Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliyah Clark.
Hi Aliyah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Thank you so much for inviting me to be featured again! I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since my last publication- time is simply flying by at breakneck speed.
To give a brief introduction to me, myself, and I.
My name is Aliyah Clark! I’m 22 years old, and I was born and raised here in Utah. For the past few years, I’ve been working part time as a Freelance Model, as well as a part time Secretary. I’ve had the opportunity to have been hired as a model for companies like Gigipip, Dime Beauty Co., Nena & Co., HydroJug, and even Mophie (also known as Zagg). I consider myself to be exceptionally lucky to have found a community within this industry that has given me a chance to interact with, befriend, and create art with some of the most remarkable and talented people.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I find it to be far too easy to lose sight of how far I’ve come in comparison to where I started, and I think that’s often the case for people in general, so take a moment to acknowledge your personal growth- in all aspects of your human experience, not just regarding your career. We’ve made it to this very moment in time- despite everything. Cheers to celebrating the value in the present version of ourselves.
I’ve had many “aha” moments throughout my experiences and self-reflection pertaining specifically to my modeling career- “Aha” moments of wisdom that I’ve tried to adopt into other areas of how I live. To name a few:
1. Stop trying to make yourself small for the comfort of others. It does not serve anyone when you attempt to shrink yourself to fit “the mold.” To quote Brene Brown, “Don’t shrink. Don’t puff up. Stand on your sacred ground.
2. My body is inherently subject to change, and it is the least interesting thing about me. I’ve been focusing a lot on finding a sense of “body neutrality” or more simply put, an attitude of “it is what it is, and I can spend valuable time and energy at war with it, or I can acknowledge and accept it for what it is. I don’t maintain this attitude as a constant but more so as a default mindset. This one is difficult to remember consistently because there is still such a scrutinization of physical appearance in the modeling industry, but I do my best to remember that in valuable interactions, I’m not being sought after because of the size of my pants. (women’s clothing sizes are a total scam by the way- there is zero consistency!) People find value in me because of the way my eyes sparkle when I laugh, the way I can shift my facial expressions at the snap of a finger, my ability to bring positive energy into an atmosphere or environment. Most importantly in my opinion: people have shown me that they find value in the way that I, as a person, make them feel about themselves.
3. To use a favorite metaphor of mine, I could be the ripest, juicy, flavorful peach to walk the earth, BUT there will ALWAYS be people that prefer apples, or just have a downright distaste for peaches. That doesn’t take away from my worth or flavor as a peach, and it never will.
4. Pay attention to the way people make you feel, do they leave you feeling rejuvenated and energized? Or do you leave feeling drained and exhausted? Use what you find to make sure you aren’t spending too much time with people that leave you feeling drained- not because it’s a bad thing, but so you can preserve and prioritize your own energy.
5. It’s okay to say “no.” In any situation, understand that you have a voice and that it matters.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I find great comfort and appreciation in expression and the usage of art in any medium to do so, and I’ve been able to use modeling as a form of expression and art for myself. It’s kind of beautiful really, because a large majority of the creative photoshoots that I do are rooted in very vulnerable experiences, and for me to create this art, I must literally let go and put it in the hands of the photographer that I’ve invited to create with me. Once I do that, it becomes the photographer’s interpretation with their added experiences as well- I absolutely love this kind of collaborative art, and I often use it as a means to communicate messages about mental health or current events.
I recently styled a photoshoot around a concept that I had had in the back of my mind for just under a year, and as a result, I made a little TikTok video of some behind the scenes, and it went viral, with 1.6 million views. The photoshoot was centered around the personification of the Japanese art of Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the process of taking broken pottery and repairing it by using a golden lacquer- as a philosophy, it represents acknowledging the broken pieces as part of an object’s history, and now something to hide or disguise. For the shoot, we photographed my friend drawing on “cracks” to my face and neck, and then I took gold and painted over them. Through this shoot, I was able to touch the hearts of thousands and thousands of people, with the aid of my dear friend and photographer Alexi, @paperairplanes.photo and my dear friend Kelsi @kelsi.larae.beauty, who drew the cracks on my face and created a safe space for the vulnerability and art expression. I am forever grateful for their collaboration, friendship, talent, and love.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the old architecture in Salt Lake City! I find it to be absolutely stunning and so fascinating to simply observe.
I have a hard time with the air pollution. Definitely not one of my favorite aspects of living here.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/liyahbobeah
Credits
Photos: Alexi Cox @paperairplanes.photo
MUA: @Kelsi.larae.beauty
