One of the biggest struggles a model faces at the start of their career, is consistency of work. I've always said about the modelling (and acting) industry, once spotted there are two ways your career will go. Someone big in the game sees you, loves you, and launches you in at the deep end, leaving you to either sink or swim. Alternatively, you are recognised as a talent, but you have to pay your dues. This route involves taking a hundred castings and getting booked twice. It means countless test shoots, improving your book. It means getting a part time job, to keep your dream alive. It means dealing with rejection, more often than not with no explanation as to why. It means making sacrifices, and turning your back on other areas of your life. This is no easy route. But just because it isn't easy, doesn't mean it isn't possible. For four years, I've travelled down that second path. I still am. I have literally given myself to my dream. Everything I do, every decision I make, I do so, because I believe in myself. Since I began this journey, I have had zero doubts about continuing it. Ive mentioned before that it is all about setting goals, achieving them, and then setting some more. Well, I set some goals when I came back from Barcelona to London. A lot of them were to do with acting, and I continue to work tirelessly to achieve them. On the modelling front, the goals were more simple. Achieve the level of work I was doing in Barcelona, over here. Obviously, London is one of the biggest and greatest cities in the world. I like to think of it is as the city of opportunity, but with a price tag. Living in Barcelona and Cape Town, I would wake up and decide whether to go to the beach, climb a mountain, incredible experiences just by stepping outside. In London, I step outside and already money is being taken off my oyster! Herein lies the reasoning behind one of my goals, money-earning. Now I'll say straight off the bat, I am not a person who is dictated by money. Both my parents have worked tirelessly throughout my life to provide an incredible upbringing for my sisters and I. Looking back the fact that we went on holiday as a family of six every year is an incredible feat. I have grown up without wanting but never being spoilt, and I feel that is how I am now. I have no desire for an over the top lavish lifestyle, I simply wish to be able to provide a good life for my family and loved ones. However, as I said living in a city like London, you have to think about your earnings and if I want to maintain the lifestyle of my friends, all of whom have fantastic jobs,in all manor of industries, I have to be hitting a certain level of jobs in my industry. The fact is, I will never have a monthly wage. Its one of the few things I am actually jealous of people for. So it is important to find jobs in the modelling world which come with a level of consistency, 'the bread and butter' as my Dad likes to say. Thankfully, thats exactly what I did.
One of the most profitable and consistent jobs for a model, is e-comms work. This means the photos you see on online stores advertising the clothes. It involves going into a studio and putting on clothes, posing, taking off clothes. Not the most challenging work, but one which happens every day, all year round. Upon getting home from Cape Town, I was casted by boohoo.com for a trial day. They are based up in Manchester, which is cool for me as I get to see my fam who live up there. The trial went really well and after a nervous couple of weeks of waiting to see if they would use the photos of me, I clicked on to the site to see myself staring back at me! Pretty surreal. Im up there again on wednesday next week, Its been fun getting to know the whole crew who create a lovely environment to work in.
Next, came a message out of the blue. My agency in Barcelona have expanded, opening a brand new office in Madrid. I got a call one day saying that El Corte Ingles, the biggest department store in Spain with over 500 retailers, wanted to use me for their website. Obviously, I said yes. I flew to Madrid and spent a week there, working Mon-Fri. I have to be honest, by the fourth and fifth day of posing I genuinely felt like I needed some sort of challenge, thankfully, no one in the studio spoke English so I was constantly being tested on my knowledge of Spanish. Little update - I am still only 'ok'. Im hoping to be taken back out to Spain soon for another weeks work.
Finally, and something that has only happened this week. Ironically, 2 weeks after I told a friend I was done trying to work for them, as I had boohoo and El corte, ASOS asked me in for a casting, my fourth casting. This is why I had previously been bitter to a friend. I had cast with ASOS three different times with three different casting agents. This, my fourth, went really well. I got on immediately with the casting agent and had some quick photos and measurements taken. They liked what they saw and called me in on tuesday afternoon to shoot, putting my photos up on the site the next day. Now, ASOS, is obviously one of, if not, the biggest online store. When I think about the amount of people who may stumble across a photo of me, now that, that is surreal!!
Im hoping to bring you an update on the acting front soon. Even more hopefully Ill be able to show you some footage as well!
One Love
Yes I x
