Meet Mona Simone

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mona Simone.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Within the last year, the opportunity to start shooting presented itself to me and I couldnt turn it down! There’s a long line of photography in my blood and in June of 2018 I got my first camera. It was only an old point + shoot my grandpa passed down to me, however, the sentimental value behind it is what encouraged me to start using it. Once I started actually using it the feedback, I was receiving was INSANE! I definitely had a natural eye when it came to shooting portraits & my passion for my new hobby has only grown since.

Please tell us about your art.
On top of modeling, I do a lot.

I like to consider my photography and my brand as my children…

Waaterydiamonds is the name I created for my photography. Waatery was born in June of 2018 when I got my first camera. The inspiration behind the name comes from the song “Watery” by SahBabii which is just a super uplifting “summertime vibe” kind of song. At the time, my photos were giving me that same kind of vibe; very natural & uplifting so the name just made sense to me. I prefer shooting portraits (mostly candid) where I can just really pick up on the subjects natural energy and aura just through the photo.. usually no poses and no props are used in my work.

My other baby is my brand: The Marijuana Girl. Last year I had the idea to use my platform to create a lifestyle brand based on something that’s usually viewed negatively especially for women. I’m an aspiring cannabis influencer, so I’ve been working on creating a brand that shines a light on woman cannabis users and all the health benefits the plant has to offer. So far we’ve done two unofficial t-shirt releases to create buzz for the brand, now there’s so much anticipation for the official release! The brand is my unborn baby & she’s not due until mid-April of 2019, but you can expect one more unofficial release before then;)

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Being that it’s 2019 and almost everything is digital, it’s hard for other people to understand how economically draining working with film can be. From buying it to processing it and developing.. it can add up pretty quickly. My best advice would to always set your money for your craft aside FIRST. I always tell myself in the scenario that I only had enough money to pay my phone bill, or buy/ develop film… I’d put my craft as the first priority because that’s what’s going to make me happiest and I always want that to come before anything else.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
right now my photography can be found on instagram: @waaterydiamonds.

And my brand: @themarijuanagirl who’s website is coming soon.

Contact Info:

• Email: monasmakaveli@icloud.com
• Instagram: mos1mone420
• Other: https://strongworldwide.com/talent/mona/

Image Credit:
Photo of me shot by ezekiel (@checkyouringredients)

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