The thought of attention made me want to hide in a closet. I wasn't a kid who liked attention. I liked solitude and I still kind of do.
Of course, there are days when you're not feeling your best and you still have to stand up there and it can be difficult. But those days pass and you move on.
Words are difficult and photography takes the words away from things. It's difficult to talk about something that seems to come very naturally to you, to explain a process. A moment is really difficult to put on paper.
I've gone through a lot of different phases on what I do and why I do it - morally and ethically. I've tortured myself about it, especially in dealing with success and money.
I hope somewhere along the way, I've inspired someone to do something. ... And I hope they say that I was nice and polite.
When I was a kid, I was always around boys. I was always trying to keep up with boys - skateboarding and snowboarding. If my brother was mowing the lawn, I had to mow the lawn. If my brother was using a hammer, I needed to use a hammer. I've always been a little bit of a feminist.
Sailing really forces you to be present and in the moment. You kind of forget about the bullshit of life. Your thoughts go away because you're focused on making sure everything's working. I like being in that place.
Modeling's terrifying to a lot of people. Standing in front of a camera is terrifying. I like a challenge.
I grew up in a sailing family. My dad lived for sailing, and when we moved to Canada when I was a child, he really wanted us to learn.
If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it as best I can. I'm going to give it everything.
Sailing is the closest I can get to nature - it's adrenaline, fear, a constant challenge and learning experience, an adventure into the unknown. And of course there is nothing better than wearing the same T-shirt for days and not brushing my hair for weeks.
And of course there is nothing better than wearing the same T-shirt for days and not brushing my hair for weeks.
I remember one of the first things Helmut Newton on one of his last shoots, in 2004, said was that he couldn't believe how thin I was. He was like, "Whatever happened to women?" He also made me wear rubber nipples. It was amazing to be in a situation where you have to create but you don't feel any pressure. He had such confidence that it made things really easy. There's a natural sort of process of something coming to life, which I really liked. It was like, "We're here, and let's make you lay on a bed of nails." But it didn't seem contrived or overly thought-out. It was easy.
The fact that my parents got over to Canada is kind of amazing in and of itself. Had they not immigrated when I was a child, I probably would have never been doing what I'm doing. So, thanks, Canada!
Sometimes I am still surprised that I'm a model and that people think I'm good-looking.
I just had to learn to look at it as a job, as opposed to identifying myself as a model and thinking of myself as a part of this industry.
I'm not a big planner when I travel; I just feel it out.
When I was a kid, everywhere I went people said I should be a model, but I was more into skateboarding.
Nudity seems to be an issue that America can't get over in general. I wonder when the day will come when we finally become okay with it, with the human form.
Sometimes I am still surprised that I'm a model and that people think I'm good-looking. I've gone through a lot of different phases on what I do and why I do it - morally and ethically. I've tortured myself about it, especially in dealing with success and money. I just had to learn to look at it as a job, as opposed to identifying myself as a model and thinking of myself as a part of this industry. I just thought, Okay, this is an opportunity to learn and see and meet people. Still, I am a Scorpio and I'm quite competitive.
Off the top of my head, I can't really think of anyone who really took me under their wing. You get advice from everyone. Kate Moss once said to me, "Don't worry about the past, just keep going." That has always sort of stuck with me.
I like terrifying. Modeling's terrifying to a lot of people too. Standing in front of a camera is terrifying. I like a challenge. Sailing really forces you to be present and in the moment. You kind of forget about the bullshit of life. Your thoughts go away because you're focused on making sure everything's working. I like being in that place.
