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I came to New York City 20 years ago. Unfortunately, I wasn’t related to anyone in the union and I didn’t know anybody in “the business”. In fact, I knew absolutely nothing about the entertainment industry except that I wanted to be a part of it.
I never went to makeup school. Everything I have learned about makeup and life came from getting out there, making mistakes, finding lessons in those mistakes which helped me to eventually make fewer mistakes!
Today, besides enjoying a successful freelance makeup career, I also teach people how to do what I did so they can create their own fabulous makeup careers. Below are ten important lessons that I have learned over the years that may help you achieve your goals with as little pain as possible. Although pain is often the “fertilizer of growth, I hope these little “pearls” will be of help to you.
When people ask me how I got my start as a makeup artist, they are usually surprised to hear that I had originally set out to be an actor: not a makeup artist! Makeup artistry was going to be my “day job”- the way of financing my acting career without having to get a waitressing job. It made perfect sense to me- earning money for being on set and learning what “real actors” did by watching them. I also secretly thought that one day while I was powdering the talent the director would spot me, stop everything and make me the star! Of course that little fantasy never panned out, but I did wind up with an incredibly rewarding career that not only allows me to use my creativity on a daily basis, but lets me help others.
To quote John Lennon, “Life is what happens while your busy making other plans”. This does not negate the necessity of goal setting, but it does add an extra step. Many times, what we are truly destined to do is far from what we choose to do for a living. The key is to point yourself in a specific direction and then be open to all possibilities that may come from taking the path you have chosen.
Remember- “Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect.”-Margaret Mitchell
When I first started out at the ripe old age of 20, success meant two things to me- to be rich and famous. I figured all of my problems would magically melt away if only I had a lot of money. What I soon discovered is the more money I made, the more I spent, and I never seemed to get ahead. Looking back at those days this saying sums it up perfectly:
“I used to dream about making the living I am now starving on!”
Unless you win lotto (hey- you never know), chances are that your income will gradually increase and so will your expenses. At the end of the year when you do your taxes, you will look at that “gross figure” and wonder-Where did it all go? For those of you with full time jobs wanting to switch to the freelance lifestyle you will need to think about saving some money to finance the move to being solely freelance.
Here is a good example of how to do this, along with the possible “strings” attached to steady work.
One of my interns took Thursday and Fridays to leave his salon to come to the city to intern at The Makeup Shop so he could start freelancing. This was a liberating experience for him because he was taking an active step toward his goal- to freelance. His salon, which he felt was a dead end for him recently offered him a nice raise, but insisted that he added Thursdays and Fridays back to his work schedule. He agreed but came to me for advice on how he could eventually break free of the salon to become freelance. I told him to take his “raise money” plus anything more than what he was used to making and put into a savings account. By pretending he didn’t get the raise or the extra money and stashing the cash, it could eventually “buy him his freedom” by providing a monetary cushion to fall back on when he decided it was time to cut back on the salon hours.
Many of us become slaves to the bank account which is why we end up feeling unhappy and unfulfilled. If what you are doing does not involve “giving back” or service to others, then chances are you will eventually feel empty and discontented. By looking for the dollars and not the “sense”, we end up with well paying but empty jobs that leave us depressed or angry. Through teaching my workshops I hear this daily. People call and email me with their “dream” to become a makeup artist because they have always loved makeup. When I ask them what they are doing now they tell me “Lawyer, Wall Street Executive, Account Manager etc. Many of them have well paying jobs yet they are still unhappy. A while ago, I read that many people who leave their jobs do not leave because of money- they leave because they are not making a difference or are not part of a team that is making a difference. Being a Makeup artist is a great way to make a difference. When you make a person look good, they usually feel really happy, and the happiness rubs off on the folks they come in happy contact with! So you don’t have to sell everything and join the Peace Corps to make a difference. We make a difference one face at a time.
The Makeup, Hair and Wardrobe department on any shoot set the tone for the entire day. We are the first contact with the “talent” and if that contact is pleasant, uplifting and positive, chances are good that the shoot will run smoothly.
People are generally not interested in sitting as a hostage in your makeup chair while you drone on about everything that has gone wrong in your life. It is usually safest to turn the subject back to them, or be aware of their need to have quiet time if that’s the case. The less you talk about yourself, the smaller the chance of putting your foot in your mouth- which brings us to what mama always said:
This is a very important one because although our business is very big, it is remarkably “small” in the sense that everyone knows someone who knows someone. And chances are very good that when your mouth starts running, you may possibly talking about someone’s friend/boyfriend/ex/boss/brother etc.
I don’t care how nasty or rude someone is, try to find something to stop you from stabbing them with your words. We sometimes mistake other’s bad actions to be personally directed at us when in reality, they may just be having a bad day. Their father may have just passed on, or their husband ran away with their best friend. Anger always follows hurt, so try to be compassionate instead of reactive. Remember- Kindness helps to diffuse anger so Kill ‘em with kindness!
Even if you are just assisting, strive to be the best assistant possible. Always be helpful, anticipate where you can pitch in and be of use. Be proactive- this means that you must LOOK for opportunities to be of assistance, not just wait for someone to tell you what to do. Choosing that road will make you look lazy. Try to stay in a “giving” frame of mind and action, but do not “give to get.” Nobody appreciates a gift with strings attached. When you help someone, either do it without strings or don’t bother.
One last thought for you to chew on- you can create a fabulously rewarding career if you get out there and put some effort in. The ONLY way to become a makeup artist is to get out there and start doing makeup!!! Classes and books might help but there is no substitute for actual practice on real shoots. So volunteer to carry bags, wash brushes, do free makeup on student films- anything that gets you out there and your brushes working! If you are too scared because you don’t feel ready yet, then go to a nursing home and put lipstick and nail polish on old ladies to make them (and you) feel better. Nobody will judge you and you will sure appreciate anything close to a model later on! You will also learn first hand how makeup can be a tool for bringing joy to others, and I can’t think of anything better than that.
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