Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooklyn Hammond.
Brooklyn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story begins outside of Georgia in a small town west of Detroit, Michigan where I grew up. I was always really into video games and cartoons and began to learn more about anime and cosplay through the internet. I found out that a local comic con, Motor City Comic Con 2010, was occurring soon, so I decided to cosplay as Tails from the ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ series. My costume was mainly yellow clothes I had bought from the store, as well as some homemade fox ears and tails. Although it wasn’t much of a costume, I was enthralled by my experience. That following year, I and my group of friends all went as different Sonic the Hedgehog characters. I helped make all of their costumes (again, mostly store-bought), and hand sewed all of their accessories. We had commissioned an artist to draw our group, and I still have that drawing to this day!
Summer of 2011, I had moved from Detroit to Atlanta, Georgia. I was having a hard time adjusting to my new life and felt very isolated. I had heard at school of a convention coming up called Dragon Con, and immediately decided I wanted to check it out. I pulled together a Charmander costume and thought it would be super small like the comic con I had been to before. I was extremely wrong. My Dad and I were astounded by the incredible costumes, legendary guests, and impressive dealers. I quickly realized that the cosplay community of Atlanta was something I wanted to be a part of. From then on, I devoted almost all of my free time to learning all aspects of cosplay. Between being an honors student and working part-time, cosplay became something to keep me motivated. I challenged myself more and more with complex costumes, such as Kaname Madoka and Nowi. The craftsmanship that goes into cosplay helped me learn so many valuable skills. Although there were definitely times I wanted to give up, I persevered on and ended up making costumes I was proud of.
I took a break from mid 2016-mid 2018 in order to focus on university. I am an Animation major, as well as an RA for my school, so between academics and finances, I had to separate myself from my passion. I fell into a bad state of my life, and my friends encouraged me to begin cosplaying again (love you guys). The first costume I made since my hiatus was Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening, and I remembered what made me love this hobby so much. It was also the hardest costume I have made but compared to where I was before I am extremely proud of myself. Now, I am working on many projects and attending conventions such as Momocon, Anime Weekend Atlanta, Katsucon, and Holiday Matsuri. I’ve become very attached to My Hero Academia, and have made several costumes from that anime. My favorite of the ones I have done is Froppy, and I was even able to do a photo shoot as her at the Georgia Aquarium! Cosplaying again has not only given me something to work towards, but has introduced me to so many people that I consider close friends. I’ve really enjoyed branching out and attending so many different conventions across America! Ten years ago, I would have never imagined that a simple costume would turn into the second part of my life; or even remotely where I am today. I’ve been extremely blessed with all the love and support I have received over the past year. Everyone’s kindness and generosity has inspired me to continue what I love, and I hope to grow more and more with my skills and content.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With anything you are passionate about, it’s never easy. I suppose artists are some of the most critical people about their own work. My biggest struggle with cosplay is that I want everything to be absolutely perfect; to the point that I am suffering from it. I beat myself up constantly if something is not exactly how I wanted it to turn out. Again, there have been countless times I have gotten frustrated and wanted to give up. Things not going right, money wasted, not liking how it looks on me, etc. But something about telling people that I had made what I am wearing brings me so much joy. That kept me going through all of the hardships, and ultimately finish something I learn to love. Now, I have learned to accept that it is ok to make mistakes and have something not turn out quite right. We are only human and not machines. Something I have begun doing too is commissioning different props from different artists in the community, and that has taken a lot of stress away from me! Although I am someone who loves organization and time management, it can also make me very nervous when something is not done exactly when I need it to be. Learning to accept taking an easier route in making a costume piece so that I do not fall behind has also benefited me significantly. I also can be very self-conscious with how I look, so that can discourage me sometimes from cosplaying certain characters. But, again I am learning to accept who I am and love the way I look.
Additionally, cosplay can become a very expensive hobby. I am a full-time student and work two different jobs that help support my education, so I do not have a large income. I also do not use Patreon or promote my Ko-Fi often; so it can be difficult to afford going to conventions and making costumes. There are now many small online stores that sell cosplay supplies for pretty cheap, as well as coupons that help me save money at different local stores! But, I do have to be very cautious with projects I commit to doing, and make difficult decisions to better my bank account. In the end, I have learned a lot of financial lessons from cosplay that have carried over to my everyday life. Budgeting and patience have been some of the biggest ones.
Tell us about your business. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
My cosplay accounts on social media have been around for a while, but my Instagram seems to be the most active within this recent year. I began using social media for cosplay back in 2013, but only started using it more recently. I cosplay primarily characters from anime and video games, but I have cosplayed from a variety of shows. Some of my favorite series to cosplay from is My Hero Academia and Fire Emblem, but I am looking to expand into a lot more different genres! I wouldn’t really say I specialize in anything specific, but I really enjoy cosplay makeup and making cute but complicated costumes. Some of my favorite costumes I have done are Uravity and Nowi, which were both very complicated costumes to make. I said a while back that with each costume I make, I want my mobility to be even more limited… which I have stayed pretty true too. None of my costumes are easy to walk in, and I get comments while walking around conventions where people notice my struggles. So, I suppose I specialize in that. I’m most proud of my dedication to what I do and taking on very long convention days/schedules. If I were to pick something that sets me apart from others, it would have to be how short I am. I’m 4’11”, so even with heels, I am a very small person. This can be super fun for photoshoots and cosplaying with friends!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My definition of success is being proud of where you are at with your passion. There is no number or achievement that can justify success if you are not happy with what you are doing. I see myself as successful because I have seen my improvement over the past few years and that I keep pushing myself more and more despite how busy I may be. I absolutely adore what I do, and that makes me feel successful. If I had to pick a characteristic that makes me feel the most successful, it is my ability to bounce back. As I mentioned earlier, I had a very difficult time in my life that took me away from cosplaying. As soon as I realized this is what I needed to be doing, I quickly came back to the community. With this, I have met so many amazing people and have been given incredible opportunities. I guess there are several different things that have made me feel successful. I am very happy with where I am, what I have accomplished, and where I plan to be.
Contact Info:
- Email: honeyrabbiit@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyrabbiit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoneyRabbiitCosplay/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/honeyrabbiit
Image Credit:
World of Gwendana, Rosson Photography, Arcane Shutter Photography, Candid John Kim, Javier Perez Photography
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