Joanna Younes- Embrace Challenging Times (Model)

Edition Four-Week Four:

By: Mercedes Barreto / Photography by: Hamad Kh. AlAbdulghani.

Modeling is not just all about the looks, the glamour, and the hype-life. Sometimes, modeling finds its hearth in a more unique, and more captivating look, and there is the start of it all. We take a look at Joanna Younes, her start and current aspirations in her modeling career, in this guided, yet informative rising talent article.

Joanna Younes is a Lebanese actress, model, and influencer, that got her career started in Kuwait at the young age of six. Growing up, Joanna was known for her involvement in musical theater and dance, notably for her roles in The Lion King as Nala and Bugsy Malone as Tallulah. She earned a Distinction from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts for her Grade 8 in Acting, and continued to pursue her endeavors beyond where she grew up. Right before Joanna moved to the United States, she signed with her modeling agents at Twentyeight, where she booked multiple modeling opportunities with widely known brands in the Middle East, including Eden Spa&Salon and Nalbes.

Since Joanna’s move, she earned the Best Actress Award at Campus Movie Fest for her lead role in Welcome to the Demon Club during her first year in college. She’s been involved in multiple short films shortly after, including Jacked, which was directed by Emmy-award winning director Kevin Waczek. During her last year of college, Joanna collaborated on a passion project with Bullet Catch Films for almost an entire year, on feature film ‘Night Hunter’, where she played one of the lead roles, Sylvia Steel. Night Hunter was sold out on all 3 premiere nights at the Grossmont Center in San Diego, CA, resulting in a huge turnout at the movie theater. Beyond acting, Joanna has stepped into the influencer-world and content creation, where she has collaborated on multiple campaigns with brands. She was hand-picked by Lulu’s to create content on her social media platforms for their graduation campaign, and has garnered thousands of views on her platform due to her content. She has also collaborated with Bumble, CeraVe, Glow Recipe, Absolute New York, and Grubhub, to name a few.

Joanna continues to grow and evolve as an artist and creator through all her passions and endeavors.

What is and has been your motivation? How did you get your footing in the modeling world of today?

“When it comes to modeling, my motivation at first was wanting to explore a different side to my creativity. Before I initially started, I had always done acting and dancing. I did some modeling as a child, but I was always more committed to my acting career compared to other ventures. I got my foot into modeling when I was around 16 – a close friend of mine, known for her brand Coffee&Castoffs, created beautiful custom pieces and needed models to model her dresses on a runway for an event. I of course agreed and wanted to support her – it turned out to be such a beautiful experience, and I got to close the show with her at the end. It was a surreal moment as we had always talked about supporting each other’s endeavors, so it felt good to actually collaborate on something, and I felt honored that she let me close the show with her! Shortly after, I started modeling for her other seasonal pieces, and I got a better sense of what it would be like to model in photoshoots and video shoots. I wanted to explore what other opportunities Kuwait offered, and that was when I discovered the modeling agency, Twentyeight. I got a meeting with them, and we signed a contract the day of. Ever since, they have put my foot in the door for some incredible opportunities, and I’ve booked some amazing gigs with them!”

Considering your past hardships; what are some of these experiences, and how do they mold you or shape you into the person you are today?

“I think hardships are always a blessing in disguise, and I’ve slowly learned to embrace challenging times instead of trying to avoid them or allow them to bring me down. My “lows” have always taught me something that I’ve used to help me during my “highs”. I think pursuing a creative career in general can be frowned upon, especially as an entertainer. It used to be hard when nobody would support me or believe in what I wanted to do in life. I was brushed off and called a big dreamer. While it used to bring my confidence down, for some reason I was still really stubborn. It never brought me down enough to where I wanted to quit pursuing my passions. I guess that’s why it’s called a passion – you become so emotionally involved with what you want to do that nobody can make you stop. I consider myself perseverant, as I’ve always tried to be patient and have faith in my journey no matter the circumstances. I think it’s important to learn perseverance and practice it, even if you aren’t in entertainment. It allows you to be more present, as well as be more hopeful for the future.”

When you set your mind on something, what is the automatic reaction or reflex?

“Normally when I set my mind on something, I tend to just go for it. There’s no point in only being in it halfway – I consider myself an “all or nothing” person. While it can be an extreme way of thinking sometimes, I feel like it pays off when it comes to pursuing my passions and my career. I mean even saying you want to commit to being an artist of some sort and fully going for it is an example. It’s a really brave thing to do. I’d say the biggest accomplishment for me in general is making my move to the United States for career opportunities. I moved alone and it hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I believe that nothing worth having comes easy.

What is the goal for you this year in your modeling career? Highlights so far for 2022?

“A big goal of mine is to connect with like-minded people in the business and to collaborate on beautiful art together! Whether it be a creative shoot, a video shoot, or any form of art, I’d love to just create. I’d like to focus on my acting for the most part this year, as I already have some opportunities lined up that will be taking a lot of my time. I would like to re-visit Kuwait and work on some more modeling or print work. I’ve never had a negative experience and I’m always looking forward to working with new people.”

Critics say that some models and other disciplined talents have a very self-centered composition. How do you believe you are different from that stereotype?

“I can understand how others would think that people who model, or artists in general, seem to be self-centered. Maybe they even are to a certain degree. But being self-centered doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is a bad person, and it’s not always a bad thing. A lot of artists process their emotions or their past experiences through their art, and their art allows them to grow. My art has definitely taught me how to be more compassionate, accepting, and empathetic. Acting has taught me to not judge any of the roles I play. It’s not in my place to, and it’s my job to understand why characters make certain choices, even if I don’t personally agree.”

What sets you apart from all the others, considering that beauty has no limit and no end?

“Hm, interesting question. I think what sets me a part from others is that I’m me. There’s always going to be someone “better”, since beauty has no limit or end, as you said. It’s not even something I necessarily believe in but it’s the way society has conditioned us to think; there’s always better. I feel like the truth is there’s no such thing as being more beautiful than someone else, because we can’t compare ourselves to each other. Everyone is so incredibly unique. Every one has a story, and no one’s story is the same. I think that’s what sets me a part from others, and something that allows me to be secure in myself a lot of the times – it’s my story and how far I’ve come. The things I’ve achieved are all thanks to my individual journey, including all the ups and downs. The things that I’ve had to personally overcome are also due to my personal experiences/circumstances. I think my story alone is beautiful, and that’s enough for me, and I of course believe the same for everyone else.”