Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayla Trayer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello everyone, my name is Ayla, but I am known as MereDream online. I am a cosplayer in the Southern California area. If you don’t know, what cosplay is it means “costume play”; it is the art of dressing up as a character, be it from any fandom or an original character.
I got into cosplaying hilariously because I have always been very into Halloween, and I would always plan my Halloween costume months in advance. (Yes, I am that person.) Years ago, I was planning on dressing up as Elsa from Frozen for Halloween, but while I was trying to find a costume, everything I found was labeled as “cosplay.” Needless to say, I gave in and looked up what cosplay is. After hours of looking at different cosplayers and learning that you can cosplay at conventions, I decided that I wanted to be a cosplayer. At that moment, there was no looking back.
From there, I starting making and putting together cosplay after cosplay and posted them online. Each one I found to be a fun challenge to try to recreate designs that you would only find drawn on a page or on TV and making them real. While doing this, I ended up joining a cosplay group that I went to different conventions and events with. That was my start into my crazy journey that I am still going strong on.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For me, the path that I have been on has been relatively smooth; granted, it has been smooth because this all started just from me having fun and enjoying the process of cosplaying; everything else has just been an amazing bonus.
Now with that said, I feel the biggest challenge of cosplaying is finding your process. The good news is that there are so many resources available now to help you out that were not there before. When I first started, I could not find too many tutorials or resources, so I had to learn as I went along and through much trial and error.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Fun fact about me: on top of being a cosplayer, I am also a professional photographer. This is something that I have also infused very heavily into my cosplayer life because I’m able to also edit a lot of my own photos. I love that I can also create so much beauty with a camera as well and create beautiful photos for people to enjoy. I find it to also be a refreshing creative outlet to be a part of.
I am especially in a wonderful position of being able to be both behind and in front of the camera. I do take photos for other cosplayers as well from time to time, and what I have learned from being both the photographer and the cosplayer is that it very much helps to guide both clients and other cosplayers on how to pose in front of a camera. I definitely encourage all photographers to take the time to not just practice their skills behind camera but to also take the time to learn how to be in front of the camera as well so that you can better guide your models and clients. The experience from both helps the process run very smoothly and comfortably.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success by simply having the ability to do what you love and enjoy. This is a great gift to be able to have and should be cherished. This is something that should be strived for and focused on. I have found having this simple focus in relation to success has helped me be more appreciative of what I have accomplished so far and helps to keep me going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredream/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Meredream-2233665073534432
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYNVw9A3hbYMB9mkNm8CExQ?view_as=subscriber
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/JJ2uCsy/
Image Credits
Gabrielle Page
Hector Corrales
Iran Quijano
