We were lucky to catch up with Tijuana Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tijuana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Being a cosplayer in my 30s means that I have to have some nerves of steel. Oftentimes, family and close friends (and more than plenty of strangers) will assume that my cosplaying is simply some childish waste of time and that I am spending money frivolously instead of saving my funds and spending it wisely. A notable instance would be when a friend of mine messaged me privately to ask why I would spend so much time and money on an outfit that I’m going to wear only once. They also asked if I felt childish wearing a costume that was only meant for Halloween. As much as I wanted to be offended, I also understood that this was a person that cares about me and they were genuinely curious. The best example I was able to give was how many people spend thousands and thousands on the perfect outfit, venue, and accessories for a wedding that they would only have for one day. I also explained that, for me, Halloween is EVERYDAY, and that I actually use my costumes quite frequently- from going to cons and not having to purchase a new outfit, to using them in charitable fundraisers. The conversation ended up sparking my friend’s interest in cosplay and they did their own research. As a result, now they are doing collaborations with me and enjoying themselves! I think that the teaching moment in all of this was that, if you’re uncertain about something, just ask!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a cosplayer by the name of Chocolate Cheri’e Delight on all of my social media platforms. As a single mother, I have to devise new and creative ways to create my props and costumes as affordably as possible. I’ve created boomboxes and large prop swords out of cardboard, necklaces out of play dough, and other assorted props out of hot glue and acrylic paint. I’ve been cosplaying for 3 years now and have over 30 different costumes under my belt thus far. I recently won my city’s Female Cosplayer of the Year award and, to date, I’m most known for my Velma and Rogue costumes. I’ve also been a guest and cosplay judge at a con, have a published children’s book called Uzo and the Bully, and have been published in over 20 publications These publications include calendars, magazines both domestic and internationally, and several articles. I’ve worked very hard over the years to, not only perfect my technique but also to learn new creative techniques that will allow me to further my experiences and do more cosplays! While I am always proud of the work I put out, I think many of my most proud moments are when I get to cosplay with my son! We both enjoy doing our own thing, as many of our interests differ, however, there are several times that we have done cosplays together and it is always so amazing watching him express his creativity in so many unique ways. We also love to bounce ideas off of each other when it comes to creating new props! It’s my favorite form of bonding with him! I think one of the most outstanding characteristics that I have is the love of introducing others into the cosplay world! I have so many friends and family members who have never thought of doing cosplay–that now call me and ask if they can collaborate with me so that I can help them with their looks and, of course, I say yes! I can’t wait to see the group I am working to put together, called Code Bluff, bring other nerds closer so that we can all enjoy being around like-minded individuals!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal with cosplay is to highlight that ANYONE can participate. You don’t have to be the perfect anything–race, size, or gender! I watched for years as others would showcase their cosplay skills at conventions and wanted to badly to be in the “right body” to also participate. When I finally let go of all of the walls and obstacles that I built up for myself to convince me to NOT do it, I became one of my own wildest dreams!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A very hard lesson that I had to unlearn was that I would never be good enough. One of the things holding me back was that I didn’t think that I would be as good as any of the other cosplayers who were in the game and that I would get laughed at and ridiculed. When I finally started to cosplay, I tried to keep to relatively simple costumes. As I got more confident and the more skills I learned, I began to take chances and step out of my comfort zone. The more I succeeded, the more I tried new things. When I was able to slow down and take a look back, my successes far outweighed my feelings of not being good enough. Since then, I look at how much progress and success I’ve had and it warms my heart that I never gave up.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolatecheriedelight/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChocolateCherieDelight
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChocoCherieD
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChocolateCherieDelight
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@chocolatecheriedelight?_t=8hHCL3MyR5e&_r=1
Image Credits
Ashanti Blair, founder of Shun B. Images