Meet Kiara Tymec | Prop Maker & Cosplayer

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

Hi Kiara, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I think that if you truly love to do something or you want something badly enough you should never ever give up. There will always be people in life that try to shut you down and make you feel like what you’re doing isn’t worth your time, but if it’s something that you enjoy and believe in, it’s worth pushing through. I’ve had my fair share of these people myself, and sometimes this question does come to mind. Still, giving up has never been something I’ve ever considered because I know that if I did I would instantly regret it. However, if you start doing the thing you used to love for other people or just to create content, I think rather than giving up, it would serve you best to shift your focus to something else for the time being to get your creative purpose back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I build costumes and props from movies, tv shows and games. I work with a variety of materials, such as 3D printed plastic, foam, acrylic, leather, etc. My current and most popular project is my recreation of the Mark 42 Iron Man suit from Iron Man 3. I’m designing this suit completely from scratch using programs such as Blender and Autodesk Inventor, and the suit features a full body exoskeleton. This has been a dream build for me since I was an 8th grader and it is so incredibly exciting to finally be able to have the knowledge to do it, no matter how slow the process is. I have a YouTube, TikTok and Instagram where I document all of my build progress as well as other side projects and builds I may work on. While this isn’t my career (yet), I am going to school for Production Design so that I can do this full time. It was a difficult process to finally realize that this is what I wanted to do, I started out in school as an engineering major, then a computer science major, and now I am transferring to Columbia College Chicago to pursue my dream of working in the film industry. I wouldn’t say getting to where I am today with my builds was easy, but I wanted to do this badly enough that I found a way to teach myself everything I know.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m from Chicago and I think the most interesting thing to take my friends to see would be C2E2 at McCormick Place. C2E2 is a Comic Con that takes place in late February/early March and is a great experience for everyone regardless if you’re a huge “nerd” or not. I’ve made tons of great friends and great memories every year here and would love for others to experience a convention too if they haven’t already. The great thing about it is that it has something for everyone.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Both my mom and my boyfriend have been incredibly supportive throughout everything I’ve done. My mom has always been my number one fan and plays a big part in my convention appearances – she helps me suit up in whatever crazy costume or Iron Man suit I decide to wear and I wouldn’t be able to do it without her. My boyfriend helps me brainstorm ideas for solutions when I’m stuck working on a crazy build and cheers me on when I’m feeling discouraged. No one has ever believed in me more than those two and I am endlessly thankful to have them in my life. I also owe a lot of my success to my followers across all of my social media platforms. Without them constantly rooting for me and giving me that extra boost of motivation to work on my build projects, I would not be where I am today.

Instagram: @kiaras_workshop

Youtube: Kiara’s Workshop

Other: business email: kiaratymec@gmail.com