From one established model to you, I applaud you for acknowledging your desire and dream of modeling! Like yourself, I enjoy being vain and creating gorgeous pictures - even more so if I get paid for it! High fashion, glamour, lifestyle, artistic nude, cosplay, pregnancy, beauty, and fitness are only a few aspects of the industry you will be exposed to and have likely already done research on. Perhaps you were like me and have spent hours flipping through hundreds of pictures, slowly deciding as to which genres you would like to dip your feet into and which ones make your bristle, if any. Whether or not you initially decided that this was a field for you or not, you've apparently become interested as you've started doing research as to how to get started.
This blog post will not cover how to get started in the field. However, I will tell you how to get started with yourself as a person. The points I have listed below will give you some considerations as you begin this journey and thought process. While the choices are ultimately yours, these recommendations come from a model who has been in the industry for over two years and a variety of experiences, good, bad, and the random.
1. Your choices will make and break you. No one else is responsible for you other than you.
This is a general life lesson that we all must accept - regardless of our age and whether or not we are "allowed" to do something. If you become a success in whatever you do in life or manage to drive yourself into a corner with no place to go, it is your responsibility to pick yourself up and figure it out. Perchance someone will be nearby and willing to help. There also is the possibility you will be surrounded by a crowd of people with not a single hand being offered. What does this have to do with being a model? You will find opportunities to make big bucks - I won't lie to you. You will find people who are willing to pay a hefty price for something they want from you. What you invest your time into will be your reputation and character. Thoughts result in action. Learn to recognize where you want to go and your limitations.
2. How do you see yourself and the world?
As we go through life, we experience a variety of beliefs, cultures, and feelings. For me, modeling helped me get in touch with how I saw myself on multiple levels. It was part of an ongoing journey of me figuring out who I am, what makes me tick, and how I function. A heads up as you grow as a human being in heart and body, you never finish growing. Never expect to be "finished". I encourage you to dig deep into your mind. Spend time alone with yourself and think about you. When I first started as a model, I had decided that I could damn well do what I please and fulfill my dreams if I so pleased. Modeling was also a distraction from a very toxic and violent family divorce. It gave me a creative outlet. Most importantly, modeling was me being selfish and starting a new journey for myself regardless of what others thought. The world was beautiful outside of my insane parent drama. Yes, of course, nothing is ever always rainbows, butterflies, pixie dust, and golden sun. Realizing where I stood with myself and the world would/did/continues to help me be accountable to myself and make my decisions.
3. Spiritual, mental, and physical health are equally important.
Modeling, in many ways, is centered around vanity at some point. The industry wants pretty people and pretty pictures and pretty colors and pretty this and pretty that. The industry has endless comments, standards, and ideas of vanity as well. I would be fooling you, the reader, if I did not admit that a person may or may not be chosen due to their physical aspects. I, for example, do not have large breasts by any means. My buttocks is larger than my chest. This natural state of my body has led me to receive declines to casting calls - if not being ignored all together. My height reaches a perfect 5'2" which is not tall enough for most runway work. The numbers on the scale, the measurements around the waist, the dress size, shoe size, hair color, skin color, etc, are all equally important details as you make your way through this industry. However, the value is very little if your spiritual, mental, and physical health are not in check. Do not let the opinions of others sway your love for yourself. It isn't wise nor kind to degrade yourself simply because another human being has different preferences. Take care of yourself. Being pretty isn't even half the battle. I promise. There is a market for everything, and your most important buyer is yourself.
4. Be BOLD.
Learn to say no, professionally and respectfully. Speak up if you are uncomfortable or need a break. Share your passion with equally passionate people. Do not surround yourself with negative talk. Be realistic, then forget it. Be ambitious, then be realistic about the steps to getting there. Find your niché. Make mistakes, then learn from them and realize that you should make mistakes. Give yourself permission to feel how you want to feel - feelings are not wrong. Sleep for eight hours. Eat responsibly (notice I didn't say "healthy"). Push your limits. Discover yourself. Lose yourself. Find yourself again.
Modeling is not an easy task for anybody. The most successful models have worked incredibly hard and continue to do so. Modeling is full of acceptors, exceptions, rejectors, hate, love, and anything else you can think of. As you continue thinking about your decision to model, do so with a heart of love towards yourself, a thick skin, an open mind, and patience. Stand your ground according to your morals, ethics, and beliefs, and refuse hasty decisions. Trust yourself, try yourself, and be true to yourself.
With <3,
Aina
Photographer: MSlygh
