Makeup artist survival for when its quiet

This is my fourth year as a sole freelance artist and I get those times where my diary is empty, with dribbles of work here and there alongside the deaded "released" from a job. One of the hardest things to do in freelance life is managing those quiet periods. Anxiety is high, worrying about paying your rent, putting fuel in your car, topping up your oyster, wondering when will the jobs come in and feeling guilty about having fun particularly if it involves spending money. 

I want to share what I have learnt, what I try a̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶i̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶and am still learning to do. These are things I try to do during quieter periods as having these pockets of time are precious. One of my mantras to myself is "talk to yourself like you would to someone you love" so be softer and kinder. Strap in and hold on for this rollercoaster journey with me. 

1 Spend time with partner, friends and family

It's important to connect with your people and have some fun. Make the most of being able to spend quality time with people you don't get to see as often as you like. Text and call them, let them know you are free to hang out. It is easy to overlook and take for granted how important these relationships are. These relationships are crucial as they help increase feelings of belonging, purpose, increased levels of happiness, reduced levels of stress, improved self-worth and confidence.  

Image from girls building empires

Image from girls building empires

2 Save & prepare

Squirrelling money away whilst your earning is key and not only for your tax but for these dry spells. Have a good understanding of your outgoings, how much a month it costs you to live, have some treats and have fun (don't forget about the fun part, as you don't simply work hard for that sole reason alone.) In an ideal world having up to 6 months of this fund will help you feel prepared and worry less. Financial planning gives you confidence, seek the advice of financial advisors or clued up friends/family that will help you number crunch. 

3 Set intentions 

Reflect on experiences from the previous year to gauge the future. Think about the kind of work you want to get for the year of work ahead, the clients you want to work with. Write these down and be specific with details of the things, people, places and experiences you want. It is helpful to keep your concise list along with images somewhere you will see them often to keep you focused. These intentions are private and only for you, it doesn't matter how big or mad they are or what your mum thinks. There's no right or wrong for what these could look like for you. YOU GOT THIS  

4 Update website 

Give your website some TLC! Update written content, upload all images you haven't had time or the headspace to before now and remove any that arent relevant. Keep at the forefront of your mind the clients you want to attract and ensure that your website echoes this. The themes, layout, colours, fonts that you can use to reflect your style and aesthetic. I use squarespace to host my website as it’s easy and looks sleek. Your website should be like a fashion magazine like Vogue, beautiful imagery that tells stories and arranged in categories that make sense and tell a story to clients. 

5 Network and community

Spend time with and talk to fellow makeup artists. Having a community in our line of work is important to keep you sane and have support from, particularly as we are working solo on most jobs. Have trust and respect with it, be open, honest and transparent these fellow artists get it. Utilise this time to connect with new and current agencies, clients fellow creatives such as photographers, hairstylists, PRs and nail technicians. Check-in with them, send some new work, arrange to meet for coffee, spend time collaborating on a test shoot together. All these things are free to do and take time from your day, ignore that voice in your head, quit procrastinating and send that email.

Charcoal life drawing

Image from @sosheslays

6 Spark creative inspiration 

Make some space for yourself to be creative and inspired. This can be as simple as going for a walk, look up and around, feel the beauty and breathe it in. Writing in any capacity can be a great way to gather your thoughts and express yourself. Drawing and painting are activities that I personally thoroughly enjoy because when I am in the zone I can't think, I am present with what I am doing. I put on some music, clear space and get out my materials to face that blank piece of paper. Go that exhibition or see that band that you have been meaning to go to see. I am sure you have many other activities you enjoy doing. 

7 Put your phone down 

In an age where digital and social media is our everyday environment, everything or most of what we see is a curated, edited and manicured feed. A lot of what we see on those squares isn't real, what you see might not be current, they may not be as busy as you think- that's all ok. We naturally compare whilst we scroll which doesn't do our mental state any good. We all know how we can easily lose hours whilst mindlessly scrolling and may notice a low mood that comes with it. "Oh, they have done this, what am I doing wrong?" Unfollow accounts that make you feel rubbish. Put your phone down or try to restrict the amount you are on Instagram, or whatever else you use. Try to focus on comparing yourself to yourself, yesterdays work to see how far you have come.

8 Give back 

Our job is so rewarding in being able to help anyone feel better about themselves through a small ritual of applying skincare or a lipstick, its so powerful. Dedicate your time, working with charities is a great way to do this, one that stands out is "Look good, feel better"  a charity that works with people who are struggling with the way their cancer treatment has affected their looks. 

Another way is to invest time in your community, is to create videos or blog content to help educate others. 

9 Your worth

Do not undersell yourself by feeling desperate to take any job that lands in your inbox undercut your rates. Always value your worth! Do not be afraid to ask for budgets and to ultimately say no. It can be so disheartening and cause too much resentment that you did that job, stick to your boundary of no. Trust your gut and stick to your morals. In these quiet times, your confidence can plummet, look back at your diary and take time to acknowledge the jobs and achievements you have done in the past year. You will be surprised at how much you have achieved and how far you have come.

From girls building empires

10 Learn 

A big part of our job is to evolve and with that comes continued learning. Be proactive in your own education. Podcasts are a great free tool to access so much rich information and you can listen to those who you admire and look up to. Once you learn something, it's then time to practice, putting things into practice is the hardest part. Dedicating that time to not be perfect, but feel your way through something. 

I hope you have found this helpful. I would love to hear your coping strategies for quieter times. Don’t forget to enjoy this quieter time, you hustle hard! Let me know your thoughts and what you have taken from this.  

Love.

Lisa x