Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayrcyia.
Hi Ayrcyia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always been creative. I like to tease that I was drawing pictures on the inside of my mother’s womb. It’s very natural for me to gravitate towards hobbies, spaces and people who also share interests in the arts. At the time when my interest first peaked around wearable art, the hobby, was mostly occupied by men, and the wearable art was called cosplay armor. I remember looking at designs of female armor and being disheartened by the shape of the breasts. A lot of the designs I had seen were created by men and the shape of the women’s breasts for the armor were extremely spherical. It bothered me so much that I decided I would try my own hand at making armor and make the correct anatomical shape. I had taken a week off from my job, not caring if I was going to be fired or not and blinding attempted the craft. It turned out so bad. I really despaired on how I thought I could even dare attempt this new hobby.
It’s funny now that I’m ten years into it. Looking back, so many mistakes were actually baby steps in the right direction. Modern society expects things happen quickly. There is a forgotten beauty in the journey. If you told me that the wearable art that I would be making would end up in photoshoots, interviews, magazines, Maker Fairs, gallery exhibits and fashion shows. I would have thought you were just being kind. Even I sometimes can’t believe all the activities I’ve gotten up to by making wearable art.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think anyone experiences smooth sailing with learning new things. It’s nice to have teachers to show you how to do some things, but, in the end if you want to make something more ‘yours’ you have to reach out and teach yourself things.
I actually have several scars on my hands from working with tools and media to make my wearable art pieces. I look at them sometimes and remember what happened, when I was injured, and try not to do that again. Money will always be a big one. I started out small and with free items that were given to me. It made me feel braver to try with those tools or materials to make mistakes as it hadn’t come from my own savings. One struggle that I’m forgetting that was a BIG one when I started was being questioned constantly if I had produced the work that was in front of them. When I started there weren’t a lot of women who did what I was doing. A lot of people couldn’t comprehend that little ole’ me behind the Maker Faire booth was the one making these suits of armor.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make wearable art pieces. I started out doing it for cosplay reasons and branched off into my own designs for the fashion world. When I was first getting into the hobby there wasn’t many female creators but, nowadays, you see bigger names like Schiaparelli dipping their toes into wearable art for their shows. I currently specialize in the elaborate breastplates and headdresses that are made from multi-media. I’m slowly picking up some of my roots in sewing again and would like to add that knowledge to the wearable art I make now. Online and in my local city I’m known for making elaborate pieces of armor. They don’t always know the official term ‘wearable art’ for it but they do know I make armor. I’m most proud of my first fashion show. I had absolutely zero clue what I was doing and somehow got picked and it’s show that exposed me to a lot of circles. I’m really grateful. I usually listen to what others think sets me a part. As an artist, I tend to nit-pick myself and suffer from Imposter Syndrome frequently so it’s nice to hear the opinions of peers and fans on what they thing. A lot of them say I have something special that isn’t easy to pin down. I appreciate the sentiment.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If I had advice to give out it would be to turn off your phone, social media, any outside disruption, turn off the want to record yourself working or livestream. All these things have interrupted me getting into a flow state to be creative. Distractions like that can be your worst enemy and the only way to get better to is challenge yourself.
If there was anything I wish I knew before starting out it would be that putting ‘bad’ art out there is okay. ‘Bad’ art is still art and gets you more skills to make ‘less bad’ art. You’ll eventually make amazing things but you got to be okay putting the ‘bad’ stuff out there first.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: era.elevatedritual
