The key word for this read is “values”. I have met and worked along side with countless artists from all around the world. Wanna know one thing they all have in common? They are so good at doing makeup. Being able to do beautiful makeup looks is essential but it is not the most important thing in my opinion. I remember a few years ago, I assisted an amazing artist in NYC for a campaign. She said to me “Makeup can be taught, but being a good person and having great values, you either have it or not”.
Be respectful to others & Remember where you came from
Sounds simple right? this is probably the most basic thing that we were taught since we were young but for some reason it’s not always the case. We are a community, no matter if you are a makeup artist, hairstylist, nail technician, model, and etc… we have to work together and not against each other. Always remember the people & brands that was there with you in the beginning. I worked for Mac for 3 years as a retail artist, they have taught me everything I needed to know and gave me every tools to be successful in the real world. For that I will always be thankful for them. The reason I bring this up is because I met a lot of artist who started with a brand for many years, now they move on to bigger and better things, they feel like they can start talking negatively.
Don’t compare to others but be inspired by others
Listen, most people don’t just get to where they are overnight as much as you would like to believe that. I constantly hear from artist saying “How do they get book on that huge campaign, they didn’t even put any makeup on the models”. Wanna know the truth, I thought the same thing when I first started. As I grow as an artist, i’ve learned that it’s not always about the most difficult or the most intricate makeup; it’s more about collaboration and working as a team to create one single vision. I truly believe we can all get there if we just stay focus on improving ourselves, and be passionate at what we do. When you meet someone that is successful, be inspire by them, ask them about their journey instead of guessing. Believe me “knowing people” can only get you so far, especially in NYC
Ask Questions & Accept Feedback
it’s 2018, we are very lucky to be living in this era. It is so easy to obtain informations and connect with people that we look up to. You can literally message someone on instagram or facebook, and chances are if you genuine, they will get back to you with an answer. Don’t be that person who is a “know it all” you can learn from any artists, no matter if they are just starting out or been in the field for many years. So start asking questions even if you think you already know the answer. It might surprise you. Here comes the big one, Being able to accept feedback. For some reason, a lot of artist take feedback as an attack. Im not sure why but in my opinion, listening and seeking for feedbacks is what got me here.
Be happy and appreciate what you do
Listen guys, I mowed lawns, washed cars, pushed carts at Walmart parking lot, cleaned bathrooms in restaurants, and done roofing in the summer heat. When I hear someone complaining about how hard their job is as a makeup artist, it really bums me out. Don’t get me wrong, our job is not easy but it is definitely not worth complaining especially when it comes to what they serving for catering. Yes that is a real thing, people flipped when they don’t see what they like on the catering menu. For real, be happy that you get to do makeup as a job and get paid for it. There are much harder jobs out there, I promise.
Help others
One of the best feeling for me is when I am able to help someone achieve their goal and see them successful. Have you tried it? it feels amazing. This is actually my number one motivation. I work extremely hard just so I can one day get to a point where I have a platform to help more people. Giving artists more opportunities to be on shoots, campaigns and assisting on set. If you ask me if I know a lot of artists that share this same value; I would have to say I can count them all with one hand.
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