We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Phylicia Hoopes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Phylicia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’ve been full time at this since 2019, but even before then I was on and off in the modeling industry.
I started in 2013 as what you would call dumb luck- I met a person who launched my career for catalogue modeling when I was just 18. Later, the job became predatory and at 20 I left the industry temporarily to heal.
I always missed it though and stepped back in around 2017 when I wasn’t working at my regular 9-5. The restart was expensive, as most business owners will tell you. I had to rebuild my portfolio from scratch, did unpaid shoots, paid for a lot of shoots, paid for clothing, props, and travel expenses. For two years of balancing both jobs I went into about 6k of debt to rebuild my brand. Slowly though I had all I needed and started doing paid work again and recouping that.
For a long time I was working 7 days a week- filling up any of my off times with modeling requests. At one point I started turning down jobs for the non creative job that paid me less and I realized it was time to take the leap.
After a long drive with my regular makeup artist at the time- VannaRaeMUA- I realized it was time for me to try it. My then fiancé was very supportive as I traveled, needed him for security, started modeling competitions, and worked my way through full time work.
I work more than 40 hours doing so much more than Photoshoots- vetting future photographers, networking, responding to emails, building sets and wardrobe, reselling old modeling clothes, advertising, and now doing things like product reviews. Then if that all works out- Photoshoots.
I never just one job but a million tiny pieces that make it all work. But it feels less exhausting emotionally than a 9-5, or even a part time job. The whole time I’m doing things to work towards a goal I love and even in hard months I wouldn’t trade it for another career.
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 started as soon as I turned 18 into modeling. My background was in catalogue and fashion- particularly Renaissance, alternative, gothic and steampunk fashions. After I left the industry for a while and came back, I went towards pinup, boudoir, stylized shoots, historical recreation, body scapes, body paint… and eventually back to fashion and catalogue but on better terms.
After competing in a magazine competition in 2018 I placed 3rd in the finals. I couldn’t have done that without the support of my friends and family. The person I lost to was an Olympic figure skater, I feel like I far exceeded my own expectations by placing in the finals at all. But, this landed me several contracts- partnered with Zulily, I got to work with brands like Mukluk, Spanx, and I was most known for the partnership with CuddlDuds as I was their winter banner for 2 years in advertising.
Eventually Zulily in Ohio closed and I got offers instead to work with other companies to do shoots, product reviews, and brand deals. This also gave me time to step into the industry as a pose coach during this time. I began freelance modeling and doing these reviews without being tied to any one brand or company in order to do the fun things I wanted like cosplay and conceptual art. I’m not touring and traveling full time on my own or with other models.
For 11 years in the industry I’ve come such a long way and I’m so proud.
Things I offer are now Photoshoots across many genres, pose coaching, photoshoot security and vetting for models, commercial video work, product photography, brand ambassadorships, product reviews, and sfx or base edits on photos for photographers and models.
Im currently also working on becoming a certified nutritionist and barre instructor so I can help people build healthy bodies and better relationships to food and exercise and do coaching in fitness and health next year as well as doing full modeling classes on safety, poses and lifestyle.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn my negative relationship with my body and food. When I was 18 I was only 116lbs, and up until 22 I was only 118. The stress I put my body under caused me to have a mini stroke at 22 and changed the way I needed to view health, fitness and work.
It’s led to a huge part of my goal moving forward to show images of me where there is no body modification and photoshoot outside of small touch ups. If it would be there in 2-3 weeks, I don’t want it changed in my photos.
It’s changed the way my friends and family view my art and as I have many female cousins and nieces there have been several of them as well as complete strangers who reached out and told me they appreciated that about me and it made them feel better about themselves to see someone who isn’t edited so heavily they forget humans are supposed to have skin and muscle squish lines and pores and just actual bodies. It’s been healing for me too.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I LOVE collaborating and making a final image myself and other creatives are so happy about that everyone does a happy dance. The amount of shoots I’ve been on where I hear grown men squeal that “I got the image! I got it!” fills my heart with joy. There’s meant to be play in art, emotion, and a feeling created for a viewer. I love when other creatives can use me as a medium for that to work through, and likewise when I design a shoot or set and it all comes together to make the visions I see inside my head. Sharing that experience with other artists makes all the other stress worth it. Every time.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empathetic01/profilecard/?igsh=MXZoazhzeDd0cGhkeA==
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Ms.OwlEyes?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Model Mayhem: 4004817
Plannin Travel Reviews: https://plannin.com/profile/TravelPhy/?refId=TravelPhy
Amazon reviews: Ms.OwlEyes
Shopify ambassador: [email protected]
Brandbassador: Phylicia Thomas
Influenster profile: @msowleyes
Poshmark profile: @empathetic01
PPOC profile: @PhyliciaHoopes
Image Credits
Terry Penn/ JLHoopes
Ronald Yurek
Zulily
Laura Dark Photography
Laura Dark Photography
Spwy31concepts
CuddlDuds
CuddlDuds