NOTE: Your health and safety are your first priority during this pandemic. Check your local government and health authority for advisories regarding the COVID-19 situation. Nothing in this article takes precedence over their advice.

This piece has been written for The Cosplay Journal by Roger Senpai. You can find his own blog here rogersenpai.com

We’re all a bit down due to COVID-19, lockdowns, event cancellations, even seeing friends outside of screens is hard, but let’s not let it get us down!

While the prolonged shutdown of conventions has put many #cosplans on hold, it doesn't mean you have to sit around and wait for the pandemic to be over. In fact, this period is a great opportunity to make use of that extra spare time! 

In this post, I’m going to give you 10 creative ways to make use of your time with respect to cosplay and finances during quarantine. 

What that out of the way, here are my 10 suggestions:

1. Order cosplay materials right now so you can take your time

Let’s face it; most of us procrastinate and wait until the last minute to order cosplay stuff. It’s no wonder why we’re always dealing with “Con Crunch!”

However, with no cosplay conventions in the foreseeable future, this is the best time to order those cosplays online. By ordering now, you’ll have a big head start on your cosplay(s). You won’t have to worry about deadlines or stressing out to finish it in time for a convention. Instead of usually having only a few months (or a few weeks for us who procrastinate), you’ll have at least half the year to start and finish a cosplay if you order the materials immediately.

2. Practice your cosplay photoshoots at home.

By taking photos of yourself at home, it’ll help you with the real cosplay photoshoots when conventions return!

It takes a lot of practice and learning to get good at cosplay photoshoots. But you don’t have to wait until conventions open up again to start getting better. You can practice cosplay photoshoots at home right now!

You can start small by taking selfies with your smartphone. This will help you know which angles and facial expressions look best or unflattering for you. When you’ve mastered the art of selfies (or you get bored of taking them), you can purchase a cheap tripod or stand for your phone to practice full-body posing. 

By doing all this, you’ll be miles ahead of the game.  And when things start to open up again, you'll be ready to shoot with a real cosplay photographer!

 3. Set aside some money for future cosplay plans.

It’ll be a while until we can show off our cosplays at a convention. Who knows – maybe down the road, you’ll watch a new show or video game that you’re absolutely in love with. And you’ll want to cosplay a character from that series. 

That’s why you should set aside some money for that “unknown” cosplay you’ll want to do in the future. In tough economic times like this, it’s important to be diligent with your personal finances. By having a well-thought out plan for your finances and cosplay plans, you’ll hit the ground running! You’ll be able to spend your money on new cosplays with peace of mind.

4. How to spend your extra money from cancelled conventions. 

Were you planning to attend a convention that got cancelled? If so, then you probably have extra money because you didn’t end up attending that convention. But what to do with that extra cash?

First, I recommend setting aside that money to take care of your needs first, such as rent/mortgage, groceries and medications. 

If you’ve got that covered already, then congrats to you! Here are a few ideas on what to do with that extra money:

·       Save up for larger cosplay conventions farther away. For example, you can save up your money and travel to Anime Expo or Comic Con (when things open up again)! 

·       Use the money to fund more expensive and elaborate cosplays (e.g. armor, Worbla, LEDs).

·       Setting aside that money so you can “splurge” a bit for future cons. For example, instead of staying at a hotel far away, you can stay at the expensive convention hotel that’s only an elevator ride away from everything!

·       Donate or support your local artists, who’ve been hard hit by this quarantine shutdown.

5. Here’s what to do if you’ve been financially hit by the pandemic.

Set aside a small percentage of your weekly income towards cosplay. You’ll be surprised how quick it is to have enough to create an entire costume!

If you’ve been laid off or lost your job due to this quarantine, then my heart goes out to you. Again, your first priority is paying the bills and putting food on the table. 

If you’ve got that covered, then setup a small portion of your income towards cosplay. Save 5-10% of your income per week and allocate it for a “cosplay” fund. That might not sound like a lot, but give it a few months and you’ll have more than enough money to afford a brand new cosplay.

Another budget-friendly tip: opt for simple, easy cosplays over armor or elaborate cosplays. For example, Pokémon trainer cosplays involve regular clothing. So you can easily create or buy a Pokémon costume that will not break your wallet.

6. Work on those unfinished cosplay projects. 

If you’ve had many cosplay plans over the years but never got around to finishing them (due to time or financial constraints), then right now is the perfect time for completing them! 

At the moment, you don’t have any cosplay deadlines so it’s possible to work on multiple cosplay projects without the stress. Of course, it’ll be more difficult right now to acquire cosplay materials because of stored being closed. But you can still order parts and fabric online.

7. Share your cosplay progress online for feedback and community interaction! 

No conventions are happening anytime soon, but there’s still a huge demand for cosplay content. Sharing your cosplay progress is a great way to still enjoy this hobby while enjoying the community interaction. In fact, there are still cosplayers that are sharing their work-in-progress (WIP) photos online. So if you’ve never shared photos of your in-progress cosplays online, now is a good time to do so. 

8. Improve your cosplay-making skills! 

Cosplay skills such as crafting and sewing take a very long time to master. When cosplay deadlines come close, there’s not much time to experiment with new techniques. So we’re compelled to take shortcuts, using what we already know to finish on time. 

However, with the extended shutdown of conventions, you can now experiment with new crafting techniques that could ultimately make you even better at cosplay-making! It’s okay to make mistakes right now, because there’s no rush to get any cosplays finished. 

9. Indulge on your favourite hobbies for cosplay ideas and inspirations. 

If there’s one thing that’s enjoyable about this quarantine, it’s being able to indulge on your favorite shows and video games! While you can argue it’s not the best use of your time, I believe it’ll help you become inspired for new cosplay ideas and inspirations. Perhaps watching Cowboy Bebop will inspire you to cosplay Faye Valentine from the series. Or playing the Final Fantasy VII Remake will motivate you to start working on cosplay props such as Cloud’s sword.

So while you’re going through your catalog of video games and show, be sure to take note of characters that inspire you. It could make for a good future cosplay!

10. Keep an eye on future conventions for risk-free deals and discounts. 

When government and health authorities deem it safe to travel and congregate again, I expect two things to happen: there will be big discounts on hotels and transportation, but also a huge surge in demand in travel! After staying home for so long, many will have the urge to travel and attend conventions again. 

This is why you should keep an eye on convention and travel websites, even during this quarantine. If they’re offering huge discounts with generous cancellation policies, then go ahead and book the hotel/transportation before the surge in demand.  Because when everything opens up again, prices will likely skyrocket and everything will sell out! So you want to book before this happens.

I want to emphasize in making sure the hotel or transportation carrier offers cancellations, so you’re able to make a risk-free reservation.  The situation regarding the pandemic may change. So you want the option to cancel if it’s still unsafe to travel or attend conventions.

And there you have it; 10 Ways You Can Prepare Your Cosplays (And Finances) During Quarantine. With these tips, you’ll have more money saved up, improved your skills (cosplay-making and modeling), and have a new arsenal of cosplays ready to go when this pandemic is over!