“I went past the demands and cliches about what to be, do and wear at the age of 40/50. Instead of repeating bad habits and being with people who gave me a bad feeling, I began to focus on the people and the things that are important to me and really make me happy.”
I want to be a full-time model. Because that’s what I love to do. Being in front of the camera is like being at home: I feel comfortable, secure and natural.
I’m the smallest of three kids, I have two older brothers. I was born and raised in Ukraine, where I live up to date. My parents were very strict regarding fashion and beauty: no skirts and no make-up was allowed. Then I got into College and started doing Visual Merchandising in an art gallery – my starting point to express myself, I was a promising artist.
Soon after my graduation, I married my husband and our daughter was born. My family became my priority, as it was normal for a mum in my surroundings. So I did a six year maternity leave, I became a house wife and focused on all things but art. By the time my daughter got into school, I started working as a restaurant manager in a Cafe and in a Music Hall, but I wasn’t fulfilled at all. I’ve had a helpful income, but the chapter of art, beauty and aesthetics was totally closed.
When my Mum passed away, I began taking care of my father, which meant I had to be away from home a lot. It was a time of much traveling and feeling stressed – for me it was a mediocre lifestyle. I had issues with my body image, I was eating too much and so I ended up in my late 40’s, feeling paranoid that my life would be over by the time I had reached 50. Only then I realised: I was yet to become the confident, creative and expressive woman which I felt inside!
So I began prioritising myself again, and I went past the demands and cliches about what to be, do and wear at the age of 40/50. I wanted to change something in my life, no matter the circumstances. I wanted to do what brings me joy and nourishes myself. Instead of repeating bad habits and being with people who gave me a bad feeling, I began to focus on the people and the things that are important to me and really make me happy.
What helped me to get there was praying, meditating, living close to nature, nourishing my body and skin, and trying new things, like a lymphatic massage.
I believe a woman is like a flower – she has the power to blossom at any age. And so does my husband. He and I have a strong commitment to face new challenges. With my current wish to go into modeling and my goal to enter the European market, we are facing a transformation in terms of lifestyle and income, and he supports me in every way. Same for my daughter, who is my mental coach and communication assistant. I’m very excited for this journey to come.
