We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chelsea Hornsby. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with chelsea below.

Hi Chelsea, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I met my husband in mid-2021, and he helped spark my love for cosplay! I grew up in theatre in middle and high school and some community theatre in college. I worked haunted trails doing sfx make up and set design, which sparked my love of creating things. When I met Levi, he introduced me to the world of cosplay! I built my first cosplay in 2021, which was Erza Scarlet from Fairytail. It took me 8-weeks and over a hundred hours of work to complete this build. My biggest obstacle has been my ADHD. It makes things difficult to focus on and complete tasks in a timely manner. I find that picking one part of a project on work on at a time absolutely helps the building/creative process. I think I’ve learned at exactly the speed I needed to, as this craft isn’t static. It always changes. My skills of time management have always been crucial. I can hyperfocus on a task and have it completed in no time, however that leaves me little room to focus on other aspects of a costume.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started my love of costuming in middle school and high school theatre. I did one show per semester, so two shows a school year. Then I found haunted trails, where I started my work in special effects makeup and set design/story telling. I then left home for college, where I got into college theatre and the local community theatre in town. In 2021, I met my (now) husband who introduced me to the world of cosplay. Here, I found a love for making my own costumes and designing my own characters. I learned how to use new mediums of crafting, to build something wearable and presentable to the convention world. For myself, I build costumes from fabric, eva foam, worbla, and other materials. For others, I help with building props and styling wigs. I also do digital art, to make logos and stickers/decals for people! The piece I am most proud of is my 2021 Erza Scarlet Black Wing Armor build, that I placed first in Novice at OkiCon 2021 in! I am also proud of the logos I’ve made for friends. The main thing I want people to know is that everything I make is made with the love of a true friend. They can carry something made with pride and respect to the craft and that makes my heart truly happy!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is when someone recognizes my character or my work. It’s truly humbling to be called out in public for the work you do!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

A lot of what I’ve learned and implemented, I learned from Kamui Cosplay on Youtube. Her videos taught me everything I know about EVA foam, and building a massive armor piece! She is someone I recommend to anyone that asks how I know how to make something!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @SithPrincess_Cosplays
• Facebook: SithPrincess_cosplays

Image Credits

BFG Captures, Squirrelly Jedi Photography, RKarch Photography