How To Act Like A Rat – And Other Lessons In Webcam Modeling

 

For those of you who’ve been checking out my work, you probably already know that I have an amateur interest in photography and portraiture. I enjoy reading memoirs of people on both sides of the camera, and today I wanted to write about one of my favorite anecdotes from the world of mainstream modelling.

As the story goes, when supermodel Cindy Crawford was popular the world over, she had a really memorable photoshoot with a fashion photographer who asked her to act like a hyperactive mouse in the middle of the shoot. Although Crawford was (quite understandably) bewildered by the request, being a professional, she complied and mimicked a rat – – wriggling her nose, baring her teeth, and perhaps raiding the refrigerator looking for cheese.

As amusing as this sounds, the incident made an impression on the young model – – she remembered it as having the effect of snapping her out of her comfort zone of what she was supposed to look and act like.

This is a lesson I keep coming back to, since I started performing as a webcam model. Every hobby, every profession, brings with it a set of stereotypes of what one ought to expect from it. For example, the camgirl is supposed to be sweet, but sexy, alluring but approachable. The Instagram influencer is supposed to look a certain way, conduct herself according to unwritten rules of decorum that dictate her self-presentation.

More often than not, these stereotypes are not only incorrect, but also limiting to the artist/performer, because they feel constrained by what their audience expects of them. Consequently, many performers end up constructing and performing “roles” instead of just being themselves, whether on stage, on camera, or in a camming livestream.

In light of this, a simple directive (“Hey, act like a rat” is an example, but it may take many forms) is one hell of a pattern interrupt, a way to elicit something unpredictable, pushing the model out of her mental images of what’s appropriate and contextually relevant, into a fun, nonsensical space of free-play and improvisation.

What specifically did I learn from this, as a webcam model?

I learned how important it is to shake things up and keep the novelty alive in my camming shows, not just for my members, but to get me out of predictable patterns as well. Having a multitude of show themes and special shows is one pathway into that improvisational space – – the first time I do a candle show, or a show with furs, is always unexpected, delightfully new, and allows me to genuinely enjoy the present moment and what I’m doing right now.

So, the real question is, am I going to have a “Alice’s Mouse Show” for my next special? Probably not, but it’ll be something unpredictable, something new, or a new take on something I’ve tried before…and yes, I’m going to enjoy every second of it.

Join me?

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