We have all heard about people who become memes, but what about people who become memes and then build a career off of it?

Allison Harvard, also known as "Creepy Chan", started off as a 4chan meme and ended up becoming a successful model—and then making headlines again by joining the NFT craze.

Read on to hear more about her unusual rise to fame...

Who Is Creepy Chan?

Allison Harvard is an American whose internet presence started rising when pictures she created for her MySpace and DeviantArt profiles began spreading on 4chan, according to Know Your Meme. Harvard started uploading the photos around 2002, when she was 14 years old, and they later grew in popularity on 4chan from 2005.

The photos were haunting in nature as she would use fake blood and costumes to create a melancholy motif. She also used Live Journal to showcase her work.

Harvard wore babydoll dresses and painted her face in fake blood. Her look reminded fans of horror flicks like "The Ring".

The online community loved the imagery and gave her the nickname "Creepy Chan". In 2006, her photo was featured on the MyDeathSpace forum, attached to a thread of "Creepiest people on MySpace". After that, her photos went viral.

Read more: Scary Corners of the Internet That Will Frighten Hardened Horror Fans

How a Meme Became a Model

Woman-In-White-Dress

Eventually, a casting agent from the popular reality television show "America's Next Top Model" contacted Harvard online and asked her to audition for the show's 12th season in 2009.

In a notorious clip, when Harvard was interviewed by Tyra Banks and the judging panel, Banks asked her "There is one thing that you say is beautiful and it's unfair you've never had one, what is that?"

Harvard giggled and answered, "Nosebleeds, I have a really big fascination with blood...and I think it looks really pretty!" To which Banks answered "I used to get them all the time as a child," and Harvard answered, "Jealous!".

Harvard later said in a Reddit AMA that editing played a part in how this conversation was depicted.

Despite the quirky scenes, Harvard finished the season in second place.

"Creepy Chan" gained a massive following after the show, with many fans saying she was robbed of the title of America's Next Top Model. After the season wrapped, she was signed to an exclusive modeling agency and walked the runways for New York Fashion Week.

Where Is Creepy Chan Now?

Harvard was contacted by another casting agent for America's Next Top Model to appear in the All-Stars cycle for the show in 2011. She finished as the runner-up in the competition once again.

The List reported that she has appeared in a couple of movies, including "Insensate" and "Dangerous Words from the Fearless".

Harvard is also now involved in NFT art, uploading her work to Foundation, a website that helps creators tokenize their artwork.

Related: What Is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)?

The Business of Business stated that the photos of Creepy Chan went for an impressive $150,000.

“It’s crazy because I was turned into an unwitting queen of 4chan when I was 16 years old. Memes are part of internet culture and it’s hard to have any control over how they are used,” she told the publication during an interview.

Embrace Your Uniqueness

In a world of cookie-cutter social media profiles, the way to gain a following and be successful is to be yourself and embrace your own unique identity.

Many people thought Harvard was an outlier for her affinity for the dark side but many saw her as relatable, creative, beautiful, and different. Her rise to fame shows that sometimes only way to stand out in the crowd is to showcase what makes you special.