Article January 1, 2003 ISSUE

true beauty

Daniela Wilbert with contributions from Flávio Colombini

“I've tried to nurture a more spiritual concept of myself.”
— Daniela

Brazilian model Daniela Wilbert, 19, has appeared in fashion shows, magazine photo spreads, and television commercials since she began modeling six years ago. In the following interview with Flávio Colombini, a freelance photographer for the Herald, Daniela talks candidly about the ups and downs of her career.

How did you become a model?

Actually, I never thought about becoming a model. A talent scout discovered me and brought me to a modeling agency in São Paulo when I was 14. I spent one year in São Paulo and got several jobs, including being on the cover of Capricho, the most popular teen magazine in Brazil. But during this time, I wasn't able to maintain a model's ideal weight, and when I tried to switch agencies, I wasn't accepted. I was a little sad, but I took advantage of the opportunity and went home to Campo Bom, in the south, to finish school.

But you didn't give up ...

No. After my high-school graduation, I wanted to go back to São Paulo to take up my modeling career again. But I was still overweight. I prayed and left everything in God's hands. Something that encouraged me a lot was a verse from the Bible, which says, “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 1 1: 23 ). To me this meant I could trust that God would open the way for me to model, if this was His will. And, within a month and a half, I found the spiritual self-discipline to lose enough weight, and I returned to São Paulo.

How did your return to modeling go?

It was difficult. People may think that a model's life is easy. But few know how difficult it is to go around on your own, doing test after test to get a job. Fortunately I have gotten several good jobs, such as fashion shows and photos in well-respected magazines. I'm happy and satisfied, even more so because I've been back in São Paulo for only a few months.

How do you deal with the pressure always to look beautiful?

I try not to worry very much about my body — about whether a pimple is going to show up on my face, or whether my hair is too dry or I've put on a couple of pounds. I always try to see myself as the likeness of God, as the Bible says we all are, which means I have a beauty that goes deeper than the body.

And what about watching what you eat?

My mother showed me a Bible verse that says, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink” (Matthew 6:25 ). This reminds me not to worry so much about what I eat, and also to see that I don't have to eat more than is necessary.

However, in the modeling profession, one of the rules is to maintain your weight. Fortunately, I haven't had difficulties doing this recently. Of course, I have to be disciplined. I can't be a glutton and eat everything I feel like eating.

Have you ever felt the pressure to have plastic surgery to improve your looks?

Many models have had some type of plastic surgery. But I've never thought about having anything done. Christian Science has helped me think of myself as more than a body. I've tried to nurture a more spiritual concept of myself ... to see myself as God sees me — spiritual and complete, without needing plastic surgery to look better.

Don't you think that the fashion world imposes a standard of beauty that is very difficult for the average person to achieve?

I think we have to look beyond the body to find true beauty. As a model, I have to follow certain standards of physical beauty in order to get jobs. But people don't have to follow the standards of beauty established by the media. Each one of us is beautiful because we reflect divine qualities like goodness, intelligence, and happiness. There's a wonderful sentence in Science and Health that says, “Immortal men and women are models of spiritual sense, drawn by perfect Mind and reflecting those higher conceptions of loveliness which transcend all material sense” (p. 247 ).

Is there any other thought you'd like to share with our readers?

Yes. I like to remember that Jesus was also a model. In reality, he was the Great Model, because he showed us that as children of God, we are all beautiful.

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