We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Payton Aughnay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Payton below.

Payton, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It all started when I was just graduating high school. Throughout those years I was a bit heavier set, my confidence was low, and I had no idea what to do with myself. I was working 9 to 5 jobs in food service that didnt make me happy. Some of my relatives and friends were big into sports or already doing things like modeling and traveling, and I caught myself comparing.

Once I left high school I was taking care of my body and after my appearance changed, there was nothing in the way from asking myself why I couldn’t do the same thing as my peers.

I had been taking photos of myself through my senior year and posting them online remembering to use #seniorsunday so more people would see my photos. So I started taking more.

One September soon after, I went on a trip to New York with my friend as a tagalong. Being in the city and meeting other models while my friend was doing industry, things made me feel like I was a part of something great. So I decided to book a photo shoot.

My first photo shoot being in New York with a photographer that had thousands of more followers than I did made me a little bit nervous! But excited more than anything.

I remember stressing about outfit changes and whether or not I needed to wear make up and my friend Amara looked at me and said “You are going to look perfect b***h”
(fill in the blank on your own)

After about three hours of shooting my photographer, Jesse Warner, And I had such a great talk about resources available in the city for new models. After loving the photos, I had this feeling and could not stop thinking about it even on the way home after.

I knew without a doubt that modeling or being part of the fashion industry was something that made me happier and more involved than anything I have previously done before.

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.

Hello:) My name is Payton Aughnay, I go by Jamesspayton on social media.
I’m a freelance model, brand ambassador , and content creator based in the Detroit area.

I worked my way into the industry two years ago, and I am still finding new places where I fit in.

You may have seen some content I have promoted for Thayers.
I am also a new ambassador for AKT London.

I have participated in New York Fashion Week twice while modeling with photographers across the United States.

Above all, I am so proud that I have been able to get this far because I am eager to impress myself. I make myself comfortable to vouch on my behalf even when I’m not.
This helps me stay calm and form my own opportunities through the work I put in.

I am so grateful for the amazing web of connections and relationships I have formed to support me, I could not be where I am today without the help of my loved ones keeping my head on.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn is that if you fail at something more than once you should give up. WRONG! Failure often times just means you need to take a different approach. What I like to say is do the same thing somewhere else and see if you get the same reaction, then maybe decide if change is necessary.

Countless times I’ve heard people say if you are dealing with a lot of nose then you aren’t making enough offers, and it’s true.

Being in this industry and constantly trying to move forward, it makes it hard to stop what you’re doing and look back on how you could’ve treated a situation or presented an idea in a different way.
It’s important to maintain your awareness, as well as your confidence in yourself.
Because it can be easy to blindly push forward and hit a setback then feel crushed.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Something I think non-creative will not understand about my journey along with many other people’s journeys that to some people it is beautiful as fun, lighthearted content, but to the people making them it is their job and sometimes their livelihood.

Yes It is very enjoyable, but it has its ups and downs.

Trying to work in a career path that is shadowed by the media, whether it be modeling, music, content creation, Videography, etc. well, always glorify the final product, but most people don’t understand the amount of hard work and stress that goes into it. There are Deadlines Everybody needs to meet. It often ends up being a short amount of time.

I think some people don’t understand that even though there is a lot of good times involved it can be exhausting and mentally straining sometimes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jamesspayton
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesspayton/profilecard/?igsh=MTQyaWx5dW14NzZybw==
• Other: Use code AKTJAMESP for 25% off your order or subscription at https://us.aktlondon.com

Image Credits

Flyer- features @amarahoddy- photography for payton was done by @monyeka_

All photography- @warnerjesse