Interviews

Interview with Celka — A musician who models

Celka is a 23-year old model residing in Springfield, Missouri.

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Celka, and I come from a very unique family. I was born in Houston, Texas, however currently live in Springfield, Missouri, and will be moving to LA this fall to pursue an MM in Music Composition at USC. As it stands right now, I am a freelance model, musician, and office manager at my mother’s weight loss clinic. My father is a physics professor for a local university, but has credentials that extend to doing contract work for NASA occasionally; he was a finalist in the astronaut program once upon a time and therefore trained with people who eventually became astronauts.

My mother has an incredible musical history; her father was principal bassist for a symphony in Seattle, but also played jazz bass and trombone. This musical history is why I am a musician now – when my grandfather died, we inherited several instruments, including a cello older than the United States. My older brother now plays that cello, I have a younger brother who plays violin, and I play viola. We therefore used to play regularly as a string trio, and all of us play professionally. While my younger brother has decided to pursue performance, my interests went in the direction of composition, which is why I will be studying at USC this fall.

My family is very proud of our heritage – my grandmother on my dad’s side is a famous cook known to be the one in America to turn to for Finnish cooking and much of Scandinavian cooking. All of us have been to Finland, my brothers and I having both played music and visited the town of our ancestors. My Finnish and Scandinavian look is why people thought I should model in the first place, and other than writing and performing music, I enjoy drawing, have conducted music for productions in the past and like to sing.

When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?

Throughout high school people consistently told me that I should model, but I didn’t believe them. My career was sparked when the photographer that took my senior photos asked me back for a makeup shoot for his online magazine, however it didn’t truly start until a couple of years into college, when I decided I would take the plunge, primarily to raise money for myself. While monetarily it hasn’t supported me, it has improved me substantially as a person – I am much more confident than I was before I started modeling.

What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

The question “Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?” has always bothered me simply for the fact that, while I have goals, I have no intention of being upset with where life leads me. My goal in life is to expand my horizons – I intend to pursue music composition professionally, perhaps with modeling, but perhaps without. I will not be discouraged if modeling is not always a part of my life; it has been fun and I would love to do it professionally, but I’ve never been in a position to pursue it full-time.

How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?

I primarily do photo-shoots – I used to do them almost weekly, with most photographers wanting me for artistic shots, however with my current schedule I was no longer interested in trade for time. I do shoot for pay perhaps every month or so. In the past I have done a few fashion walks for charity and also just for fun.

Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.

My best experience was a photo-shoot I set up myself, when I had adopted a rescue dog who had lost all of his faith due to maltreatment. He was a breeder dog, from a pedigree bloodline, so he was still gorgeous. I coordinated with a photographer to model an outfit from a local boutique that matched the dog’s markings. As for my worst experience, I will not name anyone specifically – the worst shoots were always ones where the photographer or organization was ambitious, but disorganized. I have frequently worked against egos convinced of their superior professionalism, which in turn ruined the quality of the shoot. When fellow models’ feelings are hurt or when my day basically goes down the drain because of someone’s poor organizational skills and lack of care to the models’ schedules, I put those photographers or designers down as people with whom I will never work again.

Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?

This doesn’t pertain specifically to my modeling career, but – I went viral for a while for making faces! Last year I submitted a bunch of hideous photos of myself imitating celebrity facial expressions and the internet ate it up. Thanks to that little fluke, I ended up with a contract with an acting agency.

Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?

As with many gigs people try to give me musically, a lot of modeling gigs are expected to be voluntary. Models, especially where I’m from, are frequently used without payment. I do not have time to do modeling voluntarily, which is why I don’t model as much anymore – I have other ambitions, just as anyone organizing a shoot or fashion walk does. When I’m there, I will do my best and be as efficient as possible – sometimes actions taken by organizers suggest that they assume otherwise.

Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.

For exercise, I walk and do an exercise program called Essentrics – it’s wonderful because it tones and lengthens your muscles while stretching your body and keeping it nimble, so I walk away from a workout refreshed. Diet-wise, I listen to my body, as I don’t eat food that leaves me feeling exhausted, which includes fried foods. When eating out I always ask for grilled instead of fried chicken, forgo extraneous sauces such as ranch dressings, and make sure my plate is colorful, with greens to combat the carbs and meats. I believe in a protein and fiber quota – each meal must have a healthy serving of both. Some carbs are okay but must never be the main constitution of a meal. It’s all about balance.

Please share something people don’t know about you.

My passion for dinosaurs never died: I still know a lot about them and love reading news on new findings. For a while growing up I wanted to be a paleontologist.

Would you change anything about yourself?

I’m always working to appreciate something new. Sometimes my developed biases get in the way of learning about a new thing; I am regardless still doing my best to keep an open mind.

What features do you look for in a partner?

I don’t care how interesting it is – humility. People are going to say all sorts of things, but humility is perhaps the strongest factor in who I choose. Humility is what makes one strive to be a better person than they were yesterday – if you don’t have that, why would you ever aspire to change?