We were lucky to catch up with Becca Elder recently and have shared our conversation below.

Becca , appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

From modeling, to photography, to piercing, everything I do is a risk. People say don’t judge a book by its cover but the truth is, they do. From how I dress to what I choose to do for work I constantly have eyes on me and it’s not always necessarily a good thing. As for modeling my main scene has always been boudoir and artistic nude. To some they just think it is for male attention or that I’m just showing my body to the world and don’t have any self respect for myself. The truth is it is empowering to me, it is to inspire and give everyone a different perspective on the female body. I have struggled with my self image my entire life. Everyone sees me as this confident bombshell but what you don’t see is that I have fought myself my entire life and have given harsh judgement on my body. I have had an eating disorder for over half of my life and now I am gaining weight and struggling even more just to simply be healthy and stay in a positive mindset. That also comes with the risk of people commenting on my weight and could revert me back to bad habits. What drives me the most is having other women and even men coming to me saying how inspiring it is to see someone so open, confident and carefree. Getting back into photography comes at the risk of dissatisfied customers or hateful or hurtful negative comments because people don’t go for constructive criticism anymore. People go to hurt or to hate. The world is so cruel. If people have different views or opinions on literally anything they will so quickly try to attack you. For example, I did a photoshoot for a friend that was pride themed. The community is under so much pressure right now. Rights are being stripped away and people are being so ignorant. Backing the lgbtqia+ community is extremely important for me personally but I know that is a hot topic that some photographers won’t do in fear of the hate they could receive. To me is it worth it, because seeing how confident and happy my friend was being able to fully express himself and see himself in a different light made my entire heart melt. People don’t just listen to words anymore, you have to be bold, you have to be out there. To me taking the risk of doing concepts others are scared to do is a step forward in actually moving forward with the times, not reverting backwards. We are doomed to repeat history if we don’t learn about it, like the burning of books of the lgbtqia+ community. Last year as a model I wanted to do a photoshoot for my body, my choice and not a single photographer was willing to do it in fear of judgement. One of the other reasons I wanted to get back into photography. Photography with a cause, not just taking beautiful photos but storytelling. Moving on to my newest edition of work, my piercing apprenticeship. A lot of people say artistic lines of work are not an actual career path but to me seeing my mentor go from a piercer to running four locations as a district manager it goes to show there is room for advancement. My ultimate goal is to run my own shop which comes at the risk of leaving the comfort of my day job with full benefits. Not having a super solid stable income can be scary. Jumping careers is an insane concept for me because I’ve been at my current job for 8 years. Again going out of your comfort zone is a risk in itself.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I guess you could say I’m a bit of an overachiever, a go getter, a workaholic. I am always doing a million things at once but that doesn’t stop me from living and doing what I love. I work a full time job at 50 hours a week, plus do my piercing apprenticeship 15 hours a week and model and do photography a few times a month. My ultimate goal is to run my own piercing shop and give myself the freedom to model and do photography more. I have always been interested in modeling, photography and body modifications for as long as I can remember. My modeling journey started in my early 20s when my first photographer reached out to me on instagram asking if I had even done modeling or if I’d like to. Ever since I was young I had wanted to be covered in tattoos and piercings. My biggest dream was to be featured on Inked Magazine. I guess you could say I have always been different. My sense of style is dark, black has always been my favorite color. I have always had more of an alternative look. Getting into modeling I was always considered like that one goth lingerie model. Boudoir, artistic nude and branding have been my main go too’s for the last 5 years. I have been featured in magazines and have had my work featured on bigger Instagram pages such as Blackcraftcult, Staycold and thehorrorgallery. I think what sets me apart from most is just being genuine. I love to support, I love to love, I love to empower and spread happiness. I have truly started from the bottom. Showing others what is possible as long as you are willing to put in the effort is the biggest win. Do what you love regardless of what others say. Be true and be you. As for photography my journey started as soon as I got my first cellphone. I loved to adventure, I loved exploring and seeing new places. I started doing nature based photography as a hobby. When I turned 23 I got my first professional camera and that’s when I started practicing portraits. My modeling and day job put my photography at a standstill for a while because I was so consumed in other things. I am happy to say I am now getting back to it and I’m having more fun with it than ever. Having the model background gives me a better perspective on portraits which has definitely been helpful in positioning of clients and shooting the right angles. My piercing apprenticeship started when my friend, my mentor asked me to join her team. I believe I fit the scene well and I have never been afraid of blood or needles. I have never had more enjoyment out of work, it doesn’t feel like a job to me. I genuinely enjoy making new connections and helping others feel more confident by getting that new piercing they’ve always wanted. I can’t wait to learn more and bedazzle more cool people.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building up your social media really just requires consistency. For me personally my biggest platform is instagram. Over the years I have learned a lot being in different engagement groups for influencers. Learning what hashtags to use, how many and what viewers are looking for. Targeting a specific audience that caters to what you create.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is to inspire, to empower and create confidence in others they didn’t see possible.     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://my.bio/sunshineestardust
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sunshineestardust?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunshineestardust?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Nicholas Talcott, Chris Winchester, Jon Burkey