We had the good fortune of connecting with Akira Milton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Akira, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
During my youth, I have always loved creating different things. I grew up building, fixing and doing plenty of art projects. Ironically, I have no illustration artistic abilities so I opted for any other crafty hobbies that I could find! Modeling is full of so much art! There is no right or wrong way when coming up with your own concepts and executing them. Starting out, your work may be a little amateur like but with more education and practice, your work will always improve. I get the chance to model myself and be any type of statue I can become via posing. Makeup artists get to put their own twist on inspiration looks or create their own entirely! Hairstylist can also do the same as makeup artists. Both can transform a model into an entirely different person or keep it simple by enhancing their beauty. And photographers are some of the greatest artists of all! It takes all of us as a team to create new art every day. In short, I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t able to do what I love every day; I wouldn’t want it any other way!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Hey, hey! My name is Akira Milton. I am a 20-year-old Japanese model and I have been modeling since March 2019. Although I am still considered a beginner in the industry, I’ve gotten the chance to do some amazing projects! I frequently travel year after year so you can find me just about anywhere! Even just a year in, it was not the easiest to get here. It takes constant research, practice and putting yourself out into the world to meet new people and make new connections. Dedication is essential because there are a lot of things in this industry that will get you down and make you want to quit altogether but you have to keep being your own cheerleader and continue pushing forward. Prior to me actually doing what it takes to start my career back in March 2019, I had been applying to agencies for about five years before that and not once had I ever heard back from any of them. It may be because at first I didn’t have the right digitals or I just simply wasn’t what they were looking for at the time and I currently still am not represented by any agencies but I make it known that I’m not going to give up. There will absolutely be a lot of rejection and critiques and a lot of not hearing back from agencies or people that you reach out to; it’s just part of being a model- or any creative for that matter. I just so happen to be on the shorter side of the modeling standards- a.k.a. being tall. Now some argue that there is no official standards to be a model and although at this time in the world the modeling industry is more open to different looks, ethnicities and sizes but because there are so many of us looking to get our foot into the door, there are only so many that can be taken in but at the end of the day from what I’ve noticed, agencies are still preferring the taller models versus the short no matter what you look like or how much you weigh for example. With every aspiring model that comes to me for advice or to learn more about modeling in general, I try to make it known that no matter who you, are you can still model if you put the work in day in and day out but it’s not easy and honestly I don’t think it ever will be. You have to want it 100%. Even being a petite model, I know in my heart that I have the drive and the potential to be a successful model. But just like everyone else, I’m just waiting for my chance; my opportunity for an agency to believe in me as much as I believe in myself. Some things that I have learned other than rejection, is that not everybody has good intentions. Like any other career it is not going to be perfect every day. Unfortunately, you have to watch out for nasty people who want to harm you- even on the job. You are more likely to be assaulted in any way on the job then walking down the street. This happens because some models feel like they have to do certain things because that person has influence in the industry and if they don’t, then they may feel that they’ll never become successful. This has never happened to me, but there’s so many horror stories. It breaks my heart so much but let me tell you, you do not have to do anything that you do not want to do under any circumstance in life or even on the job. Other than that, you also have to watch out for photographers, agencies and whoever else who may want to take advantage of you in other ways such as making you pay for things that you should have never had to pay for. Some examples may be: paying for classes, paying extra to a photographer when another photographer whom is just as good charges less or when you could have collaborated to get the photos you needed. If you choose to take classes or do any type of Boot Camp, make sure it is what you want to do. If an agency tells you that you have to pay for those things, I would run away. No agency is going to make it mandatory that you pay for classes or anything like that to be signed with them. Your agency whether it is a regular talent agency or a mother agency, they are there to help you improve not to take all of your money for their benefits when you really could have learned all of that for free. The Internet has so much information, you just have to take the time to research! Don’t let any of that scare you into not wanting to follow your dreams. You just have to be on the lookout for things like that so you can avoid them and not be scammed or manipulated. Minus things like that, the modeling industry is so much fun! I am always open to answering questions about being a model, getting started and just anything you may be wondering! I won’t make you pay and I won’t turn you away for being curious. The main thing that I want the world to know about me as a model is that I’m never going to give up. Give me all the rejections in the world, all the haters; just throw your worst at me, and I still won’t give up. I am short, yes, I didn’t really have a choice in that but I know that I have the dedication, that I am beautiful, and I know I have what it takes to be a successful model. Now I’m just waiting for everyone else to believe in me too!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am actually a very indecisive person when it comes to things like that so honestly, I would probably ask them first if they had any preference on what they wanted to do while they were with me, or we would probably just go exploring and discover different things along the way!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would of course love to thank every single individual that has given me the opportunity to live my dream through every shoot and project. Every yes is a step closer to my goals as a model. I would also like to thank every agency, model scout, photographer, etc. that has rejected me (for any reason). I thank you all as well because every no is another learning opportunity and encourages me to try harder. Thank you to those who believe in me, and to those who don’t. I do what I do for myself, to inspire others and to even just help those who need more portfolio work. I love modeling and meeting everyone that I have!

Website: asportfolio.onuniverse.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/apmmodeling
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AkiraMiltonTheModel/
Other: Kavyar Profile: https://apmmodeling.kavyar.site/ Model Blog: https://modelblog.godaddysites.com/

Image Credits
Libbey Lazarus Sharla Ronée Tania Medrano Low Fashion Looks Tommy Jefferson Keanu Jaelen Shay Alzookery Jessica King Lori Phillips Carlo DeGuzman Lorena C. Grace And Soul Photography Natasha Reid Trisha Benevides Dia Caster Ella Wilson