creativity, you should try to attend some anime convention. Most of them are free, so you will not need to break your bank. If this is your first time going to con, check out my blog for a detailed guide to survive your first cosplay convention.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant cosplay community by attending conventions, gatherings, or photoshoots. Meeting like-minded individuals, showcasing your creations, and celebrating the shared passion can invigorate your spirit and remind you of the joy of cosplay.
Explore Different Conventions
Attending the same convention over and over again is the way to get a cosplay burnout. This will make cosplay a chore rather than a hobby.
You should not put all eggs in one basket, that's a bad idea! If you want to really enjoy cosplaying in cons, you should change what events you should attend.
Change your scenery by attending a new convention or event. A different atmosphere, new cosplayers, and fresh experiences can provide a much-needed change of pace.
Set Boundaries
Don't overcommit yourself to projects or events that you don't have the time or energy for. Learn to say no when necessary and prioritize your own well-being. Setting healthy boundaries can prevent burnout and ensure that cosplay remains a fun and enjoyable activity.
Even if you're a cosplayer buying pre-made costumes, attending conventions are time consuming too even if you don't go the DIY route. If your guys tell you not to attend it because of your well-being, don't force yourself.
Collaboration
Don't hesitate to ask for help or collaborate with your fellow cosplayers. Delegating tasks or working with friends can alleviate the burden and make cosplay a more enjoyable shared experience.
By collaborating, you're reducing the pressure of cosplay while your social skills are improving!
Seek Professional Help
If your feelings of burnout are persistent or impacting your overall well-being, don't hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist or counselor can provide support, coping mechanisms, and strategies to address the root causes of your burnout.
Sometimes, burnout might be a symptom of something serious that needs a medical condition. Burnout is a sign of serious mental health issues like depression or anxiety.
Or else, it could be a serious thing?
Don’t force yourself to come back to cosplay if you really don’t want to. Just take a break for a while and do something else you love other than cosplay. There are so many alternatives out there besides cosplaying: writing, gaming, drawing, having time with your friends and family, touching some grass (sarcastic), watching anime, reading manga and more! There are so many ways to enjoy yourself while waiting for your burnout to wear off.
Conclusion
Cosplay burnout is an exhaustion or mental stress caused by various factors that can lead to loss of interest in cosplay. It can be caused by financial instability, toxic community, boredom, priorities, laziness, lack of support from peers, pressure, personal issues, etc. It is different from burnout and professionals should handle serious burnouts.
The cosplay community is toxic, and some cosplayers may not receive support from their so-called "cosplay moots." Pressure to attend every convention even if you are running out of money for transportation can also cause burnout.
Personal issues such as family problems, relationship issues, school, work, etc. can also lead to burnout, and it's important to set boundaries to avoid going into debt. The article advises seeking professional help if experiencing burnout in the cosplay world.