Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliyah Mallard.
Hi Aliyah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Well to start off my name is Aliyah Mallard and I’m 21 years old. I’ve been living in Houston for majority of my life. I was originally born in Austell, GA but moved to Houston with my parents when I was in second grade for their careers. I recently just graduated from Clemson University this past May so I was living in South Carolina for the past four years while also being a student-athlete for the Women’s Track and Field team. I was a member of the sprints group so some could say I was pretty fast, LOL! I had been running track for around 10 years, I started when I was in middle school and the sport just took over my life since then. During that time period, I spent years creating content behind the scenes, editing them and posting them to my drafts but never having the actual confidence in myself to make that final step. I’ve always had a passion for pursuing a career in being a digital creator and modeling, ever since I was a little girl. I’ve always been the child in her room making videos on the family computer. The little girl doing her makeup and hair so she could take pictures on any camera in sight. I’ve always had an intuition or gut feeling when it came to creating content.
It wasn’t until I started college that I basically had an identity crisis. While in college, I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression. I wasn’t able to enjoy many of my experiences because my daily thoughts were swallowing me whole. I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do, I felt like many of the requirements in my life I only did to make other people happy. I did have some interests in college in regards to curriculum and learning but nothing really gave me passion or excitement in regards to actually picking a career. It wasn’t until I started venturing toward my true passions again and putting my thoughts and emotions in what I love to do that I realized this is what brings me happiness. After graduating, I decided to take that big step and create a YouTube so I could have a bigger platform to share my content. This has been a big accomplishment for me and although I just begun this journey, every step along the way has been nothing but excitement. I am more than ready to see what my future has in store for me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road but it wouldn’t be a journey without the ups and downs. The hardest struggle had to be finding my own true nature amongst the chaos. Anxiety and Depression took over me in multiple points throughout my life. I spent months at a time delving into my emotions and feeling sorry for myself. I let society determine what should be allowed as “happiness” and what shouldn’t be. I felt like I didn’t have “what it took” to start creating content until I realized that was a barrier I was creating only for myself. It took some serious self-reflection, healing, and growth for me to put my strength in God and the universe as a whole to know that everything will turn out okay as long as I enjoy the process and believe in my strengths while also accepting my weaknesses.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a digital creator and a model I specialize in creating fashion/beauty/lifestyle and mental health awareness. I create outfit inspirations, makeup tutorials and lifestyle vlogs along with much more content. I think what sets me apart from others is my passion for creating content. When it comes to actually sitting down and making my content, I love the process of the entire thing. I love seeing the final product of a film and seeing all my thoughts and ideas come together. When it comes to editing pictures, I love seeing the transformation of pictures. Ones with bad lighting and realizing how much a single contrast setting can change the entire look of the photo. I enjoy the process, the journey before the final product. Creating digital content and modeling is more than just a job to me. It’s a love and a passion, it’s something I enjoy waking up in the morning to do and don’t mind falling asleep late at night for.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I use the app called “Zinnia Journal and Planner” on my IPad and I literally am OBSESSED with that app! It took me a while to really find a planner app that works best for me, I tried many different ones but they never fit what I was looking for and I never thought that they were genuinely worth it. However, this app lets you plan out your days with access to stickers, templates and other beneficial tools for a good price. The apps Final Cut Pro and Procreate are also my lifesavers when it comes to creating my daily and weekly content. They have so many creative tools that you can use that will allow you to form any content that flows in your head. I think these apps are beneficial for beginner content creators and experienced.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliyahmallard_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliyah.mallard
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliyahmallardr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-0UoiegU6cnSc-8RxhnWw
- Other: https://pin.it/2CMwQfg
Image Credits
@bashbenzo on Instagram (two pictures with blonde long hair)
