My Top 10 Moments of 2018…
Hello all! It has become something of a tradition to post my top 10 moments when it gets to this time of year. Not only does it allow us to look back on the year, but it assuages the dread anxiety that sets in after the inevitable Christmas slow-down with bookings and the prospect of a usually-quiet January. So as I sip my tea and wait for Wuthering Heights on TV (literature AND Tom Hardy!) here are some of my best/worst/most notable moments…
10) Getting Modeltypeface back on track
I felt as though the last couple of years – especially 2017 – saw MTF slide a bit as I questioned what I was doing and lacked the time to properly research and write anything.
I definitely pondered calling it a day, but the thought made me sad! So I decided to do one post a week and make it mean something.
I’ve written more about modelling, as well as my true passions, had sponsored posts and the readership is up again. I truly love my website, and I understand the role it plays for me now!
9) My article for The Telegraph about Karl Lagerfield
The reason I was proud of this one was that it felt most like a MTF post. Sometimes when I get commissioned for a big paper, I do too much research and put on a ‘telephone voice’, and it reads more like a dissertation. This felt most like my voice, and I was opinionated and didn’t care about appeasing all the nasty commenters at the end of it, cos they write awful things anyway!
8) Being single
Aaaah, bliss! I’ve really enjoyed getting back to happiness and independence this year. It’s taken a lot of time and is probably something I’ll write about some time, but though relationships are hard work at times, they should never erode your confidence and self-knowledge!
This was magic for lots of reasons. Firstly, it is NO secret to you all that I utterly adore Pukka Herbs for their teas and supplements, most notably Shatavari (for hormonal balance) and Ashwagandha (for combating the effects of stress). I was lucky enough to be taken on a retreat with delicious Ayurvedic food, yoga, bucolic surroundings in Poundon House and workshops about herbs and tea-making.
But there was more to it. I was surrounded by ambitious women who were really talented in their field, and it made me feel really, really self-conscious and inferior. I wasn’t writing for any titles anymore, and I wasn’t bossing a particular field.
But luckily I’ve learnt that when I get those feelings, I need to look at what I can change in myself rather than envy others in a toxic way. So I have a feature coming out in Pyschologies in January, and I’ve also got future plans for courses in 2019!
6) Gaining weight
Earlier in the year, I wrote about how thin I was and how terrible I felt. I was ill, stressed and emotionally worn out. As I said on my Instagram the other day, it hurt to lie down! Though I battled through illness to jobs, I wish I hadn’t because many clients dropped me as not only was I underweight but I looked TERRIBLE.
I got really upset. I was eating burgers, chips, milkshakes, all the food that would usually be the occasional treat but months went past and I still looked frail and (even worse) OLD!!!!!
I opined to my mother, who changed things for me. “It’s a nice problem to have! Just enjoy eating loads.”
It’s mad the effect that stress can have on our bodies, and with me it was burning off calories like mad. But mum was right – after years of slight guilt around food, I was free! – and I went for it.
The turning point was way later, when I went to Cornwall. Food had been making me nauseous for at least a year, but a family friend, Ginny, put down a bowl of freshly grown tomatoes from her garden, still warm from the sun. The taste exploded in my mouth! I ate the whole bowl! Since then I’ve slowly filled out but I’ve learnt my lesson: some things take time, and if I try to rush them I will only get more stressed.
The conclusion is: I’ve enjoyed eating like a little piggy this year.
5) Chairing a Debate at Organic Beauty Week
I’ve sat on a panel a few times before, but chairing a debate was quite scary – I’d be moderating the debate and asking the questions.
However, this was an exciting project: it required the purchasing of FLASH CARDS and DIFFERENT COLOURED PENS!
I really enjoyed it, and by the end I was totally relaxed and settled into things. I’d love to do it again! It was like being a more debatey Cilla Black.
4) Reviewing an Airport Lounge in Brussels for Wallpaper*
It may not have been the highest profile job in the world, about the most exciting subject, but it’s also what I love about my life. One minute I’m on a catwalk, the next I’m at a retreat, and the next I’m on an overnight trip to Brussels to review an airport lounge by Lexus.
It was also funny because I watched an entire, dramatic show about the new Lexus service in a room FULL of men aged 50+ and it was SO not my specialist area, and it was just quite surreal.
3) Appearing on the BBC Trending Radio show talking about my Instagram life
I got an email asking me to come in to the BBC for 9 the next morning (gulp) and talk about Instagram.
I really enjoyed talking, although I did learn a lesson: the edit will not always be in my favour. I was a little frustrated that the title of the show was ‘Can Instagram Help You Lose Weight?” and, though I’d spoken about my dance journey and how many people came to class from seeing my vids, it wasn’t in there. And they assessed my Instagram without me there in a way I didn’t necessarily find fair.
BUT I enjoyed the experience, it was great to have a go at radio I felt that I still came across OK and it was a lesson learnt! You can hear the show here.
2) What We Did Next
Naughty me, I started a regular feature and didn’t keep it up. I REALLY enjoyed learning about what models and ex-models did after modelling, diversifying and surprising the world with their brains and talent!
Particularly enjoyed Laura Paine’s interview, a person I always enjoy bumping into, and the fact that she went into making food has a certain delicious humour to it!
1) Shooting with a horse, and an owl (not together) (sadly).
I don’t think there is any great surprise here! When I shot with Diamond the Horse in Sussex it was like a dream come true: she wrapped her neck around me, nuzzled me, stood serenely at my side and I even got to ride her! I felt as though I might cry with happiness!
And then I GOT TO CUDDLE AN OWL AND HE CUDDLED ME BACK! It was truly a soul-soaring moment as I built up a real bond with Manushka the noble Eagle Owl. I simply cannot wait to get the pictures back from the extreely talented designer and illustrator Jenny Kate Evans. Modelling does throw up these incredible opportunities at times.
And there we are. Let’s hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride and perhaps join me in whatever rollercoasting 2019 has in store for me. Thanks always for your support, it really keeps my enthusiasm for Modeltypeface alive.
Rebecca x