Where to start? The beginning seems kind of lame, that’s where everything starts. I think I’d rather start in the middle and piece it all together as it comes to me. Sometimes the beginning of a story is not the most important part. I believe that who we are has a lot more to do with the choices we make, than where we come from and who we used to be.
I think I’d like to start by talking about my career, in itself. To say modeling is a huge part of my life is an understatement. My version of success in this industry requires that my entire life be centered around it. Now, the reason I say “my version of success” is because everyone is different, and honestly, if modeling makes you happy but is not your full time income, I’d call you a successful model. If you are happy with your art and you aren’t hurting anyone creating it, you are a success in my eyes.
However, this is more than my way of creating art and expressing myself for me, at this point. This is my full time gig, 24/7, shooting multiple times a week and usually more than once per day. The level of success in this industry as far as notable gigs and (let’s face it) fat paychecks that I aspire to achieve requires 100% dedication. I am still a successful model by my own definition, because my career is my passion and makes me happy and proud, but I love modeling so much it needs to be my sole income because that is the only way I can do it as much as I possibly can, while I am able to do so.
That being said, I eat, sleep, and drink “model”. The work does not start when the cameras come out, nor does it end when the shoot is over. There is so SO much behind the scenes work that goes into it. Even on my days off, I have to make sure I am setting myself up for success on shoot days.
What does that look like?
Drinking a smoothie
Eating lots of veggies
DRINKING A TON OF WATER
Hydrating with coconut water (my fave is @hydracoco)
Working out
Maintaining mental health (I do tele-counseling and I highly recommend it!)
DRINKING MORE WATER!
Doing yoga/posing practice
Emails
Scheduling bookings
Applying to casting calls
Keeping up with social media (multiple different platforms)
Planning trips
EVEN MORE WATER!
Planning out future social media posts
Networking (answering messages, doing follow-ups, reaching out to other creatives)
Doing the “books” and keeping note of all business transactions
.... that is not even all of it, and that is just everyday, day off stuff. 😅 It’s a lot! Add prepping for a shoot (or TWO) to that, and even if there is a makeup artist/wardrobe stylist to help you out, it is a lot of work! You absolutely have to love modeling for this lifestyle to work, or else you will end up being miserable. It’s not for everyone. I love my career and my life, but I think social media is designed to gloss over the stressful aspects of everyone’s life. And also, there are some days when I am just not up to keeping up with everything that I "should" be doing. I am slowly learning to give myself a little slack, and I am actually more productive when I give myself a little bit of a break from time to time. I just want to remind everyone- no one’s life is perfect, and everyone has those days where they just can't keep up with everything. Even if it doesn't seem like it on social media.