As a person, I would say I am inordinately inspired. I love that overwhelming body-high when I see, feel, or hear something that makes my mind think differently. A picture, a quote, a color, a song... can trigger something inside me that fuels my fire. ...Sometimes it's a person.
Let me backtrack to the year (approx) 2009. It was the peak of my modeling career and I was cast in Gen Art's: Fresh Faces People To Watch" runway show. It's not the Saint Laurent Paris show, but in LA that was a pretty-fuckin' big deal. That's where I met Nico Tortorella. Fashion shows are ridiculous. You arrive 6+ hours before the show: fit, rehearse, hair, make-up, re-fit, and wait. The downtime (all to walk on a stage for 30 seconds...) was my least favorite part of the job. You are involuntarily sitting in the presence of these cocky frat-boy models peacock-ing around, all for their need of attention. Nico, like myself, was away from the group. In his own little world, headphones-in, and writing. It was such a normal behavior, but in this environment it was incredibly impactful... I feel no need to fit-in, or have that thirst for attention. I knew right away we were both cut from the same cloth. Our interactions were minimal, but memorable. We did the show, we took some pictures, and that was it.
Gen Art was spot on with their predictions... Years later, I kept seeing "that kid I did that runway show with" everywhere. His face was popping up on TV shows, movies, and billboards. It's always exciting seeing someone I worked-with succeed, because so many of us don't 🙋. I followed him on Instagram, and liked his pics (when they would pop up on the gram)... and that was it.
Like this whole blogging thing, I am a little late to the party. I just recently got into Podcasts. I tuned into the obvious ones: "Serial", and "Missing Richard Simmons". I finished within days, and like my addictive personality, I wanted more! ...That's when I saw that familiar face once again. Nico has a Podcast "The Love Bomb." I downloaded an episode ...and one after another, I riffled through the entire series! BOOM! I was laughing, crying, and it just made me "feel" so hard! I related so much to his ability to be unapologetic-ly himself. It's so raw listening to someone open up on such a personal level, while the world is so content with just what's on the surface. On paper, you see Nico's credits of work [he has done], and articles questioning his sexuality. That's it. Is that all the world is interested in: what we do for work and who we bed? Life should be about learning, creating, loving. ...And inspiring others. With this Podcast, he was able to break barriers and creatively open my eyes and heart.
For me, the initial concept for my blog was very selfish. My job was draining my energy, and I needed an outlet for some-sort of creative expression. It didn't take long for me to realize in doing this, I am voluntarily opening up my entire life [to anyone who wanted to read it] in a very personal way. On a day-to-day, I tend to be more private, so for me, writing this has been a great form of therapy. The feedback has been incredible. The comments, likes, and e-mails truly inspire me. Nico Tortorella inspires me. And if METROsektual.com can inspire anyone the way "The Love Bomb" has for me, then this is all done for a greater purpose...and I am truly blessed.
At the end of the day, this is a fashion blog... So you can also get inspired by Nico's style. And pictures from BTS of the Gen Art Fashion Show (we were both babies!). ...And be sure to listen to his podcast: "The Love Bomb"
