So yeah, I did something yesterday, that I never thought I would do. But hey, it's good to get out of your comfort zone sometimes, to push yourself. As the years have gone by, I have certainly got more comfortable in my skin. I have got to the point now, where I just don't really care what other people think of me and it's so feckin liberating. I highly recommend it. It's crazy, how we allow other people's opinions, to dictate how we live our lives. It's one of the wonderful things about getting older, you wise up and just stop caring.
A very close friend of mine, Freya, owns a clothes shop in town. I always pop in when I am passing, to say hello and give her a hug. Freya is always getting me to try on some of the clothes that come into her shop. Most of the clothes are not really my style and plus I don't really buy new clothes, but I always oblige, as it's just like playing dress up and we do need to play more. Plus it's fun, I love to try on clothes that are very far from what I wear. Freya has a really good eye when it comes to styling people and she surprises me sometimes when she gets me to try different things on.
A few months back, she told me about an exhibition that she was going to be a part of. A living art exhibition, where she needed some models to wear her clothes. Fashion is not really my thing, there is so much waste produced by the fashion industry, not to mention the amount of big brands that use children to make their clothes, having them work in horrible conditions and for very little money.
My friend sources her clothes from ethical sources/brands and also does not sell any clothes or accessories that are made from animal products. So it is certainly not the worst, when it comes to clothes shop, it's also pretty small. Anyway, she asked me to model and at first I was like, nah, that's not me. But after a little encouragement, I said yes. Last night, the event arrived and I found myself, getting my hair and make up done (very minimal I might add, very minimal).
Earlier in the day, my daughter received her first grading in Kick Boxing. She was due to get a yellow belt, but she done so well and they were so impressed with her, that she ended up with a Orange Belt. I was so proud of her. So our day started off really well.
As the day progressed, I found myself getting a tad bit nervous, at the prospect of parading in front of a bunch of people. Two of my daughters came with me, which really helped to keep me grounded, as we walked into town.
When I got to the venue, "The Chicken Factory" (I'm not a fan of the name to be honest), I went straight into the dressing room. There was also another wonderful art exhibition happening at the same time, where a local artist was showing some of her wonderful colourful paintings. They were hung in the same room that we would be strutting our stuff. I had no idea how many people were there, until it came for us to line up, outside the space. There were around 100 people all crammed into the space. I was super nervous and excited at the same time. Once the music started, I decided to just dance, which helped to calm me and a few others.
I walked out on two different occasions, each time with a frame, we were living art after all. I had to walk and pose between the pillars and above all have fun. Once I got out, I just went for it and surprised myself with how much fun I had. But I must say, I never thought I would see myself as a model lol. But hey, never say never.
