Karsen Rigby recently joined me on behalf of Pop Culture Spin for an interview. Without me realizing when I asked a question about it, Karsen is actually from a Northern California town she mentions in this piece that’s close to where I was born and raised. Now based over in Southern California, the talented model covers topics with me such as her background, modeling style, and more in this Q&A. Read my interview with Karsen below.
Pop Culture Spin: Thank you for the interview, Karsen. To begin, when was the initial instance in your life that you realized modeling was the correct path for you to take and how did you get into it?
Karsen: I actually came to LA to pursue singing. However, I have terrible stage fright and after years of fighting it I decided that acting and modeling didn’t terrify me nearly as much. As for when, I was probably in preschool when I started performing. One thing led to another and now I’m a D list Instagram model.
PCS: Where are you from and is that the same place where you’re currently based?
Karsen: I’m from a town called Novato. It’s about 30 minutes north of San Francisco and I moved away from there at age 15. I first moved to Orange County when I was accepted into a performing arts school. After that I made my way to west LA to attend Loyola Marymount University and I now live in North Hollywood.
PCS: From fashion to glamour or anything else, are there any particular areas of modeling that you prefer over others?
Karsen: I’m quite short for a model so I don’t do much with fashion. I’ve been told I’m more the face than the body. What I love about the modern Instagram modeling world is that I have creative control over most of my shoots. They’re like my own little art projects. So to answer your question, I prefer anything that allows me to be creative, dark, and artsy.
PCS: How would you assess what you individually provide that’s unique as a model?
Karsen: Everyone is unique whether they want to be or not. I can try to be Heidi Klum all day, but I’ll always be Karsen. I don’t take myself too seriously and I’m painfully self aware. I think that makes me easy to relate to and easy to shoot. At least that’s what photographers have said.
PCS: Did you have any early doubts when you first began venturing into this career or were you always pretty confident in your chances of success?
Karsen: What is success in modeling? Having millions of followers maybe or working with the biggest photographers? Of course I have doubts. I think I’m a confident person, but there are days that I wake up and look in the mirror and say, “WTF are you doing with your life?” And that’s ok, I’m human and I don’t have it all figured out.
PCS: What was the motivation for your “we are lost because we are free” tattoo on your neck/back area?
Karsen: I think that kind of goes with what I’ve been saying. Life is a crazy experience and who the hell really knows what we’re doing here. I’m sort of an existentialist and when I read that quote it made me feel a sense of peace. We are free to do whatever we want with our lives and that’s incredibly overwhelming to think about. There are no boundaries or limits and there’s a pressure to do so much while we’re here. So I guess it’s totally normal to be lost.
PCS: Outside of your work related projects, what kind of activities do you spend your free time doing?
Karsen: Cooking. Not so much eating, but cooking. I eat like a bird, but I’m completely obsessed with the Food Network. I love good food and wine. I’m a huge animal rights activist as well. I have two rescue cats and I’ve had 4 foster dogs. I prefer animals over people to be honest.
PCS: Do you have anything exciting approaching here in 2016 that you’re at liberty to talk about?
Karsen: I’m beyond excited to share that I’m writing a book with a brilliant ghost writer. It’s in the very early stages so I can’t give out details, but it definitely pertains to the modeling world and my experiences.
PCS: Your time with my website has been appreciated – I hope this has been a pleasant experience for you. In closing, where can readers connect with you online?
Karsen: You can follow me on Instagram @karsen_rigby and Snapchat username: Karsen