My Naked Truth
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a life model? It’s something that I’ve thought about doing for a while.
Sitting/standing still for long periods of time … I wasn’t sure I could do it – my Dad has always called me a fidget - but I decided it was time to give it a go.
After a chat with a friend I had some contacts. So I sent off an email and then I was booked!
In the days running up to it, I felt unsure. Unsure, that is, whether or not I was actually nervous about it! I’m fairly comfortable with my body and used to being in mixed sex changing rooms backstage. But this felt different.
My friend had given me a few tips and said that the first time she took her dressing gown off was the worst. Then, after a while you forget you are naked.
And she was right. The moment of truth arrived, I took off my gown and almost ran onto the chair, settling into a pose that actually made me feel quite covered and insular.
This was to be held for six minutes and I thought that would feel like a lifetime –but it didn’t. I was amazed at how quickly it passed. I almost went into a meditative trance. On one of the longer, 20-minute poses, I even nearly fell asleep!
After the first few poses I found my confidence and I relaxed. As my friend had said, I forgot that I was naked and began thinking about finding interesting poses. I also noticed that – as a physical performer - I began to enjoy the physical challenge of finding a pose on the edge of my stretching ability and holding it for however many minutes.
So, as a newly-experienced and relaxed life model, I wanted to give my own top ten tips for anyone considering following in my naked footsteps:-
Make sure you take a dressing gown with you
The first time you take it off is the worst – after that things only get better
Remember the artists are looking at you as an object to be drawn – I never once felt like it was anything other than art; no sense of sleaze at all!
Find a pose you are comfortable in
Make sure both feet are on the floor/you can change weight between legs without shifting in the pose.
You can do similar poses facing different directions for different perspectives
Find something to focus your gaze on, and hold that gaze
I found singing a song I love in my head helped the time to pass
If you’re struggling with staying still, go through each muscle in your body, tensing and relaxing it
And finally – enjoy it! It’s quite empowering and some of the results are just beautiful. When I looked at the artwork at the end of the session, I thought – “that’s me!” I felt amazing at that point. It was a very satisfying experience, one I would definitely do again.