Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariya West.
Hi Mariya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been interested in expressing myself through art since I was a child. From elementary school to high school, I always found a way to express myself in some way, whether that’s through painting, sculpting, or taking photos. Last year (2020), quarantine hit pretty hard and I was in a creative slump. I finally decided to take the leap and start cosplaying. I was self-shooting and editing on my phone. After months of taking photos by myself, I decided I wanted to meet more creative people and expand what I was doing. Thus here I am now currently with having worked with so many amazing people and photographers and I can’t wait to see where modeling and photography takes me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been fairly smooth. You always have some bumps in the road while you’re on a journey, but none that have made me want to stop completely. Most of the struggles I have is just time. Working two jobs and modeling while I can has been pretty exhausting, but I love what I do and the end result is always worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in mostly cosplay and fashion modeling. Cosplay has always been a part of my life since I was 13. It’s always so exciting to become a character you look up to. I feel like one of my most well-known cosplays is Harley Quinn from birds of prey, I worked hard on gathering the pieces needed and finding the perfect photographer (Nathaniel Clayton) to make my vision come to life!
As for fashion modeling, I have some very close friends (Jana Davidson) and (Anna Mireles) who inspired my current fashion sense. From a fun clown aesthetic to a higher-end girly look, I love mixing the two together to create my own sense of style.
How do you define success?
For me, success is never about likes or follows as that will eventually fade. Success for me is that I’m proud of the work I do, that I am able to share and hopefully inspire others to get into modeling, photography, or cosplay. Success for me is also getting to make those connections with photographers and getting to know them and hear their stories.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://muhsugamodeling.wixsite.com/muhsuga
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/muhsuga
Image Credits
Jamie Cook Phil Kaos George Hernandez Josh trotter Bryan Collins Nathaniel Clayton Nita Ann Isaac Jones Mark Boring Jamal Park
