Cosplay tips, DIY costume ideas, and GalaxyCon judge secrets—AstraVoid reveals the self-taught path that took her from biology classes to the spotlight at GalaxyCon’s Nightmare Weekend Chicago.

After mastering sewing, foam-smithing, wigs, LEDs (and winning major awards) Astra landed a guest contract at 21 and now mentors the next wave of creators. If you’ve ever dreamed of turning fandom into a full-time career, this episode of Conversations That Count is your roadmap.

• 00:48 From forensics major to foam & fabric: the origin story
• 04:22 “We’d like to offer you a contract”—GalaxyCon moment 👀
• 08:35 Beating age stigma: let the work speak 💥
• 13:18 Inside a 100-hour Hunger Games build (hand-painted corset)
• 17:50 Judging philosophy: fairness, advocacy, zero con politics
• 22:40 Streaming setup, PewDiePie chair & upcoming tutorials
• 27:15 Creator safety 101: stalkers, the “lag rule” for posts
• 30:30 Weekly challenge: spark one genuine 2-minute chat with a stranger

Love practical creativity and real-talk inspiration? Follow, rate, and review—the support helps us bring on even bigger guests.

Links:

linktr.ee/AstraVoidCosplay
galaxycon.com ← GalaxyCon main site
galaxycon.com/pages/nightmare-weekend-chicago ← Nightmare Weekend Chicago
www.youtube.com/channel

To learn more, visit:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-shaft

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/david-shaft