It's not over yet

Tattoos + modeling = NO WAY! / unheard of / not gonna happen!

That is the common belief and typical response I get when I am talking to someone about my aspirations to take my modeling to the next level.

I get it. I really do...to some extent. Modeling is an art. The model is a canvas and most canvases are blank...

However, tattoos are an art form as well. They are a mean of expression and while some people choose to express some not-so-savory feelings on their bodies, some tattoos are truly meaningful.

For too long modeling gigs for women with tattoos were sparse. Sure tattoo magazines would give you a spot in their magazine, but you had to have "enough" tattoos. You couldn't be on the cover of a magazine featuring people with sleeves and full chest pieces when all you have is that butterfly on your ankle you and your BFF got to match and that script of your favorite quote.

What is out there for the tattooed model?


In fashion, one of the most important things to do is to keep things from clashing. Some people feel that tattoos clash with an image and prefer to use models that do not have any tattoos. This is why many people feel discouraged when wanting to pursue modeling if they have some ink.



In a time when Photoshop is so popular I don't see how covering up a tattoo could be so hard, but apparently to some it is too much extra work. I have worked with a variety of different independent photographers and some love my tattoos, while others just cover up whatever little piece shows.

I am gathering the courage to see what a large agency has to say about my tattoos, but that's for another time...

I lose hope on occasion, but then something happens to pick me right back up.

This season of "America's Next Top Model" features the show's all-stars. These are women who competed in previous seasons, but did not win. While watching one of the episodes, I noticed that almost all of women had tattoos! Not hidden ones or ones that could easily be concealed either! (and no, the tattoos were not the reason why they didn't win!)

Now I do know that this does not mean that the entire fashion industry has changed and that all photographers and designers will work with women that have tattoos, but it is a start..

Soon after I saw this episode, I noticed tattooed models more often. This particular one was the much needed jumper cable to my dead battery of hope and dreams:

Those are tattoos on her arms! The "Maybelline: Fit Me" commercial featured this woman and another with a large tattoo of script running down her back. A national campaign! A makeup commercial!

In a world that is constantly changing, it makes sense that the views of those mystical creatures that make the rules of the fashion industry would change as well!


Tattoos + modeling = finally happening?

Despite his name, this column doesn't blow

Pick a column, any column.

This week's assignment was one that caused me to search for a type of idol I had never imagined I would be looking for. I was used to admiring fashion models I wanted to be like or actresses whose roles I would love to have. Never had I thought I would be in search of a column writer who I wanted to emulate...until about a month ago when I enrolled in this course.

After searching the web for columns that would hopefully catch my attention, I stumbled upon a few that outright had me dozing off as well as some that made me want to email them this course number along with my professor's name in hopes that they realize they are in dire need of a refresher course.

Some time later, I ended up on the New York Times website and began scrolling through the lists of current columnists. These were politically based columns and ones that I was not used to reading.

"Rise of the Fallen?" was the column that caught my eye out of the exhaustive list of the most recent editorials.

This editorial was about president Obama's speech on September 3 to the joint Congress. Typically, I would click the back button on my browser right after learning that the topic was yet another "monumental speech", but the fact that the author felt the same way intrigued me.

He wrote about what a great speech the president gave and how inspiring everything sounded. He praised his delivery and passion then had a moment of deja vu...

"So why does it feel as if we’ve been here before? Why does it feel as if we’ve heard him “give it to them” before only to have him lighten up and give in later? Because we have, that’s why."

Yes! How did he know that's exactly how I feel? That is the reason why I cannot watch those speeches or read many articles on them! This column is one that I would recommend to anyone who has felt or is feeling like all that glitter and confetti that was surrounding Obama in 2008 has lost its luster.

Take a look: Rise of the Fallen?
If you want to see more of his columns, they are published every Saturday.

So who is Mr. Charles M. Blow? Well, for starters he has been writing for the New York Times since 1994. He is currently the visual Op-Ed columnist for the paper. When he first joined the paper he was a graphics editor and achieved many things in that position.

From winning a best of show award for his graphics coverage of 9/11 to becoming the graphics director, this man has learned the ins and outs of this trade. 

As for education, has a B.A. is mass communications which he received from Grambling State University. What was most interesting to me was the fact that he is so involved in graphics as well as the writing aspect of journalism.

I watched some of an interview he had with C-SPAN about his journey as a journalist and found it rather hopeful. He talks about some of his current topics and what he has encountered over the years. Here is a link to the interview: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/298466-1 (It is almost an hour so seeing bits and pieces was the route I took when watching it).

Overall, this column helped me see that politics do not always have to be stale and even if you have a stale topic to write about, it is possible to bring life back to something that appears expired.

BMI, the ultimate confidence crusher

"Once you go big, you never go twig".

Caught off guard? Slightly amused? I know I was when I heard one of the women from the show "Big Sexy" say this about having "a good time" with a plus sized woman. To get an idea of what goes on in the show, watch the clip titled "Thunder Thighs Contest" by clicking the attached link. (Warning: this is not for the weak of stomach) If you want to see more of these "big sexy" women the show airs Tuesday nights on TLC. The time sometimes changes so check your local listings to make sure you don't miss a second!
 Thunder Thighs Contest

Most of the women on the show are plus sized models. On the last episode I watched, one of the women came close to losing her contract because she had gained a few inches around her waist. One very interesting point the show brought up was that plus size models still have to be within a weight bracket. This bracket is a lot higher and more lenient than the weight for a high fashion model, but the restrictions are still there.

The featured women are somewhat successful in the fashion industry due to the rise of plus size and "full-figured" stores. Terms such as "curvy" and "thick" and being used in all the wrong places and obese women are self-proclaimed "real women".

Plus size modeling is mostly catalog work consisting of catalog books for various clothing stores and advertisements in magazines. Most high fashion gigs for runway shows carry only the smallest size (usually zero). There is much debate about this as many people think it is the root of a lot of the negative pressure many models feel they are under. Many designers will say that small sizes are made because they use less fabric. For expensive designs using as little as possible is the most cost effective thing to do.


The root of my frustration comes not from plus sized models nor the rail thin runway models, but from the fact that there is a gray area of modeling that I, unfortunately, fall into.

Gray area you say? Yes. My BMI, or body mass index, is of the seemingly boring "normal" range. In terms of unimportant things such as my health or longevity this is great. However, in the modeling industry it is undesirable.

This is the dilemma of many people I know trying to get into the modeling industry. We are too big to fit the 0-2 size range for a high fashion/runway model, but we are too small to fit the 10+ size range for a plus sized model.

What to do, what to do....

Forget about that thing called food and try to drop down to the underweight range in the BMI scale...?

Or

Forget about everything else but food and gorge myself until I'm tipping the unhealthy, obese range...?

This chart depicts my current options:

If you are now wondering what your own BMI is after looking at this chart, I would suggest a Google search of "BMI calculator". There are so many different ones from different websites and although they all do the same thing (you simply enter your height and weight and get a number) I have found that there are some that I just don't like, as crazy as that may sound. These calculators have been known to shatter the self-esteem of even the most cocky of individuals so take a deep breath before you hit the calculate button and let the computer send out the mortal blow...

College=?

Oops. A glass of sarcasm seems to have spilled all over my keyboard. I wonder how long it will take to evaporate...

Let's see. College. College. That's it!

There are so many good things about college. Where do I begin? One of the BEST things about college is the amount of debt you leave with! Who doesn't love knowing that they will spend a large portion of their adult life paying off 2-4 years of higher education? Increases in tuition each semester? Bring it on! Negative amounts in my bank accounts are great! Do you know what makes this debt even better? It's not the interest rates nor is it the payment terms. It is the fact if you didn't have a social you could go to school for free! How amazing is that? It's pretty darn amazing. The fact that people who are here illegally can receive help paying for college while I pull my hair out trying to figure out which student loan is right for me just warms my heart. It is a little known fact that college students absolutely adore massive amounts of stress.

Random fees are great. Especially the $100 fee I'm charged each time my loan money is dispersed to me.

What else is great about college? Books! The books that cost over $100 that are used for only 4 months. These are books that weigh too much. These are books that have over 30 chapters for no apparent reason since you will only read ten at the most. Who needs extra cash anyways, right?

Good thing Sacramento is so hot right now. That sarcasm dried up quickly. Now let's take a look at what's really good about going to college. College is that lengthy transition to the "real" world. The courses that are taken in college are courses that prepare you for a career. College provides the building blocks for the rest of your life. (Get ready for a poetic analogy). College is the basic cupcake recipe. The chosen major is the flavor of the cupcake and each individual course is that special ingredient that makes it the best cupcake ever baked. Just like any recipe, there is always room for personalization.

College is different for every person, but the vast majority of us are here for one reason: to better ourselves. As we all know, going to college is a choice. Attending classes is ultimately optional. I have found that in my two years of college experience I have a drive that continues to grow. I can see myself earning that degree and really starting my life.

It can be seen all across the campus as well. Take away the droopy eyes and walks of exhaustion and it is obvious that the students on campus want to be there. Many of us complain about our classes and our crammed schedules, but deep down we want to be there. Growing up, we are all but conditioned to believe that without a college degree we will end up working a drive-thru station for the rest of our lives, forever smelling of grease and bad food.

Besides avoiding a life of minimum wage, college provides some of us with vital connections that will help us throughout our entire lives. With opportunities such as internships and work experience, a student can get a preview into the field they wish to devote their life to. Doing well during an internship period can potentially set you up with a dream job. What's that saying?

 "Have a job you love doing and never work a day in your life"?

83 miles to adulthood

As I sit on my couch with my mug filled with Lucky Charms and my laptop displaying a blank blog, I consider all of the changes that have occurred over the past few weeks. One of the biggest is that I am alone, except for my cat Coraline. I am in MY apartment. I no longer just have a space I can call MY room.  I have my own kitchen, my own bathroom, my own living room, and even my own balcony...

August was the month of change for me. The 83-mile trip from Tracy to Sacramento was a life changing one. I entered the realm of "young adulthood". As I pulled into my designated carport I felt the transformation begin. Simple trips to the store became ordeals as I adjusted to my new surroundings. I was introduced to the horrible words that are "rent" and "SMUD". As I got used to my new place, I began to prepare for school. I have just about completed my first week and it was far different than I had anticipated.

Let's start with Monday: I rode a bus by myself for the first time in my life. I was nervous to say the least. How dirty was it going to be? Will I be safe? Am I going to remember what stop to get off on? All these questions and more circulated through my mind as I made the 5-minute walk to the bus stop by my apartment complex. Once on the bus, I began to calm down. It was surprisingly clean and not crowded, yet. By the time we got to the CSUS stop the bus was packed with what I was sure was more people than the allowed capacity. This day would start at 9am and end at 9pm. It was torture. I arrived home drained and weak, but also accomplished. I had completed my first day as a college junior.

When I woke up Tuesday morning I was anxious to begin my journey to campus. As I passed through the rush week set up I thought about how much I wanted to be a part of a sorority. I looked at the various booths on my way to class and pictured wearing a shirt with Greek lettering; I could pull it off. As my second day came to an end I realized that I had not made the plethora of new friends I thought I would have by now. Was I not the social-butterfly my small town living had caused me to believe? Troubling thoughts filled my head on the crammed ride home on the bus.

Wednesday marked the middle of the week. The first week of anything is usually stressful, whether it is the first week at a new workplace or the first week in a new city so I didn't let me bring it down. The first week of school was a section in this new chapter of my life and I was determined for it to be a light comedy rather than a tragedy. My classes went well and besides the bus arriving late I got home before dark.

That brings me to today and glancing over to my "Sac State" mug and seeing that my cereal has become soggy and that the milk has become colored I realize that I have been writing for awhile and that I have just completed my first assignment as a journalism major!