To Each Their Own

       I've noticed a lot of things happening in the world of pinup modeling, some amazing, some shocking. But quite frankly I wasn't surprised.

      After competing in pageants and simply existing in today's society things have shifted. The first pageant I was in was a lot of fun. I got to know some really wonderful girls who are very successful now. The second pageant I was in was a learning experience. I learned that certain people were only out for themselves.

     When I said I wanted to model and empower others I meant it. I have seen some people online writing disparaging comments at published models, telling models they're not pinup, you're not wearing this or that. And that's where my pageant lessons came in.

     Empowerment is not about forcing people to do things your way. It's about encouraging others to define their own goals and reach them. I've looked at the most successful people in business and they never reached their goals by being putting others down. They reached their goals by being molded  and passing their lessons on.

     I've seen so many people afraid to ask business owners how they got started, to just talk and be real. But those are the people you should go to! Just be honest about your intentions and where you're coming from. You have to have enough strength to ask for help, to state who you are and what you want to be.

     When +Cherry Dollface liked a picture I posted to Instagram I was thrilled. I was shocked even, because the cropping turned out terrible! It gave me a surge of confidence to keep going, but with better editing.

     Some might say I'm terribly old fashioned, that no one wants to be Miss Congeniality for a reason. People have said the same thing about people, models and comic book characters. Let them! No one ever told me that Josephine Baker made negative comments towards Marilyn Monroe, that Spider-Man isn't the most Marvel superhero! You can use their negative comments as fuel to be yourself. Make your own rules, just make sure to break those too without harming others.