7 tips for surviving the modelling industry

Please Note: Unfortunately this post was one of the blogs (pre.28th of July 2014) that suffered a 'Blogger' crash.. which saw all images vanishing! I have tried to replace the images from the crash as best as I can. However images of me with products etc.. may be lost as a result and therefore the images you see may not match the text(which is original and was not effected by the crash). My blog has therefore had to start fresh and all blogs starting from July 29th 2014 are correct with the appropriate, original and correct images but unfortunately the same can not be said for images lost in posts before this date. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Shahira xo

Hey Blog Readers! 

So for today's post I decided to think of my top tips for surviving the modelling industry and I managed to come up with 7!

1) Rejection is a part of the modelling life-so get used to it! you won't be everyone's cup of tea but you'll be someones! always remember that beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder!

2) A successful model will ultimately gain a following and this makes life a whole other ball game: You get so much support and encouragement but there is a minority of people who think you are free bate there to be criticized... and this is just because you made the decision to put yourself out there by modelling. Hey-If you thought just being a girl was difficult in terms of bitchiness then get ready for the bitchiness of the modelling world! Both online, in person or even in press, You're likely to get some negativity, and at the beginning it can hurt but you just learn to get used to it. Always remember the good and forget the bad. Ever noticed how as humans 10 people could say something nice to us and yet 1 person says something bad and that's what plays on your mind??... learn to not even acknowledge the bad, after all you don't know the true motive behind it in the first place, so solely focus on the positive because somehow it manifests itself :) There is always so much more positive than negative and so many more nice people than mean ones so focus on those!

This brings me to number 3!

3) Develop a Tough-As-Nails Persona 
This industry chews and spits out countless hopefuls. It’s hard to make a successful career without serious hard work and perseverance. You have to be so tough—you’ll make seemingly irreversible mistakes, be yelled at, gossiped about and inevitably a little broken down. You’ve got to be immune to all the drama and keep a smile on your face. As founder of People’s Revolution PR, Kelly Cutrone would say, “If you have to cry, go outside”.

4) Don't become obsessed with your looks- because the chances are if you started doing well with modelling to begin with then you had what it takes from the beginning! People think that people who model must have very high self-esteem but that is not the truth. Perhaps at the beginning, when you first start modelling, you may have a boost in confidence but as time goes on you get more critical about every little thing - especially when you are a part of this plastic world that we live in. People have fake hair, fake boobs, fake teeth, fake asses, fake tan, fake everything. It can be hard to stay natural in a world full of falseness sometimes and its easy to get sucked in but anything you do - do it for you.. for e.g. because xx got hair extensions does not mean your hair is not good enough without extensions.. Hold on to your uniqueness! again be the best version of you and by all means if you want to wear hair extensions, get a boob job.. whatever it may be then go for it but for the right reasons - not because you are following a trend or staring at yourself looking for faults.
Beauty comes in many different shapes and forms so why would we want to mould ourselves to all look the same???

this brings me on nicely to number 5! I think it's the most important..

5) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT compare yourself to other models (or other people in general)- You are asking for self-esteem issues if you do this! Just be the best version of You that You can be! You will never be someone else and they will never be you so only ever compete against yourself and forget what someone else is doing just do what you can do :)

6) Be Confident but not conceited: Modelling, and actually life in general, has a lot to do with confidence - Hey fake it till you make it honey! After all nobody is going to take you seriously if you don't believe in yourself but don't go over board and start thinking your the shit and the most important person in the room- that attitude won't get you anywhere in life.

7) Develop a wide skill-set!
Education and hobbies are key - they make you not only well rounded as a model (e.g. if a photoshoot is on a horse and you can horse ride-you're more likely to be booked) but they also develop a well rounded human being! If you think the modelling industry is lucrative then think again! it can be for a period of time, if your lucky, but it won't always be that way - it's unreliable so have lots of back-up plans and skills in place.

I hope you found these helpful in one way or another :) If you'd like more blogs like this than remember to request them :)
anddd
If you haven't 'liked' my facebook page please do as I'm quickly approaching the 10k mark :) eek the excitment! 

I'm also on instagram/twitter @ShahiraBarry

Lots of Love,

Shahira Xo 

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com 

email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.