Laughing Rat Cosplay

Had you asked me fifteen years ago "What are you going to do for fun in your adulthood?" I probably would not have answered "Dress up in silly outfits and compete against other people in silly outfits to see whose outfit is silliest". Yet here I am. A passionate reader and holder of degrees in English and Latin, I've always been someone with only a grudging relationship with reality, and cosplay gives me the opportunity to transport myself into another identity and exercise my drive to create and learn. I started costuming about four years ago and started sewing three years ago. Last year, on a whim, I began studying the history of fan costuming and now give talks on the development of the hobby at various nerdy conventions throughout the Midwest. Apart from cosplay, I'm also a self-taught knitter, avid daydreamer, and exasperated mom of over a dozen pet rats.