Why I Write
October 22, 2015I have always been a writer. Since I was a young child I’ve been trying to interpret my world through words, and I’ve honed that skill throughout the years. I was lucky enough to have affirmations early on that my writing was good enough to persist in the art - I won several contests and actually had a short career getting paid to perform my work as a child. While I ended that career rather than pursuing writing full time, I never lost my love for the craft.
The genres and mediums I have used have shifted throughout the years, but I always turn to writing when I need clarity. I am a firm believer in the importance of language, and due to my personality type I tend to use speech to help myself fully develop and refine ideas. So too do I use the act of writing. It serves well when there is no one available for me to think out loud to or bounce ideas off of, when whatever I am struggling with is something I prefer not to share, or when I feel like wrestling with something in a medium I can come back to later. I have always been drawn to write for others as well as myself, and I find it a powerful tool with which I can interact and share my voice with the world.
Even so, my love affair with the medium has not always been easy. I spent many years thinking no one would want to read my nonfiction works, and that my opinions were better kept to myself. And since the car accident last year it has been a struggle for me to redevelop my skills. Brain injuries are invisible, but their effects are quite tangible.
Some of you know that I have been writing on and off on my Tumblr for years. Why then have I decided to develop a dedicated blog? My modeling has helped me develop a platform through which my voice can be heard, and I take that very seriously. There is not only pride associated with this for me, but responsibility. If I can use this platform to help other artists, and perhaps shift aspects of this industry, I feel strongly that I should. I have recently felt called more strongly towards writing than ever, and I believe that a dedicated blog will both force me to write more consistently and net more response than if my writing were merely lost among images on my Tumblr account.
I can’t do this without you though. The support my readers are giving me means everything. This blog is still new, but the positive messages and comments I have received have helped affirm that I am on the right path. Your support has helped me to realize that my opinions matter, and it feels wonderful to develop a public modeling persona that is more than just my pretty face. The photographers I work with and the fans who engage with me have always known that my skills surpass mere looks, but it can be hard to convey that via social media where it feels like skin is my number one sales pitch.
With this in mind I encourage anyone who enjoys my work to engage with me. Comment on my posts, send me messages, and let me know if what I write resonates with you, even and especially if you don’t agree. My goal here is not to boost my ego by speaking into a vacuum, but to engage with participants and fans of the artistic community and create a dialogue through which we can all learn and grow.
About the Author
Eleanor is an accomplished traveling nude model and has been pursuing her art since 2010. Her work has been published in a variety of magazines, books, and galleries, including a special event at the Louvre. To see more of Eleanor’s work you can visit her website.