Have you ever tried to daydream?? Well, I guess most of us, no ALL of us had done that before. We sometimes imagine someone we aren't and something we don't really have. We escape reality through the fantasies we created. That is why fairytale is very popular when we are younger. They said that our imagination is unlimited, we have the power and our mind is the controller. And actually, these are examples of ESCAPISM.
Most of us are not really familiar with the word "Escapism", but we have actually done this and probably still doing this without knowing it. In this chapter, Escapism would be discussed thoroughly with a connection on the psychological field in cosplay.
Let us first discuss the meaning of Escapism. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, Escapism is
habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine. It is basically the way to escape the ordinary routine of our lives through imagination and sometimes imitation.
Escapism has two sides depending on how a person deals with a situation. According to an article, What is Escapism?, written by Veronica Scott , it is stated that "A lot of people use escapism to retreat from depression or other mental
anxieties. When people are generally sad or depressed, focusing on
happier times or brighter things is a form of escapism that offers a
healthy alternative to a rather bleak reality. This form of escapism can
be healthy when it allows the person to realign themselves and approach
reality with a more positive outlook. It can be harmful, however, when
it causes the person to neglect reality and retreat from dealing with
the depression or mental anxiety in a tangible and practical way."
Escapism is really helpful and good way to relieve stress. It could help in any situations since you could control it. Although the negative side of it is really harmful since we may live in our own imagination and wouldn't care about the reality. Escapism has already been part of the industry and in society. Television, movies, sports, music, books, role-playing games, the
internet, computer games, recreational drugs, and other items that we do to escape the difficulty of life are examples of escapism in our society. The movie Inception is somehow an example of escapism. At the end of the movie, the protagonist Dominic Cobb, couldn't escape from his dream. He thought that he is already in the real world but the thing is, he is trapped in his own dream, in which he wishes to be with his children again.
It is furthers stated the importance of daydreaming, especially in children. As escapism provides a
release from reality and a greater desire for creative thought , it results for the children became more creative and be adventurous. It also improved the
mental capacities of a child just like playing a game.
Now, let us relate it into cosplayers. Since an example of escapism is a role-playing games which could be connected in cosplay where cosplayers imitate a certain character and engage into a certain role. Sometimes cosplayers use the phrase " a fun escape from an average day", to explain as to why they love cosplaying. Since escapism is not really a bad thing, it is fun way to relieve stress the same thing goes for cosplay.
There are lot of things we do to escape our daily normal.. sometimes boring time.. But whatever thing we do, we must always remember to maintain the difference between reality and the fantasy which we created.
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