Please introduce yourself – what’s your cosplay name, where are you from, how long have you been cosplaying?

Hi, I’m Birdy from Vilnius, Lithuania. I started cosplaying in 2015. (yes,  yes a nooooob)

How did you start cosplaying? What was you first costume?

Ahh,  long story short… I was always afraid that I’m not talented / thin / pretty enough for cosplay. And, to be honest, those thoughts kept me away from cosplaying for a few years.. but then I saw Shingeki No Kyojin  (Attack on Titan) anime and was linke “ ahh,  sc**w it,  I want to cosplay that character no matter what. So that’s how my Petra Ral was born.

Do you have your favorite costume? If yes – what is it and why?

Probably my favorite costume is my last one  – Triss Merigold from Witcher 3 (Wild Hunt). Why?  Because it’s super comfy, also, that hand stitching hell was more than worth it when I saw the final result.

What part of this hobby/life style do you like the most? Why?

I love how this hobby always makes you go an extra mile, explore and learn something new. It’s impossible to stay at the same level; you always want to learn more.

Another fascinating thing about cosplay is it’s complexity. It’s all in one: sewing, crafting, casting, wig making and styling, makeup, electronics, even acting skills. It’s amazing!

Why cosplay is important for you?

It’s a huge part of my life. Sometimes it’s the only thing which keeps me going, as creating something new is the best motivation.

How do you choose characters that you cosplay?

Oh, it’s quite easy. You just see the character and *BAM* you know that you definitely must do it. No matter how impossible it looks from the first (or 10001) sight.

Do you have any funny stories or accidents related to cosplay?

The funniest story from cosplay so far is, that almost always people mix me with a guy, when I’m wearing my Scorpion from Mortal Kombat costume. It’s kinda a compliment, but still funny how they react when they finally realize  that I’m not a dude 🙂

What would you say for people who thinks that cosplay is pointless waist of time and money?

Try it once. Then we’ll talk 😀 (whispers: addiction)

How much time do you usually spend on one costume? What was the longest time you spent on one costume and which costume it was?

Oh, it really depends on the character! There are cosplays that I make in 2 days because maybe they just got casual clothes (such as MJ from Spiderman) and there are very difficult ones that take me from months to 1 year and more (like the two costumes from Pokemon Conquest I made for WCS prelims and finals, or Aloy, which took me 1 full year!)

The longest time I spent one making a costume was with  my Mercy from Overwatch. It took me around 8 or 9months. It was my second costume that I made from scratch. There was a lot of panicking, trying new techniques and learning a lot of things. Totally worth it!

What would you consider to be the biggest achievement in you cosplay career?

If we are talking about the wins , then obviously it’s ‘The best of the best ‘ title at Comic Con Baltics 2017 and the opportunity to go to the San Diego International comic con.

But for me personally, the biggest achievement in cosplay is that I’m always learning something new and that I have the opportunity to meet new people.

What would you advice or whish for people who want to start cosplaying, but for unknown reasons are afraid or just don’t know where to start?

JUST DO ITTTTT! Seriously, don’t waste your time thinking how much you want to do it. Yes, maybe at first it won’t look perfect, but trust me, it will get better each time 🙂