We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary Clark. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.
Mary, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Ultimately, my resilience comes from my mom, her own unwavering drive to persist, and the indelible truth that I can simply try–no matter what.
At 15 months old, I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. I underwent two major surgeries and received a year of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy caused me to lose some of my hearing, and I got my first pair of hearing aids at the age of 3. My mom never let my hearing loss be an excuse to not have access to or participate in any class, sport or musical activity. For better or for worse, I was expected to achieve and function the same as my hearing peers. This, coupled with our rigorous home schedule, instilled in me that practice and preparation would sow success; failure was simply not an option.
However, life is not so linear as that. I became an alcoholic when I was 19, and my life truly fell apart. My mom and many other family members had gotten sober when they were young and turned their lives around by going into a 12-step program. I followed their footsteps, becoming sober at age 21. I am still sober today at 36. I learned in the rooms the tools to approach each day as a new opportunity to just show up and work, little by little, toward healthy goals for myself.
Even since getting sober, I’ve had periods of struggle, and I’m so grateful my family knew to give me the space, time, and support to heal. I truly owe it all to my mom; she leads by example. She overcame her own addiction, family dysfunction and crippling depression to build, one day at a time, a fulfilling life in which she has accomplished so many of her goals.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have done freelance modeling for 7 or so years now. I love to focus on curating ideas that are inspired by older artistic concepts, but not every shoot is as “deep” as that. One day, I hope to delve into props and set design.
Because I can’t hear the camera click, there has to be ongoing communication, verbal or non-verbal, with the photographer. In this way, interpersonal flow and chemistry are important to me. Ease of communication may be why I prefer shooting with a very small team rather than larger groups.
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?
I’d say self-acceptance is paramount. I have to be OK in my own skin in order to be present for the shoot while feeling confident enough to voice my needs, should I ever not understand what is being said or what is going on. This is a quality I’m still in the process of cementing.
I also think compromise has been important. I have to be flexible working with other creatives and their visions, especially when it’s not solely my ideas behind the shoot. I can offer workarounds or suggestions in a respectful manner, but ultimately, I’m part of a team. More often than not, things turn out better than I expect, if I’m a little unsure about them in the beginning. At the end of the day, I can take what I want and leave the rest.
Finally, for me, it’s crucial to not get into a mindset of competition. I focus on myself in that respect, and I’m content with my pace and output. Local modeling is not a zero sum game to me.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for new people to collaborate with! Whether they be prop artists, photographers, florists, wardrobe stylists, I am always looking for new people to create with. Anyone can message me on my Instagram: @la.chrysalide.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Chris Sigamony, Derek Litvak, Wole Ajagbe, Theo Qu.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
