Rising Stars: Meet Maya Rue of Westport

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Rue.

Hi Maya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been into fashion & art my whole life. Last March, I got my first professional Canon camera. With that, I started taking pictures of people & myself for practice, and by doing that, I accumulated my modeling portfolio. Then in June of 2022, Lovestoned was looking for models. I was very interested & took a shot in the dark when I applied. I was accepted by Courtnie & the Lovestoned team to do a photoshoot with them. A few weeks later, Lovestoned was to be a part of a summer runway fashion show. So I took another leap of faith & attended the casting call for the show. After I was cast in that show, everything changed. I realized this was something I loved doing & wanted to further into a career for myself. I did a bunch of photoshoots with Lovestoned for the website & met many amazing creatives over the summer of 22’. With these modeling/networking opportunities, I was able to put myself out there more & get my dream career started.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Putting myself out there has never come easy for me. I have crippling anxiety that used to keep me homebound. My anxiety used to affect me to the point where I was physically sick every day & I did not leave my house at all; I stopped going to school, seeing my friend, and going outside. Then, when covid hit & I was already homebound, I truly felt like I would never get better. I am so thankful for how far I have come & a lot of that can be accredited to Courtnie from Lovestoned. She may not even know it, but she helped provide a safe place for me where I felt solid & confident enough to push myself out of my comfort zone. I could even go back to school to get my GED in August of 2022 & I officially graduated in December. It might seem small, but graduating once very much felt impossible. While I was in school, I worked on my modeling career, building a portfolio, & meeting new people. By the time I graduated & had free time again, I was ready to pursue modeling full-time. Modeling helped build me into the strong, confident woman I am today. I could not imagine my life any other way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an artist. I specialize in modeling & photography. I also sew & paint in my free time. I am looking to dive deeper into professional acting as well. I am best known for my diverse modeling portfolio; I can accomplish any style. As a model, I am most proud that I’ve walked in 5 fashion shows within my first year of modeling. & as a photographer, I would say my biggest accomplishment so far was an artist using one of the photos I took as a reference for a painting than that painting was hung in an art exhibition. I cannot wait to see what other amazing things I can accomplish farther down the line.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Courtnie Ross from Lovestoned, of course. I already went into it. But she helped me become more confident as a model and inspired me to put myself out there more. She also introduced me to lots of creative people. My fantastic boyfriend, Aedyn, also helped me overcome much anxiety. He is a musician & inspires me every day to be more creative and to do what I love. Last but not least, my parents have been my biggest cheerleaders. They’ve been there to watch my whole journey & how I’ve grown. I know they are just as proud of me as I am, if not more. Even when it felt impossible to overcome my anxiety, they still encouraged and reassured me. My dad lives 8 hours away on a farm with my baby brother, but he is still one of my biggest supporters from afar. I live here in westport with my mom. I adore living in the city where I am surrounded my other creative individuals & close to all of the action. I cannot wait to see what else I accomplish as an artist within the next few years. if you’re ever in need of a model or just want to support me through my crazy journey, feel free to reach out to me! thanks so much. -maya rue

Pricing:

• $30/hr is my photography rate
• $60-$100/hr is my model rate
• Feel free to leave prices out, as I would prefer if clients reach out to me personally

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mxyarue/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maya.rue.357?mibextid=LQQJ4d 

Image Credits
picture 2, 6, 7, 8 are @e.clipsphotography, 1 is @amine T shaw, 3 is @savannah sipes, 5 is @boiledteeth