Melissa Koenig is a 23 year old model currently residing in Chicago, IL.
Believe it or not, she wasn't always fond of being in the spotlight. Growing up she was very shy. She was often bullied which led her to keep to herself. It wasn't until 7th grade she began breaking out of her shell. She tried out for school plays and in high school, she joined the Improv team.
She enjoyed these activities very much, but it wasn't until she did her first photoshoot that she truly found her passion. At the beginning of the shoot, she was a bit nervous, but quickly became comfortable. The movements and expressions appeared to come naturally to her. She loved how she felt.
At the sametime, though, her insecurities held her back. She has battled with low self esteem for many years. She always thought of herself as ugly, fat, and simply not good enough. These negative feelings clouded her judgement for a very long time. They prevented her from pursuing what she loved doing. When she would do a photoshoot, her images reflected her poor body image, resulting in poor responses from other individuals.
It wasn't until a friend of hers made her aware of the hole she was digging herself, that she changed her entire outlook on the situation. She used his constructive criticism as fuel. She wanted to show those who didn't believe in her what she was capable of. She also wanted to prove this to herself. She needed to. And so, she began working on her modeling poses. She began looking into opportunities that she knew would benefit her and she chased them. Most importantly, she began telling herself she was good enough. She told herself she would prove the world wrong. She basically retrained her brain to believing she was unstoppable. Shortly after, people noticed a change in how she carried herself. She noticed this change, which encouraged her to work even harder.
She has been modeling for almost 2 years now, and her success has flourished. She honestly never thought she would get this far, but she's extatic that she has. She still struggles with insecurities, but she believes all of us do. The point is to not let them overcome you.
Aside from modeling, she enjoys working out. This is a huge confidence booster she highly recommends we are begin doing. She enjoys writing. Putting her thoughts down on paper is a great way she relieves stress. She absolutely loves animals. She believes all animals are simply amazing. They crave love and affection just as we do, without the negative corresponding attributes. Whenever she feels down, she turns to her cat and she instantaneously feels better. She believes everyone should own a pet.
Overall, she wishes for people who read this article and who view her work to feel inspired. She wants to help those who are going through what she did realize that they ARE good enough. She hopes to set an example and to one day be that example.