We recently had the chance to connect with Anita Riggs and have shared our conversation below.
Anita, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
My team and I competed in the San Diego Comic Con Masqurade and we won first place! It was an amazing feeling as we performed in front of 8 thousand people. I also recently came back from a week long LARP ( Live Action Role Play) called DrachenFest and it was an amazing first time experience. I was nervous to be playing a role ( in character) on the ground for days straight, but I am proud to say that all my training in the past in theater, dance, cosplaying and hosting made the transition fairly easy. I just had to get over my nerves and trust myself, and I am glad that I did!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Anita Riggs and affectionately known as Tranquil Ashes. I am an Event Producer, Host, Cosplayer, Actor and overall media talent. I am a lover of travel and all things pop-culture. My time living in Italy and traveling to Carnival as well as my time spent behind and on stage living in Japan lead me to the path of creating my own Gala known as The CosGala. The CosGala is a platforming platform, that caters to creatives of all media genres This event brings creators together to enjoy a night of revelry, networking, comradery and sharing of ideas. All this while showcasing amazing local and abroad talents and couture costuming/gowns themed after each years changing theme. I wanted to make a space that was the “Met-Gala” for nerdy creatives like myself and this year, September 20th will be our 5th anniversary Gala!
Beyond The CosGala, Tranquil hosts and collaborate in other upscale and unique events with others within the community. As a personal brand Tranquil Ashes, has worked with and been featured on Nickelodeon, Avatar the Last Airbendor, Mehron Cosmetics, Disney, Adult Swim , Oprah Daily and many others.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that was really pivotal to me was when I was attending the 6th annual Star Trek Cruise, I had the opportunity to meet Doug Jones. (You may know him for his roles as Saru on Discovery, Abe Sapien in Hellboy and Baron Afanas in What We Do in the Shadows). It was a meet and greet and I have been wanting to meet him for such a long time. When it was my turn, before I could even speak he asked me if he knew me from TV. He said again if I wasn’t on TV, I should be. That he would watch my show. No words had passed between us.
Once I took my picture with him, and was given the biggest hug from him.. it affirmed that I was on the right track and the world of entertainment had a place for me.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
The entertainment and creative space is one of the most challenging and competitive fields one can decide to be a part of. There are alot of ups and downs when it comes to this space. There have been times where I’ve worked really hard on a handmade cosplay or creation, spent hours on a video/editing, or spent days coming up with a makeup look and all that effort results in no views, or acknowledgement.
Although its hard to not look at your numbers or lack of response to your work and get down. However, I always remind myself of why I do the things that I do. I can’t image doing anything else, and the art is for ME. I just choose to share that with the world. I hope to cultivate a community that lifts and supports others art.
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. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of myself is the real me. There is no effort in being my public facing self. I am simply more mindful of what I say and how I say it as I know I’m a public figure so I put in a bit more effort to speak facts as I know them. I am a bit more chill when I am not “on”, but I think that stands for anyone who spends any particular time in the public eye.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If immortality were real, what would you build?
If I could live forever I would build a true art community. One that is self sustain with all the vendors and merchants getting their items from each other. At the center of that I would have a huge Events and Community center. One to host all the events from Red Carpets, to Galas to Award ceremonies and a community center that teaches skills in all areas of the art world to further invest in those dreams.
Ultimately I would like The CosGala to be known as the primer Pop Culture Gala in the country. An event that is inclusively exclusive. This year is the the CosGala Games Gala on September 20th and its the first major milestone in the Galas journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cosgala.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/tranquil_ashes & instagram.com/thecosgala
- Twitter: @tranquilashes
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/tranquilashess
Image Credits
Tranquil Ashes
SFDesigns
Random Eye Candy Studios
