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Alicia Dawn | VIP Member | Verified Credits (20)

Where are you from? Where are you based now and do you travel for shoots?

I’m from Greensboro, North Carolina, and yes, I do travel! I’ve traveled up and down the east coast of the US as well as to Paris, the Bahamas, Costa Rica and Budapest for photoshoots. I plan to broaden my travels as well by converting a sprinter van into a home on wheels and touring the country nonstop once I have the funds to invest in the idea.

Who or what inspired you to become a model?

My love and passion for art and expressing myself is what inspired me. I’ve always loved painting but modeling has become a whole new way for me to create art with my physical body and emotion involved.

How and when did you start modeling?

I started modeling in 2015 after meeting a photographer at a Comicon convention where I was cosplaying Black Cat from the Spider-Man comics. He asked to take a few photos of me posing in costume. Later that week, he found me on Facebook and asked if I had ever thought about modeling, so I figured, why not? I fell in love instantly with the freedom of expression that comes with modeling and have been modeling full-time ever since.

What type of modeling do you enjoy the most?

Anything that involves off the wall creativity and requires thinking out of the box! I love posing freely with objects while finding ways to become one with that object, being painted and decorated for creative shoots and posing in small spaces where I can bundle myself into interesting poses. I love shoots that make me think “how can I best portray myself artistically in this environment or with this object?”

What do you look for when deciding to work with a photographer?

Safety is my number one priority anytime I agree to model for a shoot. I always ask for references if I don’t see familiar faces of models I may know in their portfolio. Other than that, I like to make sure we share similar creative interests so that we can best execute the vision together as a team.

Which models or other artists currently inspire you?

Gosh… there are so many! Matt Schmidt, Louis Reed, and Voxefx are a few photographers that mean a lot to me. Louis was the first photographer that I agreed to pose nude for during a shoot and Matt has an amazing mind and drive to create nothing less than outstanding in his images. Vox is an amazing creative as well and is probably the quickest photographer I know and it amazes me how many amazing images he can edit and turn out in such a short span of time. I’m happy to say I can call all three of these individuals friends of mine and that each has inspired me to be more creative and try for nothing less than amazing during each photoshoot. As far as models, Kat Malone and Willa Prescott are two I look up to. I learned a lot from Willa including the business, organization and scheduling method that I still follow today. My first tour of multiple days was with her and I can’t thank her enough for allowing me to shadow her business skills. As far as Kat, I’m never disappointed with her content and the amount of expression she’s able to portray in her work. I’ve modeled with her and she’s a great person all around as well as a brilliant model.

What would be your dream shoot?

I love being creative and traveling, so any shoot that allows me to express myself to the fullest and explore a new area is a dream to me.

How important is social media in your success?

Social media is extremely important to me. I use Instagram daily as a tool to promote my travel schedule and my portfolio to my fans and the photographers that follow me.

What else do you like to do outside of modeling?

One of my favorite things to do is travel and explore new locations as well as try new foods in each city I visit. Painting and creating my own art is another passion of mine. Other than that, I love video games, watching movies, some anime, spoiling my kitty Nyla with belly rubs and kisses, and enjoying all the things I’ve listed with my boyfriend by my side, whom also models with me on occasion. Devoting time to my family is also very important to me, so every Sunday I eat lunch with my sister and parents and visit with them while I’m home from my travels.

What’s the best career advice you can give to new models?

If modeling is a passion of yours, go for it and don’t hold back. I struggled for a year over the decision of if I should quit my fifty hours a week job that I was miserable at and pursue my love for modeling full-time. Now, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because I’m free from a miserable life behind the service desk of a car dealership and now live my life with happiness, creativity and the ability to explore the world. Also, if you do decide to become a full-time model, always have a backup income. Modeling can pay well, but like any creative job, it’s not stable and you will encounter difficult months financially. I work for Uber and Door Dash during days that I’m not on tour or have photoshoots scheduled to produce either a savings nest egg or to help fill in the financial gaps during slow months with modeling. Also, if you do plan to travel, think about investing in a fuel-efficient car, you’ll thank yourself when you realize how expensive fuel can become if you’re on the road constantly. Other than that, always place safety as a priority and don’t do something you’re not comfortable with. Last, have fun, explore, don’t stress, meet new people and create something amazing.

Check out Alicia Dawn’s Model Mayhem portfolio to see more of her work. You can also follow Alicia on Instagram.