The Ignorance of Youth
It contains everything. All my modeling photos, all the scraps and bits of novel, all my recipes and contracts. Leave it to me to keep poor track of my flash drive. I stroll into the library with one last glimmer of hope that, like the dumb blonde I can sometimes be, I left it plugged into terminal 10, my technological nemesis. This is the computer that doesn't have an updated flash player for me to
listen to music and is wide out in the open for any Tom, Dick, or Harry
to peer over my shoulder. I loathe terminal 10. Eureka! A tightly taped-up packet, tucked behind the counter, guarded by the librarian, contains my flash drive, the time, date, and #10 written clearly on the paper. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
There is a local artist who has repeatedly posted a craigslist ad seeking a female figure model for ongoing work. His art is good, and he pays well. The first time I responded to the ad he was interested in meeting with me, but looking at the address of his studio I realized it would be impossible for me to make it back to my session at the sketch club. So I offered an alternative appointment, and never heard from him again. For whatever reason the ad is back up. And I respond again, this time with a detailed resume in addition to the portfolio links I sent last time. He hasn't followed up with me.
Despite my being a professional figure model with scads of experience and a spotless record of being on time and prepared, there is one piece of his criteria that I do not meet: I am not yet thirty years old. I was passed over because I am a year shy of what he feels is a different bracket in maturity. And that really chaps my ass.
The worst part is this artist has had bad luck with enough young models that he won't even consider them as collaborators. And that's a shame, because there are a lot of beautiful and talented young people out there. Yes, models have rightfully earned a terrible reputation for being late, unprepared, or not showing up at all. In fact, just today I received another disheartening report of a model failing to show for a sketch session run by someone I respect and enjoy working with. I'm taking this one personally.
It's pretty simple. Don't want to model? Then don't! There are literally hundreds of men and women who would be happy to make the cash you just punked out on. Artists pay to attend these sketch sessions. They set aside time to attend them. To better their craft. To create something beautiful. So when you waste their time, you're not just giving all models a bad name, you're actually screwing us over.
And those of us who like doing this as a profession, who do need the money, would rather you find something you're more suited for.
There is a local artist who has repeatedly posted a craigslist ad seeking a female figure model for ongoing work. His art is good, and he pays well. The first time I responded to the ad he was interested in meeting with me, but looking at the address of his studio I realized it would be impossible for me to make it back to my session at the sketch club. So I offered an alternative appointment, and never heard from him again. For whatever reason the ad is back up. And I respond again, this time with a detailed resume in addition to the portfolio links I sent last time. He hasn't followed up with me.
Despite my being a professional figure model with scads of experience and a spotless record of being on time and prepared, there is one piece of his criteria that I do not meet: I am not yet thirty years old. I was passed over because I am a year shy of what he feels is a different bracket in maturity. And that really chaps my ass.
The worst part is this artist has had bad luck with enough young models that he won't even consider them as collaborators. And that's a shame, because there are a lot of beautiful and talented young people out there. Yes, models have rightfully earned a terrible reputation for being late, unprepared, or not showing up at all. In fact, just today I received another disheartening report of a model failing to show for a sketch session run by someone I respect and enjoy working with. I'm taking this one personally.
It's pretty simple. Don't want to model? Then don't! There are literally hundreds of men and women who would be happy to make the cash you just punked out on. Artists pay to attend these sketch sessions. They set aside time to attend them. To better their craft. To create something beautiful. So when you waste their time, you're not just giving all models a bad name, you're actually screwing us over.
And those of us who like doing this as a profession, who do need the money, would rather you find something you're more suited for.
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