We recently had the chance to connect with Carly Prescott and have shared our conversation below.
Carly, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of joy from cozy games and carving out time to work on the fantasy novel I’m writing. I’ve even started exploring a new hobby (drawing) so I can create a map for the world I’m building, which has been a fun challenge.
I’ve also been finding a lot of fulfillment in my volunteer work with the HHOA, an organization that supports fish conservation in the Haliburton Highlands. Lately I’ve been helping them with their social media to build awareness for the organization and their activities. It feels meaningful to contribute to something that benefits both the environment and the community.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m most known online for my cosplay work, which I’ve been passionate about since 2011. I began competing in 2018 and have since been recognized with five major awards and two honorable mentions, these awards are also recognized internationally. I started in the Journeyman category and was awarded Best in Class for my workmanship on my Margaery Tyrell gown in 2022. In 2024, I won Best in Class for both stage performance and workmanship in the Artisan division for my Katniss Everdeen transformation gown. This year, I stepped into the Masters category for the first time and received an honorable mention for my Glinda gown.
Sharing what I’ve learned is a big part of what I love about cosplay. For the past several years, I’ve been creating TikTok series that take viewers through my process, offering tips, techniques, and behind the scenes insights. I’ve also put together a collection of guidebooks, including pattern pieces, which I hope to release soon for anyone interested in learning more about how I create my projects.
Outside of cosplay, I’ve also been working on a fantasy series that’s very close to my heart. I first dreamed up the idea in 2014, but didn’t start writing it until 2023. I’m now halfway through my second draft and currently designing the world’s map. It’s been an exciting creative journey, and I’m looking forward to sharing more about it in the coming years.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
The person who has taught me the most about work is my mentor, Rhonda. She took a chance on me when she hired me for my current role, and her belief in me has completely changed how I approach both my career and my creative pursuits. Before that, I worked for a man who was the living embodiment of the patriarchy, and it took a serious toll on my mental health, the way I valued my womanhood, and my creativity suffered as a result.
When I interviewed with Rhonda, her energy was instantly kind, and we bonded over our shared creative hobbies (she paints the most beautiful watercolor pieces I’ve ever seen!). Since then, she has helped me see potential in myself that I never recognized in a professional context. I used to see my day job purely as a way to fund my creative hobbies, but now I hold real passion for the work I do, and a lot of that comes from Rhonda’s guidance and the friendship we’ve built.
Beyond work, she’s inspired me with the way she lives her life. She travels, has lived abroad, and approaches life with a freedom and sense of adventure that I deeply admire. Most importantly, as a powerful, confident woman, she has inspired me to reclaim my own pride in being a woman and to celebrate it fully. Seeing how she balances passion, curiosity, and creativity in both her work and her personal life has been incredibly motivating, and has encouraged me to pursue my own path more boldly.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be: don’t care so much about what other people think. Ignore what society expects and do what makes you happy. I used to live a filtered version of myself, trying to fit into a box that society approved of. That mindset even affected my creative pursuits. When I first started cosplaying, I compared myself too much to others and was overly critical of my own work. I wanted everything to be perfect, and as a result, it stopped being fun and led to burnout.
When I finally broke out of that box, I felt more myself than ever! I have the colorful hair I admired as a child, tattoos of my favorite series, movies, and songs, essentially a collection of the things that truly make me who I am. I also discovered a new way to approach creativity. When I returned to my Margaery Tyrell dress after an extended break, I focused on enjoying the process instead of worrying about the end product. That mindset has carried through all my creative work and has taught me that embracing who you are and finding joy in what you do is far more important than meeting anyone else’s expectations.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A belief that is very close to my heart, and one I’ve grown more vocal about in recent years, is that women’s healthcare needs more funding and research. Too many women’s health issues are dismissed, under researched, or ignored entirely. One fact that really drove me nuts is that menstrual products weren’t tested with real blood until 2023. It even goes beyond women’s healthcare, did you know seatbelts were designed for the average male, making them less effective for women? The inequality in women’s care is truly mind boggling.
I’ve personally experienced the gaps in healthcare. After six years of fighting for answers, I was diagnosed with endometriosis, and I may also have PCOS, though a definitive diagnosis has yet to come. Treatments for these conditions are limited and often difficult to access, and navigating the healthcare system can be exhausting and discouraging. I’ve also encountered dismissive or inappropriate responses from doctors, for instance, being told that meeting the “right man” who wanted children, and giving him those children, would solve all my problems. Experiences like this have made me acutely aware of how far behind research and care for women’s health still are.
Because of this, I use my platform to share information whenever I can and highlight causes like Endometriosis Awareness Month each year. I believe that by raising awareness, we can start to address these inequalities and ultimately push for meaningful change in women’s healthcare.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I’m not really working toward a legacy in the traditional sense; I’m not trying to change the world or leave a mark. What I hope for is that, once I’m gone, people remember me fondly for my kindness and the fun memories we’ve shared. I try to live in the moment and be helpful wherever I can, whether that’s offering a listening ear or giving advice on cosplay projects. Simply being able to support and bring a little joy to the people in my life feels like enough of a legacy for me. As Bill and Ted once said, “Be excellent to each other. Party on, dudes!”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carlyraeprescott.wixsite.com/website
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__carly.rae__
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@__carly.rae__
Image Credits
Glinda photos by: @splintered_images (www.instagram.com/splintered_images)
Queens Gambit and Barbie photos by @kmvalor (www.instagram.com/kmvalor)
Bridgerton, Katniss Everdeen, Margaery and Olenna Tyrell and Stranger Things photos by: @stephanieluxtonphoto (www.instagram.com/stephanieluxtonphoto)
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