Today we’d like to introduce you to Natiya Smith.
Hi Natiya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
So how I got started? It’s funny honestly because Growing up, I was always the tallest in my class, and I felt like I never fit in because of my height. I was shy and quiet because my height made me feel uncomfortable. Even though my siblings are tall, they are guys, and they are supposed to be tall. But I didn’t see tall girls my age.
I eventually overcame that discomfort when I started playing sports. Playing sports made me realize that there was a sense of pride, confidence, and grace that came with my height. Being tall wasn’t something I should be ashamed of but something I should be proud of.
After I was done playing basketball because I no longer had the passion to play competitively, I started looking into modeling. I love fashion, and I love taking pictures. I also had to realize that I have one life, and I would rather try something and say, “ I did it and it didn’t work out” rather than wake up one day and say, “What if I tried to model? What would my life look like” I think living with the unknown is the biggest failure, especially if you have the opportunity and capability to try.
So I tried, and I’m learning from every experience and every photoshoot. I’m still learning, but honestly, in my opinion, that’s what life is about: learning, trying new things, and growing from both the good times and the bad times.
Modeling has given me more confidence and has created a space where I feel comfortable with my height, especially in my daily life. It has also taught me that I’m not going to minimize myself. I’m going to walk through every room like it’s my runway because it doesn’t matter who’s watching.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say it’s definitely not an easy route. but I have to remind myself that life will give you what you work for or what you settle for. The struggles for me were overthinking everything and second guessing myself when it came to making decisions, especially when it came to prioritizing things because I work 2 jobs 64 hours a week I go to the gym or Pilates 3-4x a week. So I had to have a talk with myself and making sure the things that I was doing was going to get me closer to what I wanted achieve. It was a struggle because I have so many goals but I had to realize goals involved stepping stones and sometimes you have to do the things you don’t want to do now so you can do the things that you want to do later. Which involves patients it’s not an overnight thing that magically happens. It takes work; discipline and consistency as well as passion. Because i know it’s not going to be easy to achieve but, at the same time it’s not like it’s not possible to achieve either. Life has no limitations besides the ones you give yourself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am Model. I do Editorial, print, Fashion, Beauty and Commercial. I would say so far I am most proud of being featured in numerous Magazines like Untamed, Bold & Beyond and Selin just to name a few. But I am honestly most proud of starting and trying and stepping out of comfort zone with modeling. I’m excited to see where it takes me.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I would say when I was younger I was kind of shy and timid. But very outgoing around people I knew. But my interest when I was younger was anything that allowed me to be creative and express my self. I was also really competitive and enjoyed playing sports.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiyalanae/
Image Credits
Melanie Kambour
Elizabeth Vovk
Kenneth Allen
Zelohim
James shooter
Jon Souer
Adam Adolphus
