Interview with Karina Alexandra — Full-time Artist
Karina Alexandra is a 22-year old model residing in Los Angeles, California.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
Daydreamer by day, visionary by night! I was born in Laredo, Tx and I am now living out my dreams in Burbank, Ca. I’ve been living in the city known as “The Media Center” for about 6 years now. So, Cali feels like home now. My mother is the hardest working person I know and I can only aspire to be as Independent and successful as her. It’s cute to grow up having your family call you by nickname “La Artista” which means the Artist in Spanish. I have a passion for dance and I feel I get that from my grandma and my dad. I have one sibling, a brother, who I want to inspire to follow his dreams and never give up. He’s taught me how to get creative in the kitchen. He’s a good cook and makes a mean salsa! My hobbies include but are not limited to…exploring the world! Oh and making magic happen along the way. That’s important.
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
To be quite honest it happened to me while I was going through some growing pains in my life… I sat at a bar, when I was 21, in San Antonio, Tx by myself, and this guy sitting next to me asked me if I was interested in being a Model for Enterprise. Then, that’s when I decided to apply. If you ask me why? Why not?! I had fun, I felt like it fit my personality and I was learning about where I really wanted to go in life, career wise.
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
In 5 years I see myself in Movies. I have a lot of energy and I want to share it with the world. Action, Adventure, Suspense, films are my top picks for a role I ‘d like to be cast in. My goal is to be the lead character in a film and do my own stunts. I like to train hard and challenge my body to do things, I may have thought to be impossible.
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
At this time, I am representing Miss Burbank for the Miss Manhattan Beach Contest and filming for a TV show called America’s It Girl. It’s the first season for We TV which should air sometime in the fall. The show consists of 6 episodes in L.A. And 6 in N.Y. Think of it as a Project Runway meets America’s Next Top Model. The judges are judging the contestants based on a lot of things including creativity and even designing our own dress. This is what’s keeping me busy at the moment but I mostly do fashion, swimwear, music vids, photo shoots, commercials, and acting. I love the Glamour of it all, it makes me fall in love with my job.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
Some agencies take a month to pay you. Omg it’s the worst! That can be scary at times when you’re starting off and you don’t watch your spending!. The best is when you get to travel, all expenses paid, free swag and you get paid right on time without having to hunt anyone down. That’s fabulous! It’s not about the money, it’s more about the quality of living. It’s nice to feel appreciated for your hard work. Being a model takes discipline, patience and a lot of dedication because the modeling world is highly competitive. In the end, it’s all worth the sweat you put into it.
Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?
Yes! I worked at a Concert once and Crystal Waters was performing, I grew up loving her single 100% Pure Love and one of the promoters asked if I wanted to go backstage and take another model with me. When he showed us, to go through a curtain, we were on the main stage dancing with 1,000’s of people and the audience watching. That night was unexpected and therefore Epic!
Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?
Sometimes, I see girls who are so thin, extra smalls are too big and these girls are being looked up to by a lot of teenagers. That kinda worries me because society is feeding our next generations with unrealistic expectations of what “healthy” looks like, I am not down with thinspiration, that’s just unhealthy. I am going to inspire young girls to think strong is beautiful. Oh and one more thing, I hate the thought of the camera adding ten pounds! Let’s reverse that and make new cameras!. I think super skinny girls might get scared of being too thin then… In my dreams though! We’ll see, maybe I’ll be first to invent that type of camera. Hehe.
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
I love bicycling, rollerblading and breakdancing. I notice I am so much happier when I exercise and that’s why it’s so important to me. I’ve done XMA which stands for extreme Martial Arts. XMA World headquarters was one of the first places I worked at when I moved to North Hollywood because I had a background in Personal Training. I learned that when you eat healthy, you have more energy and can avoid certain diseases. It’s true your teeth hurt, when you give up a high sugar diet, and then bite into a candy. Ouch!!! We are not immortal, therefore, I’d like to take care of what God gave me to work with, even if it means sacrificing a few jelly beans here and there. I just started rollerblading to work too, let’s see how long that I will last. I don’t know yet but I’m challenging myself and you should too!
Please share something people don’t know about you.
Before I moved to L.A. to pursue my modeling and acting, I was studying to be a DJ in College.
Would you change anything about yourself?
No, then I’d have nothing to complain about! On a real note, I accept myself with all my flaws and all my sexy qualities. Love yourself for who you are not for what others expect you to look like. A beautiful spirit is much more valuable to me and we reflect that by how well we nurture it. People always have their own opinions about what hair color looks best on me, that’s nice, but I wear the one that makes me feel good. If it makes you feel good, wear it, and rock it! No matter what the color of the spectrum.
What is your favorite thing to do alone?
Find a new restaurant I’ve never been to go on yelp and go to one with the best reviews, by myself, to test it out. That way, I can be the first to introduce it to my friends and family. If it’s truly awesome…and I love the food and drinks, I try to re-create them at home. That, and Yoga, to help me eat all I want.