Confessions of an Ex-Model: Behind-the-Scenes

Enter the highlight reals

Of Columnist Alex Hansen’s first article in the series Confessions of an Ex-Model, on what it really means to “be in the industry.”

“The spotlight was always where I felt most comfortable. From the young age of 7, I would put on impromptu performances with my younger sister or pretend to be newscasters reading out the breaking stories of the day while my dad filmed with his camcorder. Coordination was never my thing, because what comes with being a string bean is very little control of my limbs.”

“Overall, modeling offered me an outlet. It gave me a world away from my grade of 45 people and let me express myself in ways I had never dreamed of. Never having been the crafty type, posing in front of the camera with all of the artistic licensing I was given made me feel powerful and happy. There is a kind of high I experienced in front of the flashing lights of the DSLR snapping away at me.”

“I always knew I would never pursue modeling as a career but being able to have that artistic freedom and to experience such a secret and fun world during high school is something that I will always treasure. I hope to explore the ups and downs, some of my favorite memories, and some insight from my friends who stayed with modeling and who quit like me.”

By Alex Hansen 

UC Berkeley student, lover of carbs, and proclaimed knower of all rap lyrics.