Meet Kai Moth | Cosplayer, Photographer, & Freelance Artist

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

Hi Kai, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always had a knack for art and creativity ever since I was a little kid, and that passion never went away. I was even a part of some special art programs through schooling, while growing up, like the L.I.S.A. (Loveland Integrated School of the Arts) program, starting from the 4th grade up until I was offered a grant/scholarship for a concurrent enrollment in high-school for college. Art never become a chore as it had a huge impact on my life and was a way of being “free” and expressing myself as well as uplifting and inspiring others, which are all things I highly value. I had left art for a short while as it is a difficult path to make a career out of, however as my health began to take a turn I spent a long 4 years undergoing many doctors visits and testing to find out I had developed a chronic illness making having a typical “day to day” job a struggle. Because of this I started to turn back to art and freelancing, being able to work off my own schedule and limits, as my health could grow to be unpredictable each day. It was hard to get on track at first especially because of where it had put me mentally, but I’ve never been happier to be back to what felt like my calling and something that had always been a major part in my life. I always felt art was my freedom, but I never imagined it would be so in such a way like this.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I feel many people are used to the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none”, however I believe as long as you put forth the effort you can always learn and acquire new skills to hone into, especially when they align with others. For example I started out as a traditional and digital artist, learning both computer skills and general knowledge of proportion, framing, color theory, and many other useful and applicable terms to art. I then later was introduced to cosplay, and being a huge nerd growing up, I absolutely fell in love with the creation and art aspect of it. I instantly jumped into cosplay, learning even more skills through that. Later, through my scholarship I branched a bit into photography and it became another form of art I fell in love with. Having skills in graphics design and art, as well as having been a cosplayer and in a way a model, I’ve learned many things to contribute into my photography such as posing, edits, comfortability and confidence building, and much more. Likewise I used photography to contribute to my art and cosplay by helping with my own advertising, stock imaging, and pose referencing. While it seems I have many mediums I practice, that at first glance don’t appear to have much in common, they all contribute strongly to each other on a regular basis, and being knowledgeable in each of those really helps me stand out and get a leg up on the other knowing how both sides of the coin work rather than one. One thing I will say they all greatly have in common, is that they allow me to pursue my biggest morals and passion through art, and that is being able to inspire and build confidence in others. I want others to always feel like they are good enough and that they can accomplish things they want to, even if its small. I want people to feel good about themselves even if its in self image, or expression. Art allows a person to let out their emotions and inner thoughts or thinking, cosplay builds creativity and self confidence, capturing a person through photography does both. Anyone can take a picture or draw on a page, but not everyone can capture the passion or expression that comes with it.

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?
I always recommend a trip to Estes Park if they’re up for a trip to the mountains. Experiencing the wildlife and scenery is a must, and walking through the town is an uplifting experience as well as plenty of restaurants all in a short walk to choose from. If the mountains aren’t your cup of tea and prefer something more in town, I recommend two places. I know most peoples go to is the 16th street mall, but being more of an introvert, I love visiting the museums or zoo from time to time. It can be a fun experience for anyone at any age, as well as good resource for taking in inspiration. The other place is a bit more lively, but definitely a rite of passage for anyone who lives in Colorado, and that’s visiting Casa Bonita. While it hasn’t had the best reputation in past years notably for its food, its a place my family and I would visit often while I grew up and I’m very excited to visit it again after its big renovation and supposedly better food. Even if you only go once, it is absolutely an experience that must be had.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out Percy (PersonifyCosplay), first for being the one to recommend me to this article, but also being the one to introduce me into the community and helping me get my start back. We first met as I was a judge/management at a small local convention, to which they invited me out afterwards to join a celebratory dinner with all the other cosplayers who attended. Here they introduced me to a few people who I’m so happy to now call my friends, one even becoming my fiancé, and many more connections and experiences I have made down the road. I often times wonder how different my life may have been if I had never joined for that one dinner.

Website: https://www.instagram.com/cryptic_capture_photography/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mothmuse/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWpbFT8-FIyngMDlURr98TA

Image Credits
Models featured: @Wezrez, @thecreator1985, @ehmaninblackcosplay, and @calamity_nyx (all on instagram) as well as mascot for the Colorado Itasha Alliance