All That Matters Is How You See Yourself: Awesome Con 2021!

I went to the awesome Awesome Con in Washington DC. Yes, it was awesome. The first in person Awesome Con since the pandemic. One of the panels I attended was called “Cosplay Is Limitless”, hosted by the Philadelphia Avengers. I wasn’t expecting much from this session, just some fun cosplay tips and ideas. 

But what I got instead was a powerful lesson about self identity and colorblind acceptance. The group showed the meme above, of a little boy wearing a cardboard box and holding flashlights, but his shadow is Iron Man. The meme says, “All that matters is how you see yourself.” 

The Philadelphia Avengers, especially Lady J, shared how they dress as whatever characters they want, regardless of their race, gender, body type, or whatever other “social norms” might usually prevent them from wearing the costumes they want. Even more amazing, the cosplay group admonished the participants to respond with kindness when trolls make fun of them for not looking exactly like their characters. Your weight, your gender, your ethnicity — they shouldn’t stop you from doing what you want to do.

What a powerful message. Not just for cosplay, but for life. We are all working to improve ourselves and to self actualize. This concept was further emphasized when we went to the Pride Squadron session and they talked about their philosophies of cosplay, which mirrors their mantras in life. Live your dreams! Be who you want to be! Make your life whatever you want it to be. And all that other good juju stuff. Everything is AWESOME!

To celebrate diversity and self actualization, here are some fun cosplay highlights from Awesome Con 2021!

All that matters is how you see yourself.