Article by Kevin Choa / Graphics by Elena Salazar / Photos by Hannah Beltran and Paolo Pareno
Modelling is not exclusive to the ripped and famous. Anyone who has a passion for modelling can become a model. I get the current trend of models having perfect skin types, body types, and so on; but I also believe that your personal appearance shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your passions. Being a model isn’t just about looks; it’s more about being confident enough to pull them off.
Unfortunately, so many people still think otherwise. There are just so many perfect, pretty, and proportional faces and bodies to go around; plus even more (expensive) beauty products and procedures to help others achieve the hot body that they want. Then there comes the hard part: diet, exercise, and other forms of body maintenance.
It’s a sad reality that so many people will do anything and everything to get the body proportions that they want. While I’m not going to question any of those things or why people do them, it’s enough to say that it exists with some really painful results. It’s one thing to want to improve yourself, get fit, and get healthy; it’s something else to go through intense and unsustainable habits just because you want to achieve a model-worthy look. It’s one thing to pursue your passions; it’s something else to let them control you. Never let your passions alone define you.
With that, here are some tips for those who are not gifted in body, but are gifted in heart.
For every aspiring model (or person in general), envy and jealousy will always be there. Most of us probably know either someone who can eat everything they wants while still being thin without exercise, someone who just can’t seem to stop getting more and more muscular, someone who just happens to have the perfect proportions and lines, or a combination of all of them and more (*sigh*).
To that, I say; be brave. always. It’s not just about being brave enough to read comments or seeing how others react to what you’re wearing; it’s about having the courage to just smile through everything and stick to everything that makes you feel comfortable and happy. Comfort always beats style; styles are temporary while comfort lasts much longer, if not forever (Need proof? Look here).
There will always be at least one positive thing that makes someone stand out above the rest. Maybe it’s the hair. Maybe it’s the waist. Maybe it’s the legs. Maybe it’s about time we love what makes us different. There will always be parts of other people we want for ourselves, but there are also parts of us other people want, too (here’s some proof).
With that, I say; make your edges stand out. It helps define who you are and that’s something that can never be taken away by anyone but yourself.
Let’s be honest; passion can only go so far. Opportunities come and go at any given time and separate the big-time from the small-time. There are always hard decisions to make in taking a high-risk but high-reward opportunity to make your name stand out more, but sometimes there are just some things too good to pass up. As Richard Bach said: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours. If not, it was never meant to be.” Care for everything that makes you happy, which at the end of the day must be you.
Hold on, but don’t be afraid to let go. Love and appreciate everything you have, but know that these things might just keep you from pursuing your passions. Having the passion to do something isn’t just love in doing it; it’s also having the drive to keep moving forward and improving whatever that thing is.
Being a model isn’t just about yourself, though. Imagine the number of people who have to be there for every flawless photo shoot. Think about the people who see your work; the people who are inspired so much and look up to you. One thing that’s great about social media now is that inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere we look, even from people we most likely don’t know a lot about.
The hardest part about having any passion is to have almost no support for it. That’s fine; you can’t force people to like anything or anyone. That being said, it always helps to find other people with as much passion as you do. The modelling industry is known for being cut-throat and sometimes abusive, but it doesn’t have to be that way for everyone.
Let love in; let your passion for modelling (or anything else for that matter) be shared by many to get them inspired to do something. Even a little helping hand can warm up the coldest hearts.
It’s perfectly fine to complain. Sometimes, things just don’t go the way you want to. It’s part of life, but we’re better than that. Feel every emotion that hits you, but use it to understand what others feel. Understand that only you can feel the emotions you have and only you can express them in the best way possible. With that, it’s best to be the person you want others to be.
It’s not just about being there for other people; it’s about being there so that you can both understand each other and know exactly how to help each other through tough times. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. Let’s help each other keep that statement true.
There’s only so much you can do alone no matter how hard you try, but that should never stop you from working for what you want. It’s the same thing with your body; it has it’s own set of limits that make it unique from others. That’s why I’d always say: to do great things, do it together in everything that you do. Those other people might not give you exactly what you want immediately, but whatever it is they give you is something to learn about in pursuing all your passions and dreams.
Do you think you can rock those tees better? Grab them here and try them out!
When In Manila Love Foundation is a community of storytellers with a passion for sharing inspiring stories. Our mission is to help generate support for worthy causes through storytelling, fundraising, and partnerships. Our vision is a world where everyone’s story is valued. We inspire good through social storytelling.
