As the daffodils try and poke through the soil and spring tries to arrive desperately too early I find myself trying to prepare my checklist for my return to modelling.

The other catalyst for this checklist came when I received a letter from my agency asking me if I wanted to go in this year’s book and renew my contract.

Last year was not a good year for anyone in the modelling or the entertainment world as most businesses who normally break the bank with advertising were keeping their budgets very low – thus not employing many of us.

I didn’t work much as a model last year but I also turned a few things down – bad money – bad jobs. It wasn’t the agency’s fault. But I felt the companies were lacking imagination with their projects. Again I think it was all to do with keeping their budgets low.

But this year I do feel a change in the air and I do believe that after April, when the new tax year begins, there will be a surge of creativity, money and work.

My work time as a model is going to be very limited. I no longer have the luxury of living in London so travel to jobs would be expensive, plus I now work a regular job which has zero flexibility regarding time off. I’m having way too much fun in it to quit and live like the starving artist I once was. Actually that’s a lie – I wasn’t starving, no, in fact when the good times rolled they sure did roll but with the economic crash I cannot afford to live that lifestyle and nor do I really want to. Since moving back to my home town, which is still very expensive to live in due to it’s commuter belt to London, I have become rather frugal with my cash. This month I still have money in the bank and it’s been a long month. I have no clue how that happened. I think it may have been luck.

So I’m preparing now for the time I’ll want to get some new independent pictures done. Ones I can share with everyone and ones I can use for my updated portfolio.
I want to work with a photographer in my town who’s work I see every day on my way to work. I already have full permission from a lady who’s loaned me bits and bobs for shoots before to come on into her boutique and get what I need. So I’ll spend the day with her in a few months and see what inspires me.

I plan to to really push the boat out with some different styles of imagery. This photographer has the talent to take it all to the next level.  Hopefully we’ll gel enough to do more than one shoot – also depending on his fees. Time to save for those.

So I’ve given myself a time scale for getting back into mental and physical shape. I’ve modelled at times when I’ve least looked and felt my best and still gain praise as a model. But actually on some shots I really didn’t deserve it as I was not 100% bringing my A game. It’s the photographer’s credit I looked good.

February will begin with a total body detox and for the first time I’m going to get some colonic done. If I can stand it. My lord I’m having nightmares already. It’s not something I really want to go into but suffice to say – that end has never been something I wanted to be touched, let alone have a pipe shoved up it with a jet of warm water. But I feel it’s something I have to do. Christmas came just as I was starting to feel lighter because of different eating  but that of course went out the window. This junk needs to come out and I know with colonic it will and a detox it will.

My skin will be disgusting – I have no doubt about that. I’ll break out like a mutha-ucker. But no pain no gain and that’s also why God put  me in a position where high end skin care is at my fingertips. Working on a beauty department has its advantages.  I’m leaning a lot towards Clarins right now as a brand to use, although Clinique has been very good to me in the past where breakouts and clearing blemish scars are concerned. Being mixed in colour I do tend to scar when I break out so I need something to get my skin clear again.

Water! Oh my – well I either love it or hate it. I go through phases of drinking a lot and then nothing at all. My biggest weakness is cola and I tend to OD on sugar. So chocolate and sweet drinks will be out as of next week. I will be fine after the first 48 hours because after that its willpower.

Getting fitter. If you slack off with exercise it shows in less than a month. I’m testament to that. Christmas was terribly busy for me at work so I didn’t have time to go to the gym. I can’t stress enough how burning up a sweat not only helps the body but it helps the soul too. I want my curves but I want them toned and that’s all there is to it.

So these are my plans – a more focused healthy me and my reward will hopefully be some great pictures for my portfolio and of course to share with people who like my work.

The ideas are flowing and now its time to get my body and mind into a good place so I can pull his off with grace and ease.

The countdown begins.

V x

Related Links: http://vanessareece.com/2009/08/24/introducing-debra-mazda-shapely-girl/