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

Peachy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Before committing to cosplay and content full-time, I actually worked in tech for nearly ten years. I mostly worked for small software-as-a-service companies, doing everything from network administration to Web design to account management. I always did cosplay on the side — after work, and on weekends — even though it was difficult to juggle it all with a full time 9-to-5 job. After a while, it began to take a toll on my mental health and happiness. I was making good money, but stretched very thin and generally unhappy with the industry.

In late 2023, I was laid off as part of some larger restructuring (due in part to the wave of tech layoffs that year) and was finally left with no choice but to dive head first into content full time while I looked for work, and I’ve been keeping it up ever since, and I’ve felt much more fulfilled. I’m still open to returning to tech someday, but I’ll always be a creative at heart.

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.

Ever since I was in middle school, I’d been a huge fan of anime and video games and always dreamed of going to anime conventions. I’d stay up late watching cosplay skits on Youtube, learning anime dances, and reading any scrap of manga I could get my hands on.

Finally in 2011, I was able to attend my first anime convention — Youmacon, in my home state of Michigan. I threw together a ragtag closet cosplay of Aigis from my favorite game (Persona 3), and fell absolutely in love with the con scene. Finding connections with other people who shared my (at the time) VERY niche interest lit a fire in my heart, and all I could think about was going back to another event. For me, that’s the real motivator to keep cosplaying. I wanted nothing more than to connect to others who shared my interests and show them that they’re not alone, there are so many more like us! That may sound odd in 2025 since anime and video games are much more mainstream now, but in the early 2000’s and 2010’s, it felt incredibly rare to meet anyone who had even heard of anime.

I still heavily pride myself on making authentic connections with people I meet at events, and cosplaying from series I genuinely care about.

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to represent yourself 100% authentically and choose your own path.

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

When I first started posting my cosplays online, I received a ton of negative comments and harassment around my weight and body type — often saying I was “too fat” to cosplay certain characters. For a while, this really dug at me but after some time I realized that the best thing I can do for myself and others like me is to keep doing it. Keep showing up. Keep representing myself, my weight, my body type, honestly and publicly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/peachypopcosplay
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/peachypopcos
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/peachypopcosplay
• Twitter: https://x.com/peachypop_cos

Image Credits

David Ngo (@DTJAAAAM), Soul Studios, Reprise Photography, Kads Baker (@photosbykads)