If you are considering a modeling career, I implore you to truly consider why, and if you can handle it. Modeling is not easy, and it's not as glamorous as it appears. You need to know what the true reason you want to pursue this path is. I would never tell someone not to become a model. I am so grateful for the opportunities that have been given to me because of my job, it is very special, but I would also not tell just any person they should be a model. It is not for everyone.
As I’m sure we all know, the entire industry (modeling, acting, any art really) is built on rejection. You can never succeed in this field without also having been constantly criticized, pushed down, and rejected. You’re too skinny, too fat, too short, too tall, your skin is bad, your hair is damaged, your face isn’t symmetrical, your face is too perfect, your face is too hairy, you’re smiling too much, not enough personality, too rude, too polite, arrogant, bloated, too tired, posing is too slow, posing is too fast. These are all things my friends or I have actually been told. The list NEVER ends. You cannot EVER be perfect. Even If you are, people don’t like that, it makes them insecure. While I agree that it is a model's job to take care of themselves and look their best, that looks different for each person, and trying to keep track of everything on that list and make everyone happy, it’s impossible.
I always believed myself to be a pretty confident person, at least when it came down to my appearance. But there’s something about your entire value and livelihood depending on people believing you’re beautiful that places you in this never ending cycle of not feeling good enough. Trying to prove yourself constantly, competing with people who look almost the same as you, questioning what they may have that you don’t, it’s exhausting. You will not always book the job you wanted, no matter how well you think the casting went, or how perfect for the role you perceive yourself to be. Clients, agencies, other models, they will all have something to say about you. I was sure I could handle the awful things people would say right to my face about my appearance, and often I can, but sometimes it’s so difficult. No, these comments shouldn’t be taken as facts, because people all have their own opinions, but it still sucks. If you are insecure and think being a model will make you feel confident, or you want to be the next big celebrity, you need to think again.
Being a model has given me the opportunity to travel to 6 countries in the past two years, meet my best friends in the world, and experience and learn things I never could’ve learned any other way. I have gotten treated very well by some people, gotten to do what I love and feel confident doing it. But it has also left me with some scars, and I know it will probably continue to do so. I am eternally grateful for this, and know I am not finished living this life, but I also know that if I don’t really start to work on every part of myself, internally and externally, I will lose myself completely before too long.
Before I started traveling full time, I had plenty of people worrying about me, about the competition, eating disorders, rejection, and everything else. I knew what I was getting into. I was warned and briefed by people who have done this for years, I just figured these were issues for other people, not me. I genuinely believed I would be an instant success, I would work all of the time, people would not comment on my body that much, I would make a ton of money, and I would be living my dream life. And maybe that’s my fault for being naive, but I was a teenager, and I felt invincible. In my head, I was special, none of this could ever harm me. I would never let myself get into uncomfortable or dangerous situations, I’m smart. But I sure learned quickly that it is not that simple. None of this is anyone’s fault, because it is hard to understand what something is really like without experiencing it, but that is why I want to share with you guys, so that maybe the next young girls headed into their modeling career will be even better prepared than I was.
I never ever want to come off as ungrateful, because I’m not. I love my life, and everything I have learned and seen has made me into a better version of myself, but I also don’t want to lie. It is not all rainbows and sunshine, or glitz and glam. Some days are really hard. I just want people, especially young girls, to be safe, and to experience amazing things in their life with even just 5% less pain than those who came before them. I hope you don’t leave this post with negativity, but with determination to care for yourself as well as your career. Because I know that’s what I’ll be doing. This is the year of building for me. Building joy, peace, confidence, as well as my career. But to do that, I have to go back to the basics, and focus on myself first. I hope you will join me.
Until Next Time,
Sammie Taylor
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