Meet Bella B. Bold

We were lucky to catch up with Bella B. Bold recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bella B. , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I feel that confidence and self-esteem are both characteristics that one must build in themselves. The hardest part is not listening to people, whether they be strangers or friends and family, casting doubt on your abilities or success in achieving your goals. My confidence and self-esteem have both developed over time, but they mostly stem from my ability to be proud of myself for my successes, and finding people in my life who fully support me in achieving my goals. I would say the first step is owning belief in yourself that you can achieve a specific success or goal, and then, to surround yourself with people who want to support you, and believe in your vision, success, and/or goals.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I discovered pinup and modeling at the age of thirty-six. I am proud to say that I will be celebrating nine years of this journey in April of this year. As a child, I was a competitive figure skater. Even though figure skating is considered to be a sport, there is also a lot of expression and art in figure skating; much like dancing. When I discovered pinup and modeling, it allowed me to combine many interests that I have developed from a young age. Pinup and modeling allows me to express myself in a form of art. It also provides me the opportunity for me to experience my appreciation of more retro vibes through channels such as fashion, makeup, classic cars, retro sets, and hair styles.

The most challenging aspect of becoming a part of the pinup and model community has been my body type and size. Finding vintage fashion is always a challenge which is why I chose to embrace a more modern pinup style while still paying tribute to retro fashion and style. Body shapes and sizes not only limit options for fashion and style, but they have also been an obstacle to overcome in the form of acceptance from society. Plus-size people struggle to be accepted in a variety of ways, especially in the world of modeling and photography. Pinup, though, did offer me a greater amount of support and acceptance, especially at the beginning of my pinup and modeling journey.

Through my journey, I have learned to embrace my changing body shape and size. I have learned to love and accept myself at all sizes. I have learned to love my body as I explore different looks, fashion, and style. I started to embrace support from individuals who appreciate plus-size bodies. I also found myself inadvertently demonstrating to other plus-size women that they too can love and accept their bodies. This growth and awareness led me to creating my own pinup magazine, after being published several times myself, and wanting to continue to support plus-size people in the pinup and/or modeling communities. My magazine is called Pinup Plus and it was started in August of 2022. The “plus” in the title was originally intended to provide a space for plus-size people to be published, however, it has evolved to just generally mean it is a pinup magazine with more. Plus is more! I am proud to say that my magazine offers a safe publication space for all body sizes and shapes. It also is a space for all gender identities, sexual orientations, and forms of photography. Besides professional photography, Pinup Plus also publishes selfies in order to allow the opportunity for all people to express their beauty. The community section in Pinup Plus provides a place for individuals or groups to share photos from community events or even a space to display various forms of art.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Learning to embrace and love myself were both difficult qualities and/ skills that challenged beliefs I had been taught throughout my younger, developing years . I have had to come to terms with the fact that many people, not all, but many do not like to see confidence and/or self-love in others because they lack it in themselves. An area of knowledge that I have become more aware of is not to assume that everyone in your circle is going to automatically support you in your journey-and that is okay! It is through this journey I have learned to navigate finding the individuals who will support me. Those are usually the ones who appreciate the same support in return. Those who refuse to grow are typically the ones that are trying to hold you back, and they will use their words and other actions to try and do so. The best quality to embrace is to not give up, to not let others’ insecurities enter your thoughts and/or mind. In the end, keep going. Do it for you; not for anyone else.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

I would say the teams I work with when I participate in a photo shoot (either individual or group), fashion show, or influencer videos. When I refer to “teams,” I am referring to all the individuals I have the opportunity to work with to make the final product what it is. From the photographer to the makeup/hairstylists to the individuals who volunteer their time and possessions, such as classic cars, to make an artistic concept truly what it is. I have learned something from every shoot I have participated in-either about myself or the strength and support of others. Photo shoots as well as other events have given me the opportunity to meet a variety of amazing and talented people from different walks of life. It has helped me develop my appreciation for art and photography. I have learned about cars and developed a greater appreciation for the classic ones. I have been fortunate to meet or develop relationships with some amazing models, pinups and other types of artists. Every single person who has crossed my path, in some capacity as part of my pinup/model journey, has taught me a specific skill or helped me to develop a greater knowledge in areas of life that I had not known or experienced before. Therefore, I consider them essential in both the growth and direction my journey has taken me thus far.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bellabbold
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/bellabboldmodel
• Other: https://instagram.com/pinup.plus.magazine

Image Credits

Photos by After Midnight Photography and Sveinn Photography