Interview with Olivia Black — Be Nice, Work Hard, Stay Humble
Olivia Black is an 18-year old model residing in Lansing, Michigan.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Olivia, some call me liv, or olive, or livy, I’ve never really had a consistent nickname and honestly I’ve never really cared what people call me; I feel like I’m so much more than just a name. I was born in Lansing, Michigan, lived there until about age 12, then relocated to Champaign, Illinois. Those years were some of the hardest of my life; not only the fact that I was a rebellious teenage girl filled with hormones and angst, I was in a devastating car accident where I injured my spine as well as my brain.
They later referred to my type of injury as a closed head injury or a TBI. I had to relearn everything; I lost my memory and it felt like I had also lost my mind. I spent those rough 6 years in Champaign, then moved back home when I started college at Michigan State University. Originally I was in the premedical college of Lyman Briggs studying neuroscience, I was riding on the GPA and classes I took in high school before my brain injury. And my freshman year was hard, and I mean hard, not even just academically, it was hard emotionally and physically and mentally, and as the year passed I got worse and worse.
Eventually I started to question why I was even studying what I was, and I had the guts to drop out of Lyman Briggs and declare a double major of psychology and special education. Well, turns out that was my first and only year in college, since I was hospitalized for a few weeks and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is unknown but is most similar to both MS and Lupus and was told that since autoimmune diseases are triggered by environment, it was very likely that my brain injury triggered the onset of this chronic disease. I learned quickly that I was never going to get back to the old me, and I would always be sick. Sometimes I’d be less sick than others, but it would never go away. This is when I pretty much dropped everything and began taking my modeling and acting career seriously. I realized life is way too short, especially my life, to be doing things that don’t fulfill you entirely.
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
I began with dance at the age of 2, and the stage just seemed like the perfect place for me; when I was younger it’s where I went to feel at home. As time progressed I just craved more, began commercial modeling and did a bit of singing when I was about 10. When I moved to Illinois, in high school I had the amazing opportunity to meet people who made me look at the world differently.
The most inspirational person I met during that time was young Hannah Gottlieb-Graham. Hannah was one of the few people who showed me the world of film and my interest for both modeling and photography was lit. I began collecting old film cameras and taking picture of others: I’m still not sure if I like being behind the lens or in front of it more. Once back in Michigan, my career really took off, I’ve worked with so many creative individuals and have learned so much about the world in such a short period of time and I wouldn’t give that up for the world.
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
In ten years, I don’t really have an image of what I’ll be doing, where I’ll be living, what I’ll be wearing; because none of that really matters to me. In ten years, I want to be making a difference, I want to wake up every morning and appreciate life and live for the people I am impacting. I want to be sharing my stories and wisdom with others who may need it: wherever I am and whatever I’m doing, I want to be happy and humble.
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
I’ve had a shoot booked just about every weekend, and I travel to most so it’s a weekend event, but a regular day on set is anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of shooting. More like 4 if it’s in studio and 8 if it’s on location because typically you have to walk to bizarre locations for some awesome shots. Most of my shoots have been acting, fashion, street, portrait and beauty but I am trying to turn completely towards lifestyle, creative, and high fashion.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
Oh geez, okay well I’ve only had one really bad experience: I was victim to a check fraud scam by a team of scammers who may I say, are excellent at their job. I have been in this industry for a while now and I have done everything I could to not be an easy target. But I have also always been pretty naive and assumed that everyone in the world is the same kind of person that I am. Somehow this team managed to scam $3,000 within a matter of 5 days. This industry is just so tricky and you have to always be cautious, always. It’s so so easy to be taken advantage of.
Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?
I would honestly say that I’m always kind of out there and awkward; so every shoot I’ve done is crazy and fun and I’m constantly doing stuff to embarrass myself. It was hard for me at first, but over time I have learned to just embrace it because it’s part of my personality and that’s why people are drawn to me.
Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?
I would change the stereotype that the modeling industry has. In current pop culture, beauty standards are wearing loads of makeup with perfectly winged eyeliner, long lashes, smokey eyes, deep contouring, extremely defined eyebrows and having a body that is nearly physically impossible. I feel that people often get what is popular in pop culture confused with the modeling world. Instagram models are way way different than commercial or fashion models, and I wish people would see the reality of “beauty” in the modeling industry. You are beautifully unique in your own way and you shouldn’t have to do anything to yourself because you are the reason you’re so beautiful, not all the makeup.
Raw and real faces are what’s beautiful in the modeling industry, maybe you see it as you have a larger nose, or not perfectly straight teeth, or a “fivehead” like supermodel Tyra Banks, but the modeling world is all about embracing those unique features and honing in that individuality because that’s what makes you unique. Loving yourself is what makes you beautiful from the inside, out.
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
I teach dance to keep active, which is hard because I’m constantly hurting but honestly, exercise makes me feel so much better. So I do as much yoga as I can and try to squeeze in a workout maybe once a week, if I’m feeling up for it. I’m on a vegan, soy free, gluten free, all organic diet because of all of my health complications, so all I can pretty much eat is fruit and non-starchy veggies. It was hard at first but now that I’ve gotten used to it I don’t think I’d rather eat any other way, since good nutrition has definitely been a life changer for me. I never realized that what you put into your body has a huge impact on the way your body functions.
Please share something people don’t know about you.
I’m a huge nerd, and books are a huge part of my life; for fun, I read textbooks on neurology, criminal psychology, abnormal psychology, and others. I am a huge fan of non-fiction and transcendentalist writing, and have always really been a tree hugging hippie at heart. I also have a huge love for Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. The typical Friday night when I’m off work is going to the book store, getting a latte, and spending hours and hours paging through hundreds of books that I will read there and never buy.
Would you change anything about yourself?
If I could change one thing about myself I would change my outlook on life, because I am proud I have accepted the fact that these terrible things have happened to me but I’m constantly a peaceful depressive. I have accepted death way before it has come and lost all attachment to the things I used to love more than life itself. I wish I was able to look beyond myself and have an entirely positive outlook on life. Hopefully someday I will be able to adopt this perspective but only time will tell.
What superpower do you wish you had? Why?
If I had a super power, it would have to be teleporting. If I could just instantly be anywhere in the entire world in the snap of my fingers, I would have the entire world to explore, since I would go to every mountain, every sea, every lake, every tree… I’d see the world for everything it has to offer. I think travel is so so important, we are so tiny in the grand scheme of things and I think you have to step back to take a look at the bigger picture to really understand that.
Visit Olivia Black’s website for more photos and information
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