/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

[Anonymous No.7424915]

Didn't find anything in the catalog so what keeps /cgl/ motivated to work on costumes? Is procrastination a problem for you and how do you fight it?

[Anonymous No.7424982]

I think something I, and probably a lot of people, have a problem with is thinking I "don't have time for that right now"
Being okay with just doing a tiny thing at a time really keeps the ball rolling. Just putting in a couple more stitches, pinning a few things together, a couple minutes fiddling with a wig, another step on a prop, trying it on and checking the fit. For me, it usually snowballs into wanting to do more and suddenly having "time", but sometimes I just do the little thing and move on.

Another thing is really scheduling things out. Being aware approximately how long everything takes will avoid night-before-con work and give you some extra deadlines. Understand how long those gems need to sit in the mold, how long it really takes for paint to dry, etc
Starting early and giving you tiny steps helps too. I schedule one step a week, really
Week 1: Cut out pattern pieces
Week 2: Pin together
Week 3: Sew together this half
Week 4: Sew together second half
Gives more deadlines too ("I've got to cut out the pattern pieces tonight because I have to pin them together tomorrow!!").

Scheduling one step a week helps the tiny-thing-at-a-time thing be more realistic too. On week 1, maybe I'd cut out one pattern piece monday, another one wednesday, and do the bulk of it saturday.

I also plan absolutely everything out before I start. My online browsing for the best products can last months, sometimes. It's my favorite part, and something I just do casually. I have lots of plans set around for potential future cosplays. I buckled down focusing on one once I've decided I'll wear it for x con, though.

Another thing is keeping at least some part of the cosplay visible. Out of sight, out of mind, so I want my unfinished skirt to still be sitting in the still-threaded sewing machine on the table. Every time I pass I'll remember and feel guilty for not working, and eventually that guilt will make me do another tiny step.

[Anonymous No.7425019]

>>7424915
Checklists of all the little components on a costume. That way even if I've just, like, sewed on the buttons or something, I feel like I'm making progress

[Anonymous No.7425032]

Nothing to contribute, but I'll be keeping tabs on this thread for reference. I've got a kimono to sew by AB next weekend and I've barely started. At this point, it feels like making the checklists themselves are a form of procrastination.

[Anonymous No.7425087]

>>7424982
>Another thing is keeping at least some part of the cosplay visible. Out of sight, out of mind

That's a pretty great tip, thanks. I have my sewing room separate so I don't always think about gettin' in there and getting started. For me personally, I find that planning a huge checklist just makes it more daunting because I can be a complete sack o' shit. sometimes I just get spurts of motivation and straight up tank my costume but I feel motivation is pretty hard to find.

[Anonymous No.7425138]

>>7424982
This ih really helpful, thanks!

Also, if you're making a complex cosplay, where the character has a shitload of details/items/whatever I just start from the top.

Foir example, If the character has a helmet with flowers and the flowers show first, I start with them, then the helmet and so on.

[Anonymous No.7425143]

>>7424915

Great question OP. I find myself busy with school and work, and when I do get time to myself on the weekends, the last I feel like doing is sewing.

The most tedious part is getting your pattern together and cutting the fabric. If those steps could just do themselves, I'd probably have the motivation to work on more things.

It's sad because my list keeps growing, and so does my fabric bin.

>>7424982

Maybe I'll look in to setting up checkpoints and working little by little, this sounds solid.

[Anonymous No.7425177]

>>7424982
anon this is exactly me except sometimes my work doesn't quite get finished in time due to school or last minute commissions.

Having the pieces laid out and materials ready or machine threaded really helps motivate me to get going the next day. I tend to think, "It's just 5 seams" or "I only have to...." and then I realize it's 5 hours later and I've done more than anticipated.

I also take a long time to shop around online and in store for the best materials I can find for the lowest prices. I'm already planning my next 3 cosplays as well. I have lists of what pieces need to be constructed, which supplies I'd potentially need to make them, and the websites/shops/brand names for those. This allows me to keep an eye out for the local availability of those products when I'm shopping and get an idea of prices.

[Anonymous No.7425488]

>>7425032
oh they are, and I know it, but it's procrastination that slightly pays off, as it at least gets some motivation going.

or if I just sit down and convince myself I just need to sew a little bit, I end up doing a whole lot all in one shot; it's like getting into the shower as a kid, you never want to do it until you're doing it, and then you don't want to stop, you know?

[Anonymous No.7425503]

Enjoying the character is what motivates me most.
Every cosplay I've done for the past year or so is just stuff I kind of like the design for, but otherwise just feel personally obligated to do for some reason..
It's weird to explain, but I haven't been enjoying anything lately.
I've recently made the decision to cosplay Nonon Jakuzure, and holy shit that got me excited. The con I'm planning her for isn't for another 4 months, but I've already bought most supplies and I've got the hat completely ready to be put together.

The only downside is that it's not easy to get me excited like that for a cosplay, so I tend to procrastinate a lot if I'm working on something I'm not really passionate about.

[Anonymous No.7430861]

>>7424982
I agree with this post so so much. I absolutely loathe doing stuff last minute and having to take shortcuts, so knowing how long things take is really important, and I LOVE setting little deadlines so I can work on other things. The "must pin now so can sew tomorrow" thing is awesome, I do that all the time.

I've recently (like, last year) stopping entering competitions in my country so I can focus on just doing stuff slowly and well, and it is so much nicer - also if you're doing armour it can help to tackle one piece at a time. I'm working on Sylvanas Windrunner and the breastplate and bracers are 99% done (like painted, sealed, just need rigging), shoulders are blocked together, and once I can rig these on my dressform and just look at how great it looks so far, that will be my motivation to finish the rest. Seriously, getting something to completion is so great, you can sit there and be all like, fuck yeah I MADE THIS better do the rest

[Anonymous No.7430871]

Procrastination is a huge problem for me. I fight it by not fighting it. It's difficult for me to focus hard enough to do things right unless I'm under severe pressure.

Of course, if I have too little time, I get sloppy because I rush. There's a sweet spot in the timeline about two weeks before the con. Plenty of time to get shit done, not enough for me to feel no pressure. I usually start gathering materials and playing with them idly about six months in advance.

I'm not a well-seasoned cosplayer, though, and I don't take it ass seriously as a lot of the ladies here do.

[Anonymous No.7430872]

>>7430871
>ass seriously
Silly typo, I like it.

[Anonymous No.7430875]

>>7430871
You're not the only one, the rush of a deadline motivates me to work my fucking ass off really close to it.

I planned this guy in the pic around 2-3 months in advance, and rush-finished him within 3 days of panic, finishing him at 1am on the first day of the con.