Meet Emily Boe | Artist & Content Creator

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

Hi Emily, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I think one of the biggest struggles of being an artist, especially one who makes their a living sharing their work online, is maintaining solid mental health. Art is inherently vulnerable, and putting it on the internet for anyone to comment on, critique, discuss, etc. is incredibly scary. It becomes a sort of catch-22 because a lot of us need to share our work on social media in order to pay our bills, but there will always be a handful of folks with something negative to say, bringing us down and killing our motivation. I think that having a good support system outside of work, along with health self-esteem, is necessary.

I talk like I’ve got it figured out, but in truth, I’m still trying to find my personal footing when dealing with mental health online. I’m thankful to have loving family and friends, as well as acquaintances in the industry who have been through the same struggles, to help guide me.

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.
I started out making costumes and props for fun, mostly because I had all of these “nerdy” interests (Star Wars, Marvel, Game of Thrones, etc.) that I didn’t really have an outlet for. I grew up — like a lot of people — just wanting to fit in. I guess I perceived being a fan of these movies and characters to be a little uncool (a word I’ve now retired from my dictionary). And so, a large part of me was looking for some sort of creative expression for these interests. Finding the cosplay and prop-making community was like a breath of fresh air. There’s so many people in the community who are unapologetically themselves, and it’s awesome. It was very healing for me to be immersed in, personally.

When my hobby started to transition into a career, at first, I was a little hesitant. I’ve had hobbies become jobs before, and honestly, the pressure of having to make money from something I love, ruined it for me for a long time. So when making content around cosplay and prop-making started to seem like a viable career path, I knew I had to start out with strong, foundational work-life boundaries. It’s been nearly 2 years now of art and content creation being my full-time job, and so far, I think I’ve been able to find a good balance.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh my goodness, I love this question. I’m a huge Stephen King fan, and I would definitely be taking them up to Estes Park — about an hour drive from Denver — to visit the legendary Stanley Hotel, where King was inspired to write The Shining. It’s a gorgeous, historic hotel where you can do haunted tours and spend a few nights taking in the Rocky Mountains. Hopefully whoever’s visiting has the same idea of fun as me, haha.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my parents, Allison and Bryan, who have always encouraged me to blaze a trail for myself, even if that means whacking through some tough brush to make my proverbial path. My parents are both trailblazers themselves who have taught me the value of owning your work, carving out your own space in this world, and being unafraid of discomfort. I owe all of who I am today to them!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universeofemily/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@universeofemily/

Image Credits
The photo of me as Fennec Shand, where I am holding the orange helmet, is by @worldofgwendana (https://www.instagram.com/worldofgwendana/)