5 minute read
Breaking The Mold: Journie
Breaking Mold the// By Michelle Elizabeth Photographer/Wardrobe: Deanie Couture (@deanie_couture)
Journie Muse is a 7 year old model who believes in herself despite being “Unique.”
This adorable fair skinned African American child is the definition of unique beauty. Her strong will has allowed her the ability to embrace all she is with confidence. She has modeled in numerous forms of media and art. Journie’s parents feel the most important benefit of modeling is that it helped build her confidence despite being unusual. Her bubbly and friendly personality has led her to a great start in her early modeling career. Journie Muse has worked for some amazing companies as a Brand Rep, Child Influencer, and an Ambassador. She loves to sing, dance, and pose. Most of her skills in front of the camera come naturally. In fact, the only formal training she has in the field is a 6 week modeling class she attended at Advantage Talented Development in Franklin, TN. Even though she enjoys modeling for now, Journie wants to be a Special Needs Doctor when she grows up.
What makes Journie Muse so different? She was born with a genetic disorder called Albinism. It is a rare group of genetic disorders that cause the skin, hair, or eyes to have little or no color. It is caused by a deficiency in one of several genes that produce or distribute. This deficiency may result in the absence of melanin production, or a reduced amount of melanin production. The abnormal gene can be passed down from either parent to the child and leads to albinism. It is an inherited disorder that’s present at birth. Children are at risk of being born with albinism if they have parents with albinism, or parents who carry the gene for albinism. According to the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, about 1 in 18,000 to 20,000 people in the United States have a form of albinism.
As an African American with Albinism, Journie is very much aware of her uniqueness. Her family has educated her and always have been upfront with her and supported her. Thankfully, Journie hasn’t experienced much bullying, however she is very bothered by how much people stare at her. For this little model, going out can
be a “Mood Thing.” Her Mom says, “It’s almost as if she has to be in the mood to go out and deal with the staring. Adults and teens seem to admire her unique beauty, however her peers mostly stare at her. She calms their curiosity with a smile and says “Hello my name is Journie, what’s your name?” All the staring makes Journie feel very uncomfortable. She constantly asks “Mom, don’t they know it’s not polite to stare?”
Being a model with Albinism has been quite an adventure for Journie and her family. Some agents want her distinctive look and some do not. They have learned that when given her profile description, many agencies don’t really know how to represent her. Some have even mistaken her as a biracial child, so her Mom (and Manager) corrects them and educates them. Actually, most of Journie’s great opportunities come through Manager Mom’s hard work and dedication. When it comes to balancing her career, social life, and school, Journie explains, “Mommy balances everything. Structure and proper planning equals to balance.” In her free time, Journie likes to do gymnastics, have tablet time and cuddle with her parents. Journie’s favorite YouTube channel is The McClure twins. Her biggest role model is her mom and what inspires her is her Dad. She says, “He’s where I witness true confidence.”
Education is very important to Journie Muse and she loves to go to school. Since she wants to be a doctor when she grows up, Journie looks forward to learning everything she can and understands how valuable education is. She can also be a social butterfly. She’s never afraid to approach her peers with a smile and enjoys playing and running around with her friends. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has affected Journie’s ability to connect with her peers in a classroom setting. Currently she is homeschooling and struggling with the lack of social interaction.
Journie Muse is a girly girl. What she likes most about modeling is “the glam of getting ready for the photo shoot or runway etc.” She enjoys getting her hair and makeup done. The entire transformation simply thrills her! The biggest obstacle has been Journie’s vision impairment. Her Albinism developed into Ocular Albinism which causes partial vision loss and light sensitivity. If the lights shine too bright it can obscure her vision. To prevent this from happening, Manager Mom sets up a consultation with the photographer or lighting director to inform them of the issue. With a slight light dimming and using the “1-2-3 Technique” when shooting outside, Journie is able to nail every shoot! When she is shooting outside in the sun, Journie gets into her pose and closes her eyes. The photographer counts to three, and on THREE, Journie opens her eyes long enough for the photographer to snap the picture, then she closes her eyes again. This technique keeps Journie from squinting in the shot.
Some of Journie’s favorite memories in her career so far have been working with Creative Soul Photography on their book release “GLORY” and working with Deanie Couture & Photography on the KidFash Top 10 Models. Also she’ll never forget when she was at the FabKids fashion show to end bullying and they gave her an award for “Kids who Make a Great Impact in their Community.”
For other aspiring models Journie advises, “Be confident in yourself… Do not compare yourself to others, it will only bring distractions. Stay focused on your purpose.”
Journie Muse believes that right now kids can make an impact on the world by being kind to others and to yourself. She says, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” And if you get bullied, make sure to “Tell your parents, teachers or a responsible and trusting adult. If it happens again, take up for yourself by using your words.”
