"But this isn't about me, it's you. There are dozens of aspiring models, agents, assistants and interns that would love to work with someone of your talent and our style doesn't cost that much to do.
Let them put it on line for you on insticrap, facebook and tumbler. Just send them everything with a water mark so everyone will know you shot it."..... BC.
BC, I have no argument with what you write, but you miss the point, which I'd imagined had already been made clear: were I living in the UK that's exactly what I'd be doing; I had all the model agency contacts I needed, gave them business, and I'm sure we would have continued happily for as long as suited us both. I used to get sick of requests to do model tests etc. and I know the hunger is out there, and no, I haven't lost my desire to do stuff at all. I have tried to wean myself off that particular diet with a little success, but pangs still come now and again.
The trouble is the place where I live and can't escape. The housing market has sunk below its own knees. Many estate agents have collapsed, nothing sells; neighbours trying to sell have dropped their prices to around 2/3rds of what their places were worth five years ago, but no viewers, never mind buyers, ring their bells. So, geographically, I'm on St Helena along with Napololeon. As the property represents most of what’s left to show for my life, I don’t intend to trade it for peanuts!
Models. I have been to see the only model agency I think exists here, appeared to impress the agent with the book, and then nothing happened. I contacted them a couple of times again, but still zero. I chatted up a few local girls and even ran an ad for a while in my website both in Spanish and English, and zilch. One girl did get in touch via a guy I know; she sent a vimeo of her 'working' with a male model... no, thanks, not my bag at all. I tried to look the agency up again a couple of weeks or so ago, and either they are bust or have changed their name - the site's no longer there.
Yes, I can understand that it all sounds like excuses from someone who doesn't really want to do anything, especially when you live in London, Paris, NY, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona or even Glasgow, but it's the unvarnished and inescapable truth of life where I am. I'm sure that were I to cruise the bars in Palma or Ibiza something would turn up, but it's not my style at all: I like straightforward relationships with models.
You say you too are trapped, in front of computers etc, and I understand what you mean, but the thing is, you are still working, and that's the vital difference: it's all part of the creative process. I'd love to be trapped in front of a computer if it meant I was working and turning a buck! As it is, my trap only leads to another empty Coke bottle. Which is still better than no bottle at all.
Several friendly souls have tried to lift me back to something suitable, but none realises or believes the basic facts as I've outlined them here; it's one of those things where you have to be there - with or without f8!
So yes, thanks for the concern and advice, and I can promise you, were this the UK I wouldn't be needing any friendly prod/advice at all, but it's not: it's a little Mediterranean island that, but a scratch below the skin, is still the 1800s.
;-)
Rob C