We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alia Pyatt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alia, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
I earned my first dollar as a creative shortly after Black Panther came out. I was one of the few Dora Milaje cosplayers and I was hired to stand guard as a Black Panther themed science summer camp for kids. My payment for the day fully covered the cost of making my cosplay plus some extra and I was amazed that I could make money just by being a crafty nerd! My goal from that point was to make enough to cover cosplay since it was an expensive hobby. That goal soon developed to being able to create full time!
Alia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m currently a full time content creator with some hosting and modeling on the side. I got into this field through cosplay. I started out making my own costumes, attending conventions, and doing photoshoots and videos in character. In 2020 I had a video of my 1997 Cinderella cosplay go viral and it really grew my following and brought me many opportunities! My content has grown from cosplay to include fashion, coverage of events and restaurants, and fashion and art history. Because of the friends and connections I’ve made through cosplay I’ve gotten opportunities to host panels at conventions, attend red carpets, and attend out of state conventions. I love hosting and dream of hosting events, and maybe even tv shows one day.
I’m proud at how much I have grown but even more proud that at my core my mission is still the same. I continue to spread positivity in my content and represent the Black community and body positive community wherever I go.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
It is super important for society to support artists and creatives especially since we are often undervalued. Supporting can be as simple as sharing the work of your favorite creative and it’s completely free! When you can purchase their art, and support their projects. And most importantly, for those in charge of budgets or business owners, pay your creatives for their work! You wouldn’t ask your marketing department to work for free, so why would you ask a content creator?
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
It’s not exactly a resource but more of a method. The method is to simply ask! Shoot your shot! You never know if a brand is willing to work with you or if a company is willing to hire you if you don’t put yourself out there and ask. Most companies have their contact info in their bio so you can easily reach out or you can often get in touch through DM.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://magicalblackgirlal.wixsite.com/alia
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicalblackgirlalia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magicalblackgirlcosplay
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alia-pyatt-a10a40116/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/magicalblkalia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aboltofmagic/
Image Credits
Jazmin LaShae Photo JaW Images Kaystyn Brett Royal Film