Meet Alaizabel Cray | Cosplayer, writer, model, and performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alaizabel Cray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alaizabel, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I spent my childhood in a tiny town in Southern California that was located on national forest property. I went to a tiny elementary school where there were only six or seven kids per grade. I was a very awkward kid and didn’t have a whole lot of friends growing up. I always seemed to be off in my own little world.

Three years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism which helped partially explain why I was such an awkward kid. And now that I know why I am the way I am, I own it. I embrace all the things about me that most people decide are unusual.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I cosplay. I act. I model. In recent years I also have taken to writing about social justice issues particularly as they impact the autistic community.

I do owe a lot of where I am to cosplay though. It really became the springboard to help me get where I am, and it has given me the sense of community I have always dreamed of. And to this day it’s still a tremendous source of comfort. After all if I can go on a million failed auditions, but at the end of the day I can use cosplay to cast myself as whatever character I want, I’m doing all right.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Afternoon tea at the Brown Palace hotel is a must. A close friend of mine is a huge history buff and I keep meaning to take him there for a fancy afternoon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe a lot of where I am to the rest of the autistic community for helping me embrace who and what I am.

And also to Angela Black and Nikki Strickler at Southwest Models and Talent. They taught me how to walk so that I could eventually run…

I also owe a huge shout out to Semetary Cosplay and Lochlan O’Neil for hosting the life-changing Cosplay and Confidence panel at Denver Pop Culture Con 2017 that revolutionized what I believed I could do with cosplay.

Instagram: @alaizabelcraycosplay

Facebook: Facebook.com/Alaizabelcraycosplay

Other: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm12206964/

Image Credits
Yuki Cat Captures Deverrick Moody