Eva Cudmore
On Surreal Career Moments, The Pressures of Social Media, and Content Inspiration
By Ken Tse
Before becoming one of TikTok's most recognizable young creators, Eva Cudmore attended secondary school in her small hometown in Ontario, Canada. Having grown up as an infrequent social media user, she only re-downloaded the app after being convinced by her younger sister to do so. The seemingly small decision would change everything for the 18-year-old. Her first videos – mostly involving dances and POV trends – quickly became a mainstay on For You Pages everywhere. Within months, Cudmore had gained a following of hundreds of thousands, setting forth a career that began entirely on accident. It made her arrival in Los Angeles in October 2020 all the more surreal.
"It was difficult and exciting! I bounced around when I first moved, but now live in a beautiful apartment with two amazing roommates. I’m in love with the city, and there’s so much I haven’t seen yet," she explained. "I never posted with the intention of becoming a content creator, [but] I’m incredibly grateful for the outcome and wouldn’t change it for the world."
The influencer has since used her platform, which now welcomes a community of over four million social media followers, to showcase her other creative interests: fashion, cosplay, and more. After seeing a video from fellow creator Libby Zaz (@shortiezaz), Eva reached out for advice on starting in the cosplay niche.
"[Libby] was incredibly sweet," she said. "She walked me through how to start, where to shop and how to put on wigs. I posted my first cosplay in July and fell in love with the art."
While any up-and-coming creator hopes to achieve Cudmore's level of success, she also explained the pressure and negativity that comes with such a platform. "It took me a long time to not allow hate to bring me down," she said. "I [now] respond to hate or negative comments with love and positivity because if someone is taking the time out of their day to bring me down, they must be going through something themselves. I like to think my page is a safe and positive space."
Such an outlook is a testament to the character of the creator, who teases many fun projects ahead in 2022. We spoke to her about surreal career moments, content inspiration, and more!
Hey Eva! Congrats on all of your recent success. Did you ever expect to ever have over 3.2 million TikTok followers when you started on the app?
Never in a million years did I expect to have over three million followers, not even close. The first video I posted when I had no followers got some attention, but I never posted with the intention of becoming a content creator. I’m incredibly grateful for the outcome and wouldn’t change it for the world.
Who or what influenced you to start posting content?
I honestly didn't grow up with much social media or have influencers that I idolized. I had TikTok when it was still Musical.ly, but when it was rebranded I deleted the app. My little sister convinced me to re-download a year later.
You moved from Toronto to Los Angeles in 2020, what has that transition been like so far?
I moved out of my small hometown in Ontario when I was 17 years old. Not only was I moving out at a young age, but I was moving to a new country and a city I had never been to before. It was scary and exciting! I bounced around when I first moved, but now live in a beautiful apartment with two amazing roommates. I’m in love with the city and there’s so much I haven’t seen yet.
Which city do you prefer? Why?
I love Los Angeles, it’s amazing for work opportunities and most of my friends live here. But nothing will compare to my hometown.
You’re known for your lip-syncing and dance content, but many of your videos also seem to draw inspiration from cosplay and anime. What made you start releasing content within that niche?
I’m incredibly into anime as it played a big part in my upbringing, and have always been fascinated by cosplays. One day, this creator @shortiezaz came up on my For You page in an incredible cosplay. I think I watched that video 100 times. I ended up reaching out to her and she was incredibly sweet. She walked me through how to start, where to shop and how to put on wigs. I posted my first cosplay in July and fell in love with the art.
Fashion also seems to be a recurring theme across your social media. Whose style are you most inspired by at the moment?
I really don't know who or what influences my style. I dress depending on my mood and therefore my style is all over the place. I really don't use much inspiration but sometimes I try my best to recreate outfits I see on TikTok.
Who would you consider a dream TikTok collab and why?
A dream TikTok collab for me would be with any other cosplayer. I’ve only ever cosplayed alone, as not many of my cosplay mutuals live in LA. I’d love to cosplay with Abby Roberts, a makeup/cosplay influencer in the UK. She's incredibly talented and it would be an honor to work with her.
Being an influencer naturally comes with people looking to tear you down. How do you typically deal with more negative comments?
It took me a long time to not allow hate to bring me down. It used to affect me greatly, to the point I had to put my phone away to avoid breaking down, but over time I learned to not let it bother me. None of these people know me or my character so why should I allow their opinion to affect me? I respond to hate or negative comments with love and positivity because if someone is taking the time out of their day to bring me down they must be going through something themselves. I like to think my page is a safe and positive space.
With such a large social media following, do you ever feel pressure to create content?
I often feel pressured to create. Working social media full-time on top of other side projects can be incredibly draining, and it’s difficult to take a break because it is my job. It can be hard to keep coming up with new creative ideas as well. Cosplaying has helped this a lot - when my regular content becomes difficult to produce, cosplaying is a nice break and gives me time to be creative without draining myself as much.
What is one piece of advice that you have for an up-and-coming creator?
One piece of advice I’d give to an up-and-coming creator is to not be so hard on yourself. Social media is a difficult and competitive industry. Not many people have your best interest at heart. Be cautious and remind yourself to have fun and to take care of your mental health/well-being.
Can you share the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
Honestly, the love and support I get are incredibly surreal. It’s so beautifully overwhelming. My platform has allowed me to star in a couple of music videos which still blows my mind. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I've had and those that are still to come.
What are the best and worst purchases you’ve ever made?
I don’t spend much money on myself apart from clothing and anime stuff for my room, but I have one purchase that has great significance to me. I didn’t have much money when I first moved to the US, and I lived in a content house with other creators. There was a store they’d go to that I couldn’t afford anything from. I’d always have to stand and watch them buy things, wishing I could afford something there. A little bit after - I was able to go to the store myself and buy a ring I really wanted. I was so proud of myself. It’s been a little over a year since that day and I still love it. It reminds me of how far I’ve come.
What is one thing that most fans don’t know about you?
One thing most supporters don’t know about me is how much they mean to me. I don’t know what I'd do without them. I try to make most of my content interactive and engage as much as I can with them. They really do mean the world to me.
Who do you owe your biggest thanks to?
I owe the biggest thanks to my amazing parents. Although I know they didn’t quite understand the social media industry, they took a chance on me and supported me all the way. They trusted me enough to allow me to move to another country at 17 when I know that must’ve been extremely difficult. Nonetheless, they have been my biggest supporters and I’m incredibly grateful for them.
Lastly, any big plans for the rest of 2022?
I have tons of fun projects planned this year that I’ve been working on for quite some time and I’m so excited to share them with everyone. I am manifesting a beautiful, positive and successful 2022 for everyone!
