Caleb from Caleb Cosplays
This month, we're thrilled to shine the spotlight on Caleb from Caleb Cosplays as our Maker of the Month!
Caleb has been creating all his life, channeling his passion into crafting award-winning costumes in under a year. His dedication and skill have not only earned him accolades but also a platform where he teaches workshops and competes in competitions.
Join us in celebrating Caleb's incredible journey and remarkable talent!
Now it's time for a little Q&A, let's go!
1. How long have you been creating and how did you get started?
I have been creating in different ways since I was a kid! I got my first sewing machine in 4th grade but really got addicted to making things doing robotics in high school and then really getting into Cosplay as a hobby in college. While I have only been cosplaying for a year now all of the crafting experiences through my life have really helped me to learn costume making skills quickly and to be able to create award winning costumes in under a year!
2. What is/are your favorite Surebonder product(s):
My favorite Surebonder products are their mini hot glue guns (I own 25 of them… for teaching workshops) and their variety of glue sticks available for them! I can glue together almost anything from foam, fur, fabric, wood, 3D printed parts, etc. together and it cools fast so I don’t have to wait to keep creating!
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3. What inspires you to create? What do you love most and what is the hardest part about the creative process?:
I love creating because of the challenges and the learnings that come with it! Every project I pick up to do often requires learning new skills and while I may mess it up the first few times I know that with practice, I can make anything I can imagine! It’s so fun having an idea on paper then being able to make it to interact with and share with others!
I love Perlertricks and the things he creates, he uses a lot of perler beads to create amazing costumes and make things that don’t look like they should be real or possible!
5. How do you manage and overcome creative burnout?:
I think it’s important to take breaks and also focus on what you want to create! Being creative for the sake of others is really hard, but I have found by making what I really enjoy and sticking to those things instead of only what’s popular it really helps me to burn out less!
6. Have you experienced a fail? How did you work through it and what did you learn?:
I have experienced many fails from trying new techniques and breaking things and having to start over. I've even tried to glue things together with epoxy and found out that I didn't mix it enough because props fell apart as I’m walking to the stage, but I have learned that people are normally always willing to help others when issues arise. I have also learned that sometimes it’s good to create things, test them and try them out to see how they work and what might need to be fixed or maybe a new YouTube video that needs to be watched before I truly bring out a new project to share with everyone!
7. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started?:
I would say the hardest part is you just have to start! I know it’s super intimidating with everyone posting some amazing things, but if you scroll back and see what I made when I was starting it was not the prettiest, but it was the best I could do at that time and people still loved it! Once you take the first step and make that first thing, even if it’s not perfect or the way you want it to be before people see it, just go for it and I know people will love where your creativity takes you!!
8. What’s next for you? (a new project? a new technique? a new venture?):
I have a few projects I'm working on! The biggest being making Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon 3 and learning to work with foam clay for the first time plus it will be my first big armor build. I also want to learn more about working with all of the different materials that are out there because as I have learned more about the things you can create with, it has made it much easier to create!
Check out more from Caleb:
Instagram: @Caleb_Cosplays
Website: CalebCosplays.com
