We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Parra recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
Feeling like my dreams and love for my craft impede on the happiness of my family is an on and off again battle. I have modeled on and off for more than 20 years. On a very long break, one I thought that I would not return to modeling from, I was a corporate employee. I was ready to make a life in corporate America. When I returned to modeling in 2017, I was told, ‘You’re a little old to be modeling, don’t you think?’ Right back into the industry with negative comments from my potential agent. That was the world that I remembered. The industry in the 90’s and early 2000’s was all but welcoming to people like myself. I was 33, returning from a 15 year break. I heard the words that were said and decided at that moment that IF I was too old, that would be MY decision.
After talking with the booking agent, I was told that I could absolutely do commercial work. I had never worked in commercials, but I had to be open to it. It is what the KC area is known for. We are a “flyover market”. That means that we get a lot of business from other markets coming to KC for “cheaper” production costs, because the cost of living is lower here. There really is not a lot of fashion in KC, so…I went with it. Why not have a new adventure. Very quickly, I started to book commercial work. Surprisingly, I was also booking in fashion. Ha! I was NOT indeed “too old”.
This feeling still comes back from time-to-time. I am now 38, and still booking quite a bit of work. Making a full-time job of modeling and commercial work in KC is almost unheard of, but I’m doing everything that I can to make it work. I am signed in several other markets and work all over the US. Working and walking with people who are young enough to be my children (teens and early 20’s) can make you compare your body very quickly. You have to catch those feelings quickly, acknowledge them and send them on their way.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I walked in my first runway show at 5. There was a local Walmart who put on a spring/summer show in early 1990. It was a very small production, but I was hooked. My very large family always commented on how pretty I was and how beautiful I would be as I grew. I wanted to model the rest of my life. If you can imagine, I did not know what that looked like at the age of 5. I wasn’t signed with an agency until I was 15, although I did get to work with local companies for advertisements. Social media was not the force that it is now. I did not think about who I was or what I wanted to change in the world at that time. Modeling in the 90’s looked like, “shut up and look pretty”. Needless to say, it was not the place for a young person to feel good about themselves. I was not thick skinned when it came to being told that I was “fat” (I was a size 4) or the quality of my skin. I, like most teens, struggled with acne. I became anorexic. I thought that I needed to change who I was for success. I was offered a contract with a few very large agencies and a spot at a model house. My parents supported me in every way. They did not see the damage that the industry was pushing me to lay on myself. It was one of my sisters who saw it. I was so angry with her, but she told my mother that I was not eating. Intervention began. I was heartbroken and felt like I was being attacked for something that I thought was necessary for me to succeed. Many dark times followed. I left the industry at 19. I was ready to work on myself and let that dream go. It was going to kill me. Let’s fast forward to 2017. I was a wife and a mom. I had just left my corporate job in toxicology. I was ready for something new. I was in a healthy place. I was in a healthy body. I re-entered the industry and was noticing that a lot had changed for the better, but for new models that did not have the experience, I could see how the industry was still a very confusing and scary place. I have a great confidence in myself that I did not have as a teen. I was ready to help guide and support other models. I know the ugly side of this industry and now, the good side. I did not have a mentor when I was younger and I was seeing how that could have made my journey different. Whenever I was backstage or onset, I talked. I asked questions and I shared. I started to see a need in the local market for guidance, with new and unsigned models. I didn’t know then that it would be a very valuable service that I could provide. Now in addition to modeling and commercial work, I am a model coach and mentor.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I was a little girl with a dream and a love for fashion. I know that there are so many that have or had this same dream. I know that it is never too late to revisit a dream. Timing is everything. I would not rewrite my story for anything. I mentor so that young and older models do not have to have the same experience that I had or worse. With that said, I can talk all I want to a model. They do not have to take my advice. Sometimes, unfortunately, we do have to learn from experience. My goal is to educate anyone who wants to learn. I teach confidence, self love and care, technique, mechanics, experience and so much more. Being a genderfluid queer model, I welcome ALL who want to learn. I think the way the world is slowly changing is moving into a beautiful space. The industry now welcomes what I consider to be real sized and all gender identities and expressions. Having watched where the industry has changed is lovely. We still have a long way to go, but movement is needed. I love to give photographers, brands, stylists, designers and other creatives a life for what they can imagine. It is my job to bring life and a story. Now I get to teach that and it is SO fulfilling. I am surrounded by a wonderful group of people/creatives/coaches at The Model Board where I am a proud member of the team. I provide real industry experience to models without the sugar in my words. You will get a straight answer without fluff. I hope you’re ready.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
The biggest thing I would say there is if you just think that you can “do it better”, please do your research. There are so many people who think they can do it better, but end up taking advantage of others in the process. Not everyone can do the job. It is important to stay in your lane. If you have not assisted in running a fashion event, you probably should not run out and produce your own show. If you don’t know about photo release laws, you should not be photographing models, or modeling. If you do not have years of experience in modeling, have an agent or are represented in more than one market, you maybe should not be guiding models on their journey. I have seen how putting your trust into “good intention” can hurt people. We take what we do very seriously at The Model Board. It is our goal to educate and elevate students and mentees with straight talk and the best knowledge that we have built from our many years in the industry. My heart breaks for models who trusted the wrong person. I have seen models take pictures with the wrong photographer and get painted in the wrong light. It doesn’t go away. If you are new or need help in this industry, do your research and look for qualified help! There are a lot of scams out there and without doing your research, you can get sucked in on a dream.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
headshots are by Jon Hargett flower shot by Amina Shaw also in photo Deon Walton dressed in Any Old Iron stair photo by Amina Shaw runway by Eagle aerial in Little Jo Designs at KCFW group shot is The Model Board Back to Basics class