Meet Molly Van Buren | Actor & Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Molly Van Buren and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Molly, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I believe that the habits I have that have helped me succeed are the same ones that have also caused me to fail. I am a huge perfectionist and am constantly striving to better myself not only as an artist but as a person and as a friend. Regarding my acting and modeling career, the idea of being “perfect” in photos or “perfect” in film is something that has blocked me internally from doing my very best. But now, with experience under my belt and an acceptance of the fact that practice doesn’t make perfect, it just makes progress, I now utilize my “perfectionism” to my advantage. My definition of perfect has changed; therefore, in using my “perfectionism,” I am just setting myself up to do my very best at every project I am on.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art consists of finding the “bigger” and better parts of myself and displaying them as they are. I have been acting longer than I have been modeling, but every time I find myself on set for a photoshoot, I manage to create a character for whatever the shoot may be and find it is so much easier and so much more fun! I am finding poses and faces that I wouldn’t have done just as myself, and because I have been lucky to do more editorial/whimsical shoots, I can be “out there”. Art is never easy because it is ever-changing, and so are humans! I have found that as I’ve aged, I have been able to learn so much more, and in times of challenge, I turn to the things I have learned and set goals for myself to further improve my craft, no matter how big or small the challenge is. The biggest lesson I have learned in my career as an artist is that you have to meet yourself exactly where you are, and you have to be authentically you. You are your own business, you are selling yourself, so you are doing a disservice to anyone “investing” in you by not staying true to exactly who you are. I want the world to know that my brand is me and that I am always learning and growing and will continue to be a flawed artist for the rest of my life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live close to Atlanta but not in the city, so when I visit, I find myself checking out all kinds of new spots. If I could create an itinerary for a friend, I would plan a night out with drinks, food, and entertainment. We would start the day off with a bagel from Brooklyn Bagel & Deli in Virginia Highlands. We would then take our bagels and go for a walk in Piedmont Park before taking a drive to grab coffee at Cafe Comma. We’d then relax in the Vinings area before having dinner at, and finishing the night with a show at the Shakespeare Tavern. They are a great group that consistently puts on fabulous shows.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Regarding my modeling career, I want to give a shout-out to my dear friend, Amisha Nair. A little over a year ago now, I reached out to her over Instagram because I had noticed we had a few mutuals and was so intrigued by her work. Amisha has such a unique and niche style, and she leaves a mark on everything she does. So, after reaching out about doing a shoot, she eventually responded and said she had an idea that I’d be a great model for. We met up, and from there, we’ve only gotten closer as friends and better as a team. I am eternally grateful for her and continue to be in awe of everything she does.

Website: https://mollyvanburen.com

Youtube: @mollyvb6408

Image Credits
Every image, besides images 3 and 4 of me on the film set, can be credited to the lovely Amisha Nair!