Clearly, a lot is going on and this weekend has been super
busy. Yesterday, I had my first real taste of what it is like to be a fitness
model. An opportunity to shoot with TrendiCreative was presented itself and I
took it J
It was so much fun! It’s been really great to have something other than show
prep to focus on over the past few weeks. Just having something else fun to focus
on and train for takes off the pressure and reduces the enormity of the “show.”
Much like a wedding, it’s easy to get so caught up on that one day. Having
something else to divert some energy towards is a good thing.
Everything about the shoot went well. Throughout the morning
I slowly transformed from 'morning Jen' to 'model Jen' with hair, makeup and
fitness clothes.
 |
In the sibling lottery, I have won big time! I have an
incredibly talented younger sister and a little “big” brother who I am
incredibly proud of. Both of them are the best (which clearly speaks to how
awesome my parents are too J
Yes, I am blessed). So, not only do I have these amazing people in my life, but
my sister is a talented hair artist and owns her own salon (Salon Cordeiro-
check it out!), so I pretty much get a life time pass on the free hair train.
This has come in handy for numerous special events (like my wedding). My sister
knows me, knows my hair, and knows how to make it look good. Here’s a selfie of
how it turned out for the shoot:
On top of just doing my hair, my sister is also my go to
style advisor. She has always had that natural ability to pull things together
and know what looks good. I lack skill. Thankfully, she came to the rescue and
helped me pick out some bright tops and bottoms for the shoot (and when I say, “She
helped me pick out” I really mean, “She went out on her own and bought what I
needed.” Ha ha ha.). Here’s what I was working with:
Once all pulled together, I got behind the camera and tapped
into my inner Oxygen cover model (one can dream, right?). It was so much fun
and time went by so fast! I got through a few different outfits, used a prop,
and also took some creative shots. I cannot wait to see the proofs! Here are a
few more pics from the day.
And, now with that all over, it’s time again to focus on the
show. Having the shoot the week before the show got to be a bit overwhelming at
times, but actually, mentally, was the best for me. Over the past week or so,
with the show date looming, I began questioning my development and where I was
at. It’s so easy to have this ideal in your head of what you think you should
look like and then be disappointed when that’s not what you see in the mirror.
I know how much hard work and time and energy I have been putting in, and
sometimes it gets a little frustrating to not see what I want to see. What more
do I have to do?!? But, two things happened this past week to shake that doubt
out of me. One, was the photo shoot. Seeing my overall polished look in the
pictures renewed my confidence. I have been working hard and it shows- in many
ways! A year ago, I would not have had the body or the confidence or the
support to be in front of the camera like that and now I feel (and look!) like
I belong there. The other thing was a Facebook post by a team member. She shared
two pictures of herself in competitions a few years apart and commented on how it takes time to grow and develop
muscle. Yes, time! It’s not just dedication (which I’ve got), but time. And not
just a few months, but years. I know the fitness models that I admire (like
Jennifer Nicole Lee, Tania Antonio, Nathalia Melo and Andreia Brazier) have
been working out for years, YEARS! Plus, it’s their jobs (my job requires me to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day). Ha ha ha. Having this
new perspective and renewed confidence has made me so excited to compete next
week. I will be bringing my best mind and body- and really, for me, that’s what this is
all about.
XOXOJ
