Meet Ren | Cosplayer & Student Dentist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ren and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ren, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
For me, success lies in the moment you prove to yourself you were capable all along. To realize that to some degree, you’ve made it further than .you thought you could go.
My cosplay journey began with a love for video games and anime. When I was younger, I often attended popular conventions such as ComicCon as a casual fan. However, In 2019, I discovered the world of cosplay crafting. I had a spark of creativity and decided to try my hand at making my costume. I’ve always been an artsy person, so honestly, it started as a project to test the waters and see if it was something I enjoyed.

Fast forward to now, I’ve met so many wonderful people with whom my work resonated. I was able to build not just a social media following but a community. When I truly realized those things, cosplaying became much more than just a hobby to test the waters. With success came a sense of pride in my vision and a desire to keep evolving my art. It was fulfillment.

So I guess success can look like many things. But most importantly to me, it is reaching a point where your work feels fulfilling.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So, I am a ‘cosplayer’ a fancy term used by nerds who like playing dress-up. Cosplay is such an interesting world to dive into because it speaks to such a variety of people. It is so accessible and cool– you can jump in at any level and have a great time. All you need is a little free time and a slight obsession with a fictional character and you’re in there.

The cosplay community has so many different creatives interpreting the collective experience of growing up on the same media. It is truly so cool to see the ways cosplayers express themselves, their interpretations and original ideas can be incredibly unique. If I had to say, I think one thing that allowed me to carve my little corner into the community is the creative eye present in my photos. I consume a LOT of different music and media and I think that gives me a bit of a multidisciplinary approach. Unless otherwise credited, I creatively direct and shoot my cosplays. So this includes things like set design, outfit selection, music, video, etc. I actively like to draw my inspiration from many things–the more uncanny the better.

I have also used cosplay to highlight my craftsmanship. I’ve made & sewn entire cosplays from scratch (see. “Menat”) and I’ve enjoyed just doing the prop-making (see “Shizuku”). I see crafting as an extension of my vision and am not afraid to dive into learning a new technique to materialize an idea. In general, I think I have a good ability to put my twist on things and people seem to appreciate that.

Cosplaying has taught me so much. I learned to sew, craft with EVA foam, make custom stickers, and use a DSLR–the list is honestly so long. More importantly, cosplay is especially precious to me in that it helped me reunite with old friends, make new ones, and be okay with putting myself out there to exist in the world. Cosplay taught me how to allow myself to be truly seen and I will always love it for that reason. I am super grateful for everyone who has shown enthusiasm for my work because it is truly an expression of myself,

As much as I’d like it to be, cosplay is not my full-time job–I am currently in school to become a dentist. But, I believe having cosplay as my hobby has made me so much more of a well-rounded person. I have the confidence in myself to redirect my energies into things that fulfill me even when life gets hard. That is not an easy thing to find, but I am glad I managed to discover it in something as cool as cosplay.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve never been to LA– I am the friend in this scenario– but I’m hoping one of my cosplay friends will let me snag a spot on their couch for a bit after I graduate. 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To anyone with siblings, this may sound like a surprise but I’d actually like to shout out my older brothers! I wouldn’t be the big nerd I am today without their introduction of the anime, video games, and shows I love and have drawn inspiration from.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rxnegon

Twitter: www.x.com/rxnegon

Other: username on IG & Twitter/X = @rxnegon (In case I typed any links incorrectly)

Image Credits
Image credits belong to me, Ren (@rxnegon)