So sloooooooow

Edit! Due to Google policy, Thumbtack asked that I remove my link to their site.  Something about reward points awarded for a public link on any site being against policy.  That's fine, I never got any business from Thumbtack anyway. 6.10.15

I knew building my business here would be slow, but I had erred on the side of optimism.  That being said, I'm giving a site called Thumbtack which is a site for advertising local services and posting local service needs.  I found one interesting listing, but I haven't really explored the site yet.  I do like it's interface, it's clean and user friendly, fairly intuitive and kind of pretty.  I'm going to keep plugging away at business building and maybe try out a bridal show or two.

What's a Headshot and why do I need one?

So...that's my temporary headshot.  A headshot is industry lingo for a picture of a person's face or just their head, hence "headshot".  Why do I need one?  Well because a position I recently applied for asked for it. It's industry standard.  I don't know why but I can make a guess.  It's because people want to see what their makeup artist looks like.  Have you ever walked up to a makeup counter and picked who was going to help you based on who's face looked most like what you wanted to look like?  Yeah.  It's like that.
  Why do I look so long suffering you ask?  Because I really really don't enjoy having my picture taken.  It's why I always work behind the scenes.  There are only three people on the planet who have ever been able to take good pictures of me, two of them are professionals.  The other is my husband, who can always make me laugh.  I full well intend to get a professional headshot done, I just needed something quick, so I threw on some makeup, grabbed my camera and a friend and had her take a bunch of shots with the belief that one of them was bound to work.  Now you're looking at it.  And that's the story of the headshot. The End.

LIGHTS!

The lights are situated and I'm open for business!, a photo by The Paper Doll on Flickr.

Well, my lights came in, I set them up and now I'm officially open for business. YAY! Come get your makeup on!

It's a photo shoot!

One of the most important things you need as a makeup artist, other than having a professional attitude and great application skills, is a good portfolio.  It needs to be current, reflect the entire range of your skills, and look professional.  Guess who doesn't have a current portfolio?  Yup. Me.  It's a sad state of affairs indeed. The thing is, I rarely ever have my camera with me after doing someone's face.  You try begging wedding photographers for some of the prints or shots from a wedding you've done.  Maybe you'll have better luck than I have.  We won't even talk about getting stills and reel (the industry term for images from any film work).  Maybe I'm not charming or persistent enough.  Maybe I'm working with the wrong people.  I don't know.
  So here's my solution.  I'm going to throw a party, put makeup on as many faces as I can and get tons of pictures from some other folks who want to work on their portrait skills and/or portfolios.  Yeah, it's going to cost me to rent the space, but it's worth it.  This will ensure I'll have a well lit space to work in with enough room to accommodate everyone.  So if you're in the area and you need a head shot or want to practice your portrait photography, come on by.

What Website?

I'm in the middle of trying to figure out how to set up a website.  Do I even need one?  Everyone else has one.  Or at least that's what it feels like.  This...this is terribly frustrating.  I've already reached the point in my life where almost all technology befuddles me.  I'm surprised I even blog.  My kids are waaaayyyy savvier than I am when it comes to tech.  Maybe I should have them making my site.  They'd be done by now if I had asked them to make it.  My husband wants me to have his company do it.  The last time I asked him to do something it took so long I wound up doing it myself.  He's a genius, but I'm not a paying customer. I'm not on the priority list and honestly, neither is a website.

It's coming together!

It's coming together!, a photo by The Paper Doll on Flickr.

Everything's in place, now all I'm waiting for is my lighting rig and my space will be perfect! It already feels homey and safe and full of potential. Now I just need to do the portfolio building shoot, which means I really need to order those invites. After that I'll be hitting the pavement and building business.
People make that seem so easy in tutorials, seminars, group meetings and books, but it's not. The hardest part is the waiting and not getting discouraged. What they don't tell you is that it takes at least a year to build steady word of mouth traffic and can take more than that to really build your name. I live and work in a small town that tends to be reluctant to accept change. That can be tough. But that's ok. I knew when I got into this that I wasn't doing it for the money. I'm doing it for the love of what I do. I love makeup. I love teaching people about makeup. I love watching people fall in love with makeup. I love watching the difference in a person's confidence levels when they see themselves after a good application. Oh man I'm looking forward to all of the faces that are going to come through that door.

Taking big steps

Took some time to talk to a local salon owner about renting a space today.  I think it's time to take a big girl career step and invest in myself.  I've been slinging brushes freelance without a retail/public space for the entirety of my career as a makeup artist and while it's been less expensive, it's also been less productive.  Not to mention the hassle of trying to find a place to hold consults and test runs.  Mostly I had been doing it in my home and I can tell you, with two girls, a dog, a cat, and few places with great natural lighting, that's not so professional.  It'll be nice to not have to scramble to clean the house and stow the kids and animals before a client comes over.
I know the saying "You have to spend money to make money" but actually putting it into practice can be a little...stressful.  To really get things started, there's the initial outlay of portfolio and materials costs.  Then, if you want to up the ante, you've got advertising, networking, retail space, travel and possibly storage depending on your situation.  Right.  And how much are you charging?  Ugh.  In the end, the question you have to ask yourself over and over is "Is it worth it."  I know I'm asking myself that now.  How much is this worth to me? The answer?  I don't know yet.  Right now I'm going to try and see how it works out, because if I don't try, I'll never know, and I really don't like what if.  So here I go, I'm going to hitch up my pants and take a big step.  Wish me luck.