A kid at the con said my armor was 'better than the real one' because it was made from stuff

I was at GalaxyCon Raleigh last weekend, showing off my cobbled-together Mandalorian kit. A boy, maybe 10, pointed at my chest plate and asked his dad if it was real metal. When I told him it was just foam floor mats and spray paint, his face lit up and he said, 'That's way better... you can make anything.' It hit different because I'd been stressing over all the details I couldn't afford to get right. His comment made me realize the whole point is the making, not the money. Anyone else have a moment that changed how you see your own builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayes.lee1mo ago

Oh man, that's the best kind of con moment! I was once fussing over some messy glue lines on a prop, and a little girl just went, "Wow, you built that?" She didn't see the mistakes at all, she just saw something someone made with their hands. It totally flipped a switch for me. Now when I'm building, I try to remember that sense of wonder is the real goal, not some perfect finish. That kid got it right, you really can make anything.

murray.betty1mo ago

My friend was so stressed about his first cosplay armor, kept pointing out every tiny scratch. Then at the con, this older guy stopped him, eyes all wide, and asked how he shaped the chest plate. Just totally focused on the craft, not a single flaw. My friend said it was like all the worry just melted away. He still talks about that guy.

aaron_flores843d ago

That part about "the sense of wonder is the real goal" is so true. I read an interview with a prop maker once who said people at cons don't see the hours of sanding. They see the cool thing that came from nothing. They're looking at the whole piece, not the tiny flaws you're stuck on. It's like when you watch a movie, you're not looking for the seams in the special effects. You just want to believe in the thing for a minute.