Meet Eve Catharine: Model and Incoming Social Worker

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

Hi Eve, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
I believe that success is about putting yourself out there with no shame. People, especially people socialized as women, grow up learning that confidence and pride in yourself makes you self – centered. This holds a lot of people back from taking the first step. When I first started as a model, I contacted every creative I could find on social media. It was difficult at first as I was afraid of rejection. The truth is that I did get rejected. A lot! However, I also got some yes’s. I started to set aside the fear of rejection and just accept it as part of the process. I am so glad that I did because over the past year I have met many talented and wonderful creatives. I would tell any aspiring artist or creative that you have to unashamedly go after every opportunity you have and stop being afraid you aren’t good enough or experienced enough. Letting those thoughts steer your choices will only ever hold you back.

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.
I started modeling as a personal journey, working towards self love. I have always struggled with body image and self image. The first shoot I did was the first time I stepped out of myself and saw my body and my features from an outside perspective. The standard of the town I grew up in was thin, straight and cis. I was always curvy, and it didn’t help that I was also much taller than everyone else. I started dieting and exercising in middle school, and my relationship with food was very unhealthy. When I went to college, I started to accept myself and create a healthier relationship with food, but still had a lot of body dysmorphia and shame. Representation was a huge part of what helped me grow to love myself, and I am pursuing modeling as a career because I want to help others in that journey to self acceptance. I am non-binary, queer, and curvy, and I don’t see a lot of people like me represented in media. I want to work to create things that celebrate every person of every body type on every level of the gender and sexuality spectrum.
On top of modeling, I am also an incoming senior in the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work School. Social work is a huge part of my life, and I love integrating my education and career goals in social work with my career goals in modeling. Using art as a form of advocacy and activism is my favorite aspect of the creative community. Currently, I am working on a project for pride month with the incredibly talented photographer Madison Vaughan. We are organizing a photo meetup with Queer creatives in Pittsburgh and gathering as many Queer Pittsburgh couples as we can to celebrate pride and show the joy, love and beauty that exists within the Queer community.
Getting to the level of confidence I have found was not an easy journey for me. Being so public about my body, gender, and sexuality has been and continues to be scary. I never know if there are people in my social, professional or even familial circles that will find my identity to be something not worthy of their respect or support. However, the risks that I have taken in my career as a model have been risks worth taking because I’ve found a community that celebrates my differences as art. My biggest hope for my career as a creative is to help others learn that they are beautiful in their own way and that, though accepting your own queerness can be a terrifying journey, the people you meet and the beauty you create by finding it is worth it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place to shop is a thrift store. One of my favorite parts of being a model is fashion. I absolutely love clothes and spend a lot of time looking for interesting and useful pieces. I try to be as sustainable as I can with my purchases, and as I am a college student, I don’t have a big budget. My favorite thrift store in Pittsburgh is Avalon Exchange. They are such an eclectic store, and I have found so many unique pieces for shoots there. They also have an excellent collection of colorful and trendy accessories. For a late night meal, I highly recommend Frenchi’s Deli. They make huge wraps, and on the weekends are open late. Frenchi, the owner, is also quite the character and always greets me with energized conversation when I’m there. Their most famous sandwich is their Frenchi, which has chicken and steak. I do not eat red meat, so I have never tried it, but I get the veggie wrap stuffed with jalapeños, banana peppers, pickles, onion, peppers, lettuce tomato, provolone, crushed Doritos and of their signature chipotle mayo, and it is absolutely mouth watering.
When a sunny day finds you in Pittsburgh, it is imperative to spend it in one of the city’s numerous beautiful parks. I like to take my hammock and hang it between some trees in Schenley park and work on my homework or read a book. On a rainy day, Pittsburgh offers multiple museums to explore. My favorite is the Andy Warhol museum and was my first outing when I moved here. I have been several times and always find a new perspective.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people in my life that deserve credit for my successes. I would never be where I am without my parents. They have given me so much love, time and support throughout my life and I would never be the person I am if it wasn’t for them. I also owe so much to the many incredibly talented photographers I have worked with, especially the ones who took a chance on me at the very beginning. My roommates are also a huge part of my success and the best friends a person could ask for. They are some of my biggest supporters and are always there for me whether I need a buddy to accompany me on a shoot or someone to talk to when things get difficult. The most important person for me to point out is my friend and peer Ellyana Gomez. She is the reason I started modeling. Ellyana is a student, model, published poet, published chef, activist, an amazing friend and so much more. We met through the Bachelors of Social Work Program at the University of Pittsburgh, where we are both currently attending. She is one of the most hard-working, intelligent, talented and beautiful people I know. Ellyana invited me on my first shoot, and her confidence and kind words have motivated me to be the creative I am becoming. Her determination constantly inspires me to be my best self.

Instagram: Evecatharine

Image Credits
Vondre Clark Kayla Alexis Nat Lacek Sara Cronin Zian Meng Madison Vaughan