Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Meredith.
Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started modeling about eight years ago. It all started when a girl I know was signed with an agency but one of her regular photographers wanted to work with a ballerina.
I had always wanted to get into modeling & this seemed like the perfect way to get into it. Now that I’m 30, I have hung up my pointe shoes & have been expanding my modeling portfolio ever since.
I don’t do a lot of dance-style photoshoots because most people don’t understand that 30 is old for a ballerina with back issues, not to mention I can do so much more.
I don’t like to be put into a box or, as Johnny Castle once said, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, this has been a smooth ride.
Yes, there have been people who have made comments about my body, stature, and even the shape of my lips. Some things I can fix, others I can’t. But you learn to work through what people say to you & prove them wrong.
I have the best support system that consists of friends & colleagues who are always willing to help me grow & continue to get better.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am willing to do most genres in the modeling world, but my favorite would be boudoir. Boudoir makes me so happy & feel so empowered; I will always be the first person to say someone should book a boudoir shoot because everyone should feel empowered. If nothing else, do it for yourself.
I am most proud of the fact that the majority of publications I am in I have done myself. I freelance, so everything is on me. Out of all my publications I am most proud of the one that got me internationally published in 2020. The magazine is owned & curated by the top boudoir photographer in the UK. Answering a question like “what sets you apart from others” is hard for me to answer, honestly.
I’m not saying that the people I associate with or work with aren’t helpful, kind, etc. But I love teaching people! Over the past few weeks, I have had opportunities, outside of modeling as well, to teach people. I used to teach dance in high school & college & I loved it. I’d say about three weeks ago I started getting compliments from several people about how I word things when teaching or giving constructive criticism.
I get such a sense of gratitude when helping others learn & then hearing colleagues’ comments on my ability to do so gracefully is very rewarding. I see no point in purposefully holding someone else back or withholding information. It’s what I would have wanted for myself eight years ago since I didn’t have the people I work with currently.
What were you like growing up?
I was the weird kid growing up although, if you ask my family, they will probably say otherwise haha! The amount of bullying I faced, even in college, is unreal. I was never a very sporty person & my grade school was all about sports. Since I was a dancer that automatically made me the odd man out.
In high school, I was the emo chick, but also a cheerleader. I had a lot of things going on in my personal life that I wasn’t allowed to talk about unless it was with one specific friend; even then I barely talked about what was going on because I was ashamed. Luckily, I went to a liberal arts college, so I was accepted for being a dancer & a creative.
At some point, I finally learned to ignore what people said to me or thought about it because other people’s opinion of me is none of my business. Now that I don’t care about other people’s opinions of me, I am such a happy person, with a bubbly personality. That’s what I like to think at least.
I am very passionate about the things I do, which comes off very intense & reads on my face, but I really am a nice, happy person haha!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/LaurenMeredithModel
Image Credits
Amber Grooms Photo, Kurtis Gibbs, Fox 7, Vixen Boudoir, Brittany Munn, and Shane Michael
