2015 m. vasario 20 d., penktadienis

Q & A (supposed to be a video, but happened to be a written blog post) + backstory

Hi everyone!

I don't know how many of you remember, that I about 2 months ago, I asked you to submit questions over here http://ask.fm/DulcineaCosplay , and promised to make a video with answers. I made this request (or is it an offer?) since I felt like many people misread my career change like the end of the hobby (since I announced that I have stopped making props for a living, many of you thought it = I quit cosplaying). I also did it because I believed it will help me get over my being on camera and talking fear. I almost got there. But then I started to get more questions (a couple weeks after the ones you guys sent in due to my request), which just made me more and more terrified of putting myself out there. There weren't "hate" questions, but all of them had either hidden complaints in them, or opinions that I am... well someone, who I am really not. Days went by, and the more I tried to sit in front of camera and talk, the more sick I would get in my stomach, and eventually I gave up. All I could imagine is someone loooking at the video and searching for something that I said wrong. Or looked wrong. But I still owe you all a Q & A. So here it will be, written down, because I have always felt that written words come easy to me, I can hide my fragile personality underneath them and appear cooler than I am! :-D

So now to all of you, kind people who gave me chance to answer some questions, here are my answers (some of them were not in English, so I translated those):

Q1) i don't think i'm original.....but seriously: are you planning on quitting cosplay completely?! please say no...

A1) I'm not definitely planning on quitting cosplay completely! I have, however, many mixed feelings about this hobby, that I want to share, since I'm doing the oversharing thing today. Some days I can't wait to start a new project, meet new people, "be out there", but other days I get sort of depressed and want to hide somewhere really deep. I know a lot of people to whom cosplay is exactly the thing that helps them be social, find friends, and cons are where they feel most at home. While I have gotten many many wonderful friends due to this hobby, my social anxiety increased. I have a very hard time taking compliments face to face and honestly have no idea what to say to people when they ask me stuff like : "how everything you do is so perfect?" and similar questions. I am well aware it sounds ridiculous and that I am supposed to be grateful for recognition. Don't get me wrong, I am, I just haven't found a way to deal with my inner socially awkward penguin. I am less of a penguin in non cosplay life, when nobody is praising me :-D
But yeah, no, I am not planning on quitting cosplay. Crafting gives me a lot of joy, as well as reading your comments under my pictures! I love those <3

Q2) Where do you come from?

A2) I believe the country is meant here, so - Lithuania, Europe :)

Q3) where do you get your worbla?


A3) I am getting mine at www.mycostumes.de, but the last time I did that, the CosCon shop wasn't open yet. Now I would get it from them, as they are closer, in Poland.  http://coscon.pl/

Q4) who's your cosplay inspiration (person or/and group of people)? ~ but to make it more interesting, answer should include people you don't know ~

A4) No problem, I can easily list many cosplay inspirations, both who I do know and those who I do not :) I don't personally know, yet worship: Volpin Props, Fev Studios, Vensy, Lightning Cosplay, Punished Props, Murmeltierchen Cosplay. And some of whom I do know: Shappi Wokshop, Violet Cosplay, Kairi in Cosplayland, Shinju's Workshop, Semashke Cos-Land, Foxtail, Giedrius Cosplay, Eglucy Cos-Up, Team Paraluna Cosplay, Jaycee Cosplay, Squirrel Cosplay Cave, and about like a million others. Honestly I find every cosplayer inspiring in one way or another :)

Q5) How do you choose music for your cosplay performances? Do you consider original sources for music first or straight to YouTube to find randomly good song?

A5) I used to spend hours and hours on Youtube (days, even), searching for a perfect song or two, but now I just go straight to this amazing dude, who makes music, and ask him for a custom made piece! I tell him what kind of theme, mood, and words I want, and he delivers something really really outstanding: https://soundcloud.com/zetox
Here is my Nidalee performance with the music that he made for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxhZ_Cc2zTs

Q6) This is probably the most random one you shall get from not an anonymous but... Was it difficult to go to bathroom while in your draenei cosplay? :DDD Describe your answer, why and how long did it take you? (silly questions, yeah? :D)  Kaligula

A6) Now you will be greatly disappointed in my answer :-D I never had to go to a bathroom in a full costume as such, because I would go right before I would put on my armor (with the help of like two friends haha), and I would limit my water intake for the day... I believe many cosplayers do it like this with their difficult costumes. It would literally be impossible to go to the bathroom in a full Draenei cosplay, because the pants go over the shoulders and then there are multiple piece of armor on top of it :)

Q7) Do you do any crafting? (not commissions for props but rather for yourself or a friend, not using the usual cosplay materials that you use for making props) Trippy question. >.>  Kaligula

A7) Not really, other than hand dying of the skirts for my job and occasional fancy gift wrapping, no :) I have also knit a few scarfs back in the day, but nothing significant. Actually, all my life I was absolutely sure that I have absolutely no skills or talent for any kind of crafts, and then I decided to start cosplaying. I still have absolutely no skills or talent,  but I have found that as long as you sand for hours, you don't really need any talent. :D

Q8) Sorry, wasn't following you very actively, but is it true that you're getting away from everything that considers cosplay? Why? I'm not judging, just curious :)

A8) As mentioned in Q1, nope, I am not! :) 

Q9) Have you tried dancing while in full armor/detailed costume? For example, any dance from WoW or Aion (since you cosplayed characters from these games)?  Kaligula

A9) I haven't danced in WoW or Aion costume, but I did that in an armored Nymphora. I went nuts there and all the parts stayed in tact. Actually, my faux teeth have unglued, but my "floating armor" stayed put. True story. It's somewhere on the internet, but I can't find it at the moment. It happened at Nowjapan, 2012. And this is not armor, but dancing from last year's Nyaaa! I always dance on stage if that's happening! :)) Thankfully to Vampire Kitten Cosplay, it does happen quite often..:)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202451062979675

Q10) U got any stalkish fans? (apart from me ofc)  Kaligula

A10) Nope. You're seriously the only one.

Q11) What do you do on your free time?

A11) I play LOL! Top lane, mostly (Singed, Sion, Ryze, Quinn, Lux, Poppy), normals (as I am too scared to find out what I would be in ranked. I bet Bronze V, but I don't want to know for sure). I also well, make cosplay :D however before when I had a prop making business, I would also make  my own costumes during work hours (as well as free time :D), as I had my best friend working on commissions with me, under my direct supervision, so I'd make my stuff and he would be there working on customers stuff. That way I would be available and around to do what he didn't do (gem casting, molding, and plastics thermoforming, for example), and if I needed someone to hold something or cut something with "man hands", he'd be around for me. 
And lastly, I watch a lot of TV shows in my free time and while working on cosplay. Keeps me very distracted from the boredom of sanding.

Q12) How and from where do You get all Your inspirations?

A12) I guess I answered mostly in Q4. From everyone related to cosplay :3

Q13) Do you plan to cosplay for a loooooong time? (surely hope so!!!)

A13) As I spoke about my mixed feelings in Q1, I guess it's safe to say that I have absolutely no idea how long I will be cosplaying, I just don't have a plan there :) but well, I hope so too! :)

Q14) how much does it take you to put on that draenei costume, make-up included?

A14) About two hours and about 2 friends helping me put it all on.

Q15) DO YOU WATCH ANIME?!

A15) Not anymore I don't. I just can't pay that much attention to the screen to read subtitles, as when I watch TV shows, I can still craft stuff, because listening is good enough, but then I don't speak japanese... And yes, I know I could watch anime in English or even Lithuanian, but I don't like voice overs :( Back when I used to watch it, FMA, FMP and NGE were my favorite animes :)

Q16) who or what motivates you to work harder on your projects ? you seem to be very ambitious and always make everything perfect at the end. Share your secrets :)  Egle

A16) I am my own worst enemy and my own greatest competition. I always want to to do better than the past me did, so I won't allow myself to settle for less. However, I always run out of time and I don't see my works as nowhere near "perfect" :D but well, you know, really, sanding and filling is the actual secret. And then many many many many hours. For example, what I would never do: I would never have some armor piece finished with paint job a couple weeks before the con, because well, I will be working on that surface until a mere couple days are left and then I will paint it. I don't know if you can call it a secret, but that's what I always do. I don't paint "unfinished" (the way I see it two weeks before the con) stuff and store it on the shelf, I'd rather use all the time I have to even it out and then pray and cry over drying paint. 

Q17) how do you attach wigs to your head? do you use any special wig layers for hair to stay put?

A17) I'm afraid I may be a noob here and not know stuff about wig layers, but well I use a wig cap and I use quite a few bobby pins. I pin through the wig into my wig cap and it holds like a charm.

Q18) Does Amber fart a lot?

A18) No he does not. Once I blamed him for doing so, but that was really me. I had to. He couldn't say anything about it, because he's a cat. 




Q19) Now that I think about your nJ performance in 2013... How bad was your vision with mesh eye contacts + lights near your eyes? o.O

A19) Pretty pathetic indeed. However, it helped with the stage fright a lot, because I could not see people looking at me :D Just the mesh contacts alone, however, work oddly: I could see something in the distance quite okay, but then I could never see myself in a mirror without thinking I am the purple blur. Therefore doing your own make up isn't very much possible with these contacts in. Eglucy Cos-Up did mine for NowJapan, and Foxtail for EC.

Q20) Do you have a fave YouTuber?

A20) Not one in particular, but there are few channels I watch. One of my guilty pleasures is Bubzvlogs, I don't know why exactly, but I absolutely adore her personality. Jenna Marbles, Michelle Phan, and whatever video Volpin Props <3 may upload.

Q21) Can you lift three cats at once? If yes, what about four cats at once? So, Can you??

A21) I can. Please send me three cats and I will show you. For now I only have proof of two kittens.




Q22) What will be your next cosplay?

A22) I think it will be an original gijinka design of Princess Luna for Nyaaa! Cosplay 2015. I really do like doing my own designs and that event is becoming a pony tradition for me :D

Q23) since you were a judge at nj, did u like the Deadpool(s) running around, acting funny, doing some in-between cosplay performances entertainment? they were cool btw, hope you liked them <3

A23) I saw them doing something really really bad, so no, not really, sorry :( I can't elaborate without putting the "victim" in the spotlight, but if you want to discuss it in private, please do send me a message on my page.

Q24) How differently judges rate in different cons (appearance/performance)? What does a judge have to look for in nowJapan\ Eurocosplay\ other cons you judged in? How different is that judging?

A24) Every event has their own criteria that are presented to the judges, so they know what to look for. In general these tips I have a blog post about apply, especially in Eurocosplay competiton: http://dulcineacosplay.blogspot.com/2014/06/10-things-worth-remembering-when-making.html Nowpajan has it's own uniqueness though. It's the only event I got to judge where the judges had no idea who will win and what. We just put down the scores on day 1 and got our papers taken away, same happened on day 2, and we were not given any time to discuss the winners. Everything came as a surprise to us.

Q25) What's your biggest fail in life?

A25) I have had many many many of them! Something I regret the most, is being a complete and utter b**** to someone who I really like and respect. Until this day I sit and think as to how can I fix the relationship that changed entirelly due to my sole fault. The moral of the story: sit down, breathe, think, then talk, and not the other way around...

Q26) How do you imagine our planet will be in the future?

A26) Well, I guess it really depends on how far in the future? Because well, the endgame will be "no more planet", right? 

Q27) What does it feel like to be a judge? Is it hard? Do you enjoy it? why?  Semashke

A27) Actually, yes, I rather enjoy it. When I am a judge I have a lot less stress than I am myself in a competition, yet at the same time I feel kind of important. I also believe that I have a fairly keen eye and am able to spot the strong and weak spots of ones cosplay craftmanship and performance wise, so I am fairly confident in my abilities to judge and therefore it's neither hard nor stressful for me.

Q28) What do you do for a living now that you say you are no longer taking prop commissions?

A28) I have a handmade clothing company, that specializes in tulle skirts, mostly: https://www.facebook.com/wbdulcinea It's my absolute dream job and I don't regret my decision to shift careers one bit! :) I personally hand dye each skirt in numerous ways, such as dip dye, gradient, dual colors and more, and I also do all the customer service. I have two lovely ladies (my mom and my friend) who do the sewing, as I am nowhere near that good of a seamstress to feel confident enough to sew professionaly for a customer :) 



Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope that you found at least a bit of interest in this Q & A. I look forward to any and all feedback <3

xoxo,
Dulcinea