We were lucky to catch up with Mariah Winchell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mariah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

When I was 12, I had fallen in love with the world of anime and manga. I spent all my free hours watching these beautiful, heartbreaking, hilarious stories of these characters and each show I watched resonated with me in so many ways. When I found out there were others in my community who also loved anime, I started attending the local library’s anime club every week! One day, one of the club members asked if I was going to Anime Spark, a tiny little convention in my town that was happening in a couple months. They explained that it’s a place where thousands of anime fans come together and celebrate with panels, artists booths, and lots of cosplay!

I grew up knowing too well the meaning of a dollar, and each one went to bills and trying to keep the roof over our heads. So when I asked my dad if I could go, I sweetened the deal by offering to buy my own ticket. He agreed, and to this day I think he said yes only because he thought I couldn’t raise the money.

Sorry dad, but never underestimate a rabid 12 year old anime fan.

I set to work with my trusty needle and thread and used the fabric from old blankets and tee shirts to make hair bows! I had three different sizes and used paint to add patterns to make them stand out, and used the change in my piggy bank to buy ribbon and lace from the dollar store to add that final touch. I worked all night after school each day until I had amassed a small army of hairbows for the next anime club meeting.

With my product in hand, I set up a table in the corner of the room and announced to my club that I was open for business. In hindsight, selling to a room full of pre-teens may not have been my best marketing move. But my club came through for me, and I sold every single one of my hairbows!

All those hours hunched over on my bedroom floor pricking myself with my needle and crying because the thread won’t do it’s job suddenly didn’t matter anymore. People loved my hairbows, something I made with my own two hands to the point they were giving me their allowance to buy one! It was a euphoric feeling and incredibly eye opening. My passion for cosplay and crafting was awakened, and it’s only grown and matured along with me.

And yes, I had an amazing time at Anime Spark, especially knowing that I earned every penny for that ticket.

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.

My name is Mariah Winchell, or better known as DawnStarCosplays! I am a Midwest convention and cosplay veteran, having attended 20+ conventions as well as cosplaying and honing my craft over the last 14 years. I have over 30+ cosplay under my belt as well as multiple cosplay commissions.

I started my cosplay journey when I was twelve and fell into a rabbit hole after playing Kingdom Hearts II for the first time. I fell in love with the characters and story and became hyperfixated on this game. When I found out that there’s a massive community of people that dress up as these characters, I knew I had found my new creative outlet. I’ve always been a creative kid to the point I was outgrowing sketch books and basic arts and crafts that I was loosing passion in my art. Cosplay was the spark that re-ignited my passion for craft and costume, and it’s been a life changing experience!

When it comes to making my cosplay, once I decide the character I’m going to represent there isn’t much that can stop me from achieving my goal. Meaning that my first cosplay was a Heartless from Kingdom Hearts, with a black inside out hoodie and pipe cleaners attached to my glasses. I even made a keyblade out of cardboard, spray paint, and the metal pole from a car jack.

What I’m most proud of isn’t one of my costumes. Mostly because I couldn’t decide which is my favorite, but more so because I’m proud of myself.

My personal journey has been a constant uphill battle to make it where I am today. I’m a fat, queer woman who loves dressing up in weird outfits on top of being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. The cards have been stacked against me since day one, but in the silver lining, I have a unique perspective on overcoming challenges and embracing one’s identity through cosplay. I aim to inspire others in the plus-size and LGBTQ+ communities to celebrate their love for cosplay and embrace their own path to self love and acceptance.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Shortly after graduating high school, I had to drop out of college because my financial aid didn’t cover my housing, and I couldn’t even afford gas to get to my classes. I packed up during Christmas break and had to leave much of my belongings behind since I could only take what fit in my car.

Since I had no other choice, my boyfriend’s family kindly offered to host me at their place until I was able to stand on my own two feet. The only issue, however, was that they were two hours away from the rest of the family. I had nowhere else to turn to even after trying those I was sure could help me. It made me feel very resentful and lost because people I considered friends had let me down, or turned their backs on me, including family.

Cosplay has always been my way of escaping, but it was my savior during that time. In the small single room I used to share with my then-boyfriend, now a husband of mine, I enjoyed making things out of the scrap fabric and paint that I was able to carry with me. It became an important way of self-soothing.

Even today, cosplay is like a safe place for me. There are days when I get so tired that I just want to run into my room and work on my cosplay and make something with my two hands. Cosplay reminds me of how strong I am, and how I have been able to turn my life around and make something beautiful with it, in and out of cosplay.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Body shaming, especially in cosplay, is a two-way street which is a hard lesson I had to unlearn. For a long time, I thought burlesque or sexy cosplay was not ‘real’ cosplay, which is a toxic and outdated way of thinking. But this set of beliefs came from a young teenage girl who was unhappy with how she looked and felt about her own body.

I remember resenting the way I looked and being jealous of the fact that others loved themselves and flaunted their bodies in these types of cosplay. As a pre-teen absorbed in the early 2000’s internet, I latched onto judgement anonymous comments full of shared hatred for these types of cosplay because it made me feel seen, that I’m right for thinking the same insensitive way. All because I couldn’t love myself in my own body, and I didn’t know how for so long.

Self love is a lesson we are all learning, and I’m thankful I have gotten past that chapter in my life and moved past that toxic mindset. There should be no body censorship of how people want to embody the characters they love. Ultimately, cosplay is about expressing yourself and celebrating the characters you love, regardless of how that expression looks. Everyone should feel free to participate in a way that makes them comfortable, and it’s crucial for us to embrace diversity within the community instead of putting each other down.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dawnstarcosplays.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/dawnstarcosplays

Image Credits

MixMediaMae (Senshi, Lucifer, Dodo)