Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Arana Castillo.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Every time a picture was being taken I was posing, my dad sometimes got mad at me because he thought I was just being goofy for the photo, but on the contrary, I couldn’t take pictures more seriously! He used to tell me that I was born posing!
My first modeling experience was when I was four years old. A kids runway that my cousin was putting together to raise money and to today I remember most of the moments! It was so amazing going to the local store to the fitting! For some reason, we had to walk the runway for a second time, and it seems I was the only kid excited about that!
I guess that feeling got stuck on me, and there was no day after that that I wouldn’t ask my parents to help me become a model! Finally, when they couldn’t bear hearing me one more time, and I was mature enough (15 years), they took me seriously!
A friend of a friend was a model of the time, and she helped me get my first portfolio (every time I see those pictures now I laugh so hard) and had my first agency interview with Richy Maroe. That same week I got signed, and they spend a few afternoons with me teaching me how to walk and perfecting y poses; a few days after I got booked for my first show for a renown designer in Spain. The other girls were incredibly nice to me and helped me rehearse, and explaining me trick and calm me, etc… but in the last moment the designer came and change the choreography and with the nerves of the moment I forgot about it and did whatever I had rehearsal a few moments earlier… no one realized but him, Wow, he was sooo mad when the show was over hahahah that he started screaming at me. I apologized and couldn’t rush more to get to my dad’s car and start crying! With the time I have learned how to not to care about those things anymore.
After a few years, the market in Spain cached a crush, and the model Industry suffered a little. So I moved agencies and went to New York for a few months. I was still a baby and landed in the claws of the wolf, I had a terrible experience with heartless people… there were only a few nice souls around. I came back home and decided not to model ever again. I focussed 100% on my degrees, although that didn’t last long… I missed the job so I went back at it and it was working pretty good for me.
Life has a funny way to arrange your priorities and when I moved to the states got signed with my actual agency in Miami, CGM. They sponsored me for my talent visa and helped me make Miami my home!
Please tell us about your work.
Art is the most subjective thing in the world, I don’t even think that it can be defined. However, If I had to, I would say that Art is anything that creates feelings.
Most people would agree that Photography is an Art, but some others think that Modeling is only a very easy and glamorous thing to do.
The reality is that the model has to have the ability to connect with the team and be able to transmit the sensations and feelings that the creative director thought for the pice, whatever those are. That it’s why most of the time actors are good models.
For being able to do so, the model has to feel comfortable in front of the camera, that normally will have more than one person behind. This it is only conquer by practice, like in any other art discipline, and studying other artists -in this case, models, and learning how to use the tools for the creations -in this case, your body.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
Artist life hasn’t become easier or harder. It simply has changed, and thats nor bad or good, just different. The rules are others and we all have to learn how to put them to work to our advantage.
With enough amount of effort and dedication, now we have tools that make possible to show our work to millions of people from all around the globe at sunisumun. I need to say it again, It does need a lot of work (much more than people normally does realized), tons of content have to be created every second and a deep connection and long hours have to be put with our devices -which can be perceived as negative, but it also was an intensive amount of work to get to those results before RRSS era, I don’t even think that the amount of reach that we have today was possible before.
Any creation process can be overwhelming, cities like ours would help a lot facilitating spaces where artist can create freely, get together, learn, and exchange inspiration!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I post most of my jobs on my Instagram @aranalac . For a while, I have been thinking in opening my own Youtube Chanel, maybe now its the moment! So go FOLLOW and I will keep you updated!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @aranalac
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
