From sketchbooks to finished props, the work between cons is where cosplay becomes yours.

cosplay between conventions

There's a particular kind of quiet that happens after a convention ends. The rush of walking the floor, the photos, the conversations with strangers who suddenly feel like friends, all fade into the gentle rhythm of everyday life. But if you're like many of us, that's when the real work begins. This is the season for cosplay between conventions, when you're not performing or posing but building, planning, and learning what it takes to bring your vision to life.

This week, we're talking about the small, meaningful practice of documenting your work. Not for Instagram or for a portfolio, though those things matter too. We're talking about making something just for yourself, something that helps you understand what you're creating and why.

A few weeks ago, I watched a cosplayer named Morgan sit down at her kitchen table with a fresh notebook and a stack of printed photos from the convention she'd just left. She wasn't cataloging her wins or planning her next big build. Instead, she was doing something quieter: she was mapping out her next costume by looking back at what she'd already made.

Morgan had spent the last six months building an elaborate armor set for a character she loves. It wasn't her first costume, but it was the first time she'd documented every step. She'd taken photos of the foam, the paint tests, the moments when something didn't work and she had to start over. Between conventions, she'd kept a simple journal: sketches on one page, a list of materials on the next, photos of the finished pieces clipped and taped in.

When she sat down with that notebook after the convention, something clicked. She could see exactly how long certain techniques had taken. She could see which paint colors had held up best under the con lights and which ones had faded. She could see the small decisions that had added up to something she was genuinely proud of wearing. And more than that, she could see what she wanted to do differently next time.

"I realized I was spending so much energy worrying about whether I was doing it 'right,'" Morgan told me, "that I wasn't actually paying attention to what I was learning. Once I started writing it down, taking pictures of the process, it stopped being this vague thing I was stressing about and became something real. Something I could actually learn from."

That's the gift of documenting your work between conventions. It doesn't have to be fancy. Morgan's journal is a mix of sketches, printed photos, and handwritten notes. Some cosplayers use digital templates or Canva to organize their build books. Others keep it even simpler, a single page focused on the full costume with a quick sketch and a checklist of materials. The format doesn't matter nearly as much as the practice of paying attention to your own process.

When you document what you're building, you're not just keeping a record. You're having a conversation with yourself about your craft. You're noticing what works, what takes longer than expected, what brings you joy. You're building the kind of knowledge that no tutorial can give you, because it's specific to your hands, your tools, your vision. And that knowledge compounds. Each costume you document teaches you something for the next one.

We'd love to hear about how you approach the work between conventions. What does your process look like when you're building or planning a new costume? Do you keep notes, sketches, photos, or something else entirely? And if you haven't documented your work before, what's one small thing you might try this season?

Here are three questions we're curious about:

1. What's one thing you learned from a previous cosplay that changed how you approach building now?

2. Do you keep any kind of record of your work in progress, and if so, what format works best for you?

3. Is there a cosplay skill or technique you're working on right now, and how are you planning to tackle it before your next convention?

February and March are prime time for smaller regional meetups and early spring conventions. Whether you're looking for a casual gathering with other makers or a full convention experience, there's likely something happening near you. Here are a few events worth checking out:

• Maker Faire Northeast, March 2026, Boston, Massachusetts. Hands-on crafting and creative community showcase.
• Anime Expo Local, February 2026, Los Angeles, California. Regional anime and cosplay celebration.
• Spring Costume Con, March 2026, Atlanta, Georgia. Costume-focused gathering with workshops and panel discussions.
• Comic Arts Festival, February 2026, Portland, Oregon. Art, comics, and cosplay in one walkable event.
• Retro Gaming Fest, March 2026, Austin, Texas. Nostalgia-driven convention with classic character cosplay.
• Craft & Cosplay Meetup, February 2026, Denver, Colorado. Informal gathering for builders and makers.

If you know someone in your cosplay circle who's in the thick of a build right now, or who's been thinking about documenting their work, please forward this to them. This is a conversation we want to keep growing, and we'd love to hear from more makers about how they approach the work between cons.

Hit reply and tell us where you are in your own cosplay season. Are you in the planning phase? Mid-build on something ambitious? Just finished a costume and reflecting on what you learned? Or are you taking a break and recharging before the next push? We want to hear about it. This newsletter is meant to be a space where we talk to each other, not just a bulletin board of announcements.

Your experience matters, and so does your story. Write back.

Reply with your stories, photos, and questions for a future issue.