Alexandra Beck wrote:
Hey guys. I'm 23, and I know I'm not old at all.

But the modeling world is so fast paced, I've begun to feel that I'm reaching the "end of my time". Especially living in Tokyo, where you are considered "old" as a female by age 25.

I spend most of my life confused as to what I wanted to do, and still not having completely figured out, I'm just 1 1/2 years away from being "old". I still feel like a kid. I haven't even really experienced a healthy romantic relationship.

How many of you guys feel the way I do? And how to you face/accept these fears? Models especially have it tough, I feel. Hopefully we can share philosophies to keep us sane.

I get you. I'm "old" = 25. I'm totally uncomfortable with it, or with what I think that age is 'supposed' to mean. When I turned 25 I really thought, okay, I'm really actually supposed to be an adult now. Why am I so far from being in that head-space? I always thought my sh*t would be more settled by now, but that's just a fantasy. We grow up thinking we'll be established adults at age 25 but that's a far cry from the reality of most modern lives. We spend more time getting educated, seeing the world, etc. than ever before so we 'mature' more slowly and settle down later. Yet simultaneously, these old, ageist ideas are still lurking about (especially apparent in a field like modeling) that women are withered and sexually irrelevant once they turn 25 and should just start making babies and hiding away in the home. You can't win. You just have to accept how illogical it is to consider 25, 30, etc. old, especially in this day and age, and stop trying to make sense of nonsense.

MatureModelMM wrote:
There are many different kinds of modelling, and different sorts of models.  It's obvious from reading your profile that you are in a very competitive part of the modelling world.

Personally I don't buy that story at all. 25 is not old, and there should be other opportunities, but of course you might have to go looking for them. Also, it's entirely possible if you are living in a different culture that you might have to think outside the box.

I didn't even start modelling till I was 35 and still going strong at 61........just saying that it's possible to continue indefinitely in some genres of modelling.

Absolutely! The lady in my port is 44 n still going strong!

MatureModelMM wrote:
There are many different kinds of modelling, and different sorts of models.  It's obvious from reading your profile that you are in a very competitive part of the modelling world.

Personally I don't buy that story at all. 25 is not old, and there should be other opportunities, but of course you might have to go looking for them. Also, it's entirely possible if you are living in a different culture that you might have to think outside the box.

I didn't even start modelling till I was 35 and still going strong at 61........just saying that it's possible to continue indefinitely in some genres of modelling.

That is a great response ^_^ I started modeling when I was 25 and sometimes I think back "Wow, I wish I'd started with I was 19 or something" but really, there is no way I would have been able to do it as the person I was at 19. I am now almost 30 and I have slowed down some since I started, but that is 100% because of my life, my health issues/pain issues, and my decision to be more picky and to stop taking on most paid shoots and to focus mainly on creating art and just shooting what I want.

I do agree that in some genres there is a very narrow window for modeling, but as MatureModelMM said, there are other outlets for modeling ^_^

Ida Saint-Luc wrote:

I get you. I'm "old" = 25. I'm totally uncomfortable with it, or with what I think that age is 'supposed' to mean. When I turned 25 I really thought, okay, I'm really actually supposed to be an adult now. Why am I so far from being in that head-space? I always thought my sh*t would be more settled by now, but that's just a fantasy. We grow up thinking we'll be established adults at age 25 but that's a far cry from the reality of most modern lives. We spend more time getting educated, seeing the world, etc. than ever before so we 'mature' more slowly and settle down later. Yet simultaneously, these old, ageist ideas are still lurking about (especially apparent in a field like modeling) that women are withered and sexually irrelevant once they turn 25 and should just start making babies and hiding away in the home. You can't win. You just have to accept how illogical it is to consider 25, 30, etc. old, especially in this day and age, and stop trying to make sense of nonsense.

EXACTLY...

I want to multi-quote but I don't quite know how yet, so I'll just give an over-all response.

I can objectively understand that the passage of time is linear, that it's not in any sense defining, and that there is no sense in attaching judgements to it.

My even so, it's frightening. Maybe that's just the fear of coming to terms with my own morality.

I don't know how many of you have seen "girl, Model" But when I say modeling, I mean the modeling I have been doing in Japan, not freelace, but as a "fresh face" to be remembered, I suppose. That was always my dream. It had been a bumpy road, but BECAUSE I was young, I made some mistakes, some uneducated decisions, and the like. NOW I finally understand what to do, but I'm running out of time. I was actually told "Oh no, if we don't get you out there now you will be a baasan (Old lady) and it'll be too late."
Most castings are for women between ages of 14-20. Some make it to 22. 23 is unheard of.
I like the wisdom age brings. I like the calmness, the self-assurance, and the self-knowledge. I just find it cruel that society chooses to only value such a ephemeral trait.

I will continue modeling as a hobby, for sure, but I fear that before I ever get my "big breaK or "glory time" it'll be over.

Alexandra Beck wrote:
Hey guys. I'm 23, and I know I'm not old at all.

But the modeling world is so fast paced, I've begun to feel that I'm reaching the "end of my time". Especially living in Tokyo, where you are considered "old" as a female by age 25.

I spend most of my life confused as to what I wanted to do, and still not having completely figured out, I'm just 1 1/2 years away from being "old". I still feel like a kid. I haven't even really experienced a healthy romantic relationship.

How many of you guys feel the way I do? And how to you face/accept these fears? Models especially have it tough, I feel. Hopefully we can share philosophies to keep us sane.

You need to understand it's not about you getting old It's your culture. You must get out of this
Concerns.Working out a plan that would take you to another level. I'm 52 and I truly love
It. Still I can turn heads But this has nothing to do how I feel It's all about doing what you LOVE.
Try not to let this in to your skin. Otherwise the cause can be unrepeatable .


H

Danielle Reid wrote:
I just turned 25. I feel old and unwanted.

I just turned 56 and I wouldn't go back in time for anything. Old age? Bring it on!

Michelle Genevieve wrote:

I just turned 56 and I wouldn't go back in time for anything. Old age? Bring it on!

That doesn't make me feel any better

Alexandra Beck wrote:
Hey guys. I'm 23, and I know I'm not old at all.

But the modeling world is so fast paced, I've begun to feel that I'm reaching the "end of my time". Especially living in Tokyo, where you are considered "old" as a female by age 25.

I spend most of my life confused as to what I wanted to do, and still not having completely figured out, I'm just 1 1/2 years away from being "old". I still feel like a kid. I haven't even really experienced a healthy romantic relationship.

How many of you guys feel the way I do? And how to you face/accept these fears? Models especially have it tough, I feel. Hopefully we can share philosophies to keep us sane.

Hello,
If you are about to graduate away from your current market or genre of shooting then it is time to start seriously looking at the next phase!!

The good news is that while you will be walking away from something you are outgrowing you will also become "fresh" at your new area with a new and hopefully renewed career ahead of you.

This is not bad, right?

Good time to start looking forward to the new but it is natural to regret walking away or no longer fitting in where you used to be.

Good luck!!

Any ideas where next?
Jen
edit to answer your questions about how to face these fears or a personal familiarity.

I'd aged out of the market I wanted long before I got my first foot in the door. I was 27 when I briefly tried modeling first, already too old for runway. I still had a few takers who gave me a little try but it wasn't feasible for me.

Twenty years later I managed to fall into it and then remembered how much I'd wanted to do it before and how time is "now" that I actually turned that fall into a full fledged jump into it.

Time is still flying and exponentially for me now that menopause is here so, my aim is to accept what I can do and have friends that may let me push the limits and friends who will also tell me when the limit shouldn't be pushed.

I still want to try new things however, the commercial modeling market looks a bit out of my reality right now.

Until I can make a serious attempt for that I am going to continue to network, create and enjoy.

Accepting the "now" of where we are is good and also not giving up because of it is even better!

Eugenya wrote:
I can't believe all the young ladies in this thread who feel so old!  That's so strange to me.  I feel old on this site, but I'm 43! 

I might add that while I feel old on this site, I don't feel old away from it.  I know that I'm young.

You aren't old, I'm old (and creepy according to some).

When I browse for models, I often search for 40 and over.  I must say, though, that they are few and far between.

Mark Salo wrote:

You aren't old, I'm old (and creepy according to some).

When I browse for models, I often search for 40 and over.  I must say, though, that they are few and far between.

I have 39 on my profile, maybe you should aim lower because I know several models on here who do what I do to get noticed in typical searches.

Michael DBA Expressions wrote:
If you (all) are so fortunate to live as long as I have (born 1947, you do the math), I hope you will have lived every minute as fully as possible. Looking back, I remember thinking that 18 was old at one point. I was wrong.

I also remember when "don't trust anyone over 30" was spoken as a truism. That was also wrong.

And I posit that the OP is equally wrong about 25 being old. For the very same reasons. OP, guess what? 25 will come and go, and you will not notice any speed bump whatsoever.

Now, "old?" What age do you suppose that would be? I'm thinking somewhere in the late 80s, maybe. But I could be wrong. It's not like it's never happened before.

I'm not saying I think it's old, I'm saying society/the modeling world, ESPECIALLY JAPAN'S (where I live) says so.