We were lucky to catch up with Ayla Demirci recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ayla, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I am beyond happy as a creative and the main reason is because being a creative allows plenty of space for errors. Sometimes even embracing those mistakes to create something totally new. I am very scatter brained and a bit all over the place. As a waitress, if I made a mistake, then all I could do is try and correct the mistake. But as a creative when you make mistakes sometimes you realize the vision you wanted in the beginning isn’t really the vision you wanted at all. Sometimes a simple mistake can change a project for the better.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
As a child I was very creative and passionate about the arts but too insecure. I auditioned for music at Nashville school of the arts and studied music for several years. I loved it but the truth is that I wanted to audition for acting but I was too afraid. I’ve been freelance modeling for several years but didn’t get signed to an agency until I was 29 years old because before I was just too afraid. Once I became a mother I decided that in order to raise strong confident children, I have to be that example. I decided to face my fears and apply to agencies and that’s what brought me here. Sometimes I beat myself up for not facing my fears and starting sooner but I feel so blessed to be here now. As a young dropout mother I had a lot of doubts and insecurities but ultimately my children have been the main force to drive me to be better and to live life unapologetically as my true self.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I love how social media has made a difference in the modeling industry. It’s become a lot less exclusive. I used to think that I had to be younger than 23 and 6 feet tall or I would never get signed to an agency and now I am living proof that that is not true. You don’t have to be thin and tall and flawless (I know a lot of models and we all have flaws) All you really need to be a successful model in the industry today is a hard head, thick skin and a big heart.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
If you want to get serious about working as a creative, there will be a lot of hard unpaid work in the beginning until you prove yourself. In the beginning of my journey my husband never understood why I was so serious about the work I was doing if I wasn’t getting paid. Ive spent so many nights working until dawn studying, creating, applying etc and for a long time I wasn’t making any money. You have to truly love what you do. This industry is so competitive and your work is your resume. Without it, you won’t book a job! Now I’m in a position where I can demand my own rates for the work that I do and that’s what I think it means to be successful at your craft.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Https://www.Instagram.com/Aylamahree
- Other: https://app.castingnetworks.com/talent/public-profile/bb8d9822-1ea3-11ed-b3e9-5b27aa6b02af