As a Real Life Superhero and Costumed Adventurer, I get a lot of questions about my costume and my chosen methods of public service. Some people have never encountered anything like it before while others simply want to know more about my particular inspirations, goals, methods, and so on. Therefore, I've created this page to offer a basic introduction. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me

Costume

Some people in the Real Life Superhero movement reject the term "costume" because of its association with make-believe, Halloween, costume parties, etc. Instead, they use the term "uniform." I, however, dislike the homogeneous and conformist implications of the term "uniform." I also appreciate the broad historical and sociological uses of the term "costume." Therefore, I choose to call it a Costume.

I've designed a Costume that I feel is an expression of who I am and what I've chosen as my life's work. It started with some simple exploration of colors and styles and accessories that intuitively made me feel good. Once I wrote my article on Costumed Adventuring, though, I decided to go the extra mile and create a Costume.

Step One for me involved drawing some very simple stick figure sketches on a computer. The impulse to draw came as a bit of a surprise to me since I'm an author and rarely even dabble in the visual arts. Something about the Costumed Adventuring concept captured my poetic imagination, though, and I ended up starting with a very visual sense of the Costume.

Here's one of the several simple drawings I came up with:

As I drew this rough draft of the Costume, a few of the thematic elements became very clear.

Green and Black.The Costume's green and black color scheme speaks to my commitment to both environmental issues and freedom. Green and black are both very earthy colors with environmental associations, and black is associated with anarchism, an approach to freedom which has had a profound influence on my life.

Bracers. The Costume includes a pair of bracers, which are also known as armbands, wrist guards, or [somewhat erroneously] gauntlets. These bracers speak to the idea that I am an Eco Warrior or Earth Defender. I can think of several heroic figures in mythology and/or pop culture who are known for wearing bracers, but one of the earliest and biggest influences on my love of bracers was the TV show "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Kevin Sorbo's portrayal of Hercules was very strong and masculine, yet also compassionate and conscious of the plight of the downtrodden. While I don't really feel a great connection to Hercules beyond the influence of this TV show, the character certainly served as a positive role model during my teenage years.

Combat Boots. The combat boots are also related to the Eco Warrior concept, but they come from the punk influences in my life. I never really made my way into the punk social scene, but I was really into punk music for a few years because of the anarchist and anti-authoritarian political content. Before I was exposed to punk, I tended to be submissive to bullies and avoid conflict wherever possible. But punk helped me to embrace the righteous indignation that allowed me to cross the line from lamenting the world's problems to taking action on them. And the boots serve both practically and symbolically to empower my movement through the rough terrain of the world.

Headband. The symbolic nature of the headband is a little less obvious. I wore a headband when I first started getting involved in activism, and I'm wearing one again now that I'm using a Costume as a focus for my intention to be an agent of positive change. Green is a color that symbolizes both the environmental movement and the heart chakra, the source of our love for ourselves and our fellow living beings. For me, I'd say that wearing a green headband indicates that this love of others and love of environment is always on my mind. A green headband or circlet is reminiscent of a holly crown, a reminder of the spiritual intent of the Costume. Stylistically, I also associate headbands with free thinkers -- artists, musicians, rebels, revolutionaries, and so on.

Logo. My friend Joshua Guess designed a special Treesong logo for me. I think he did a great job of capturing the spirit of my name, and I've been using it on my Costume, website, and business cards ever since.

Some Real Life Superheroes only wear their costume when they're going on a neighborhood patrol or working on some specific community service project. However, since my work often involves actions and choices that happen on a daily basis, I usually wear my Costume any time I'm going out in public. Even if I'm not working on a specific project that day, it serves as a reminder of my work to myself and to anyone else who understands what the Costume stands for.

Here's a photo of my current Costume:

Qualities and Quest

On some level, all of this talk of a Costume may seem like an elaborate and rather silly fashion statement. What does it really matter what we wear, anyway? Why put all of this thought and energy into a Costume when it would be easier and more socially acceptable to just wear what everyone else is wearing?

If you're really convinced of that, then obviously being a Real Life Superhero or Costumed Adventurer is not right for you. But for me, developing a Costume is about more than just clothing.

Fashion in general is a socially constructed absurdity. Why do men wear knotted loops of cloth around their necks called "ties"? Why do women wear uncomfortable shoes? Why do we wear clothing at all in the summer when it's 90 degrees out and we'd all be cooler naked?

All fashion, and all clothing in general, is a form of costuming. The difference between your costume and my costume is that I choose to examine my costume consciously and use it as a tool for personal transformation.

When I put on my Costume, I feel a shift in my consciousness. I feel like I'm giving myself permission to become the Character described by the Costume. At first, I noticed this when wearing Costumes created by other people, such as Smokey the Bear, Superman, and V from V for Vendetta. But soon, I noticed that my everyday clothing was also a Costume, and that I could shift my consciousness by changing the Costume.

Ultimately, this Costume is a focus for strengthening the presence of my Qualities and my Quest in my life. Deep down inside, I know that I am a spiritual warrior, and that I have a deep longing to express my love for my fellow beings by protecting them from harm. Sometimes, though, I allow the many challenges and distractions in life to pull me away from this deeper purpose. My Costume is a spiritual tool that I use to focus my attention on this deeper purpose and redirect my attention and actions back onto the path of making this purpose manifest in my life and in the world.