Change Is Necessary To Fulfill Dreams; Sharing a "PINCH ME" Moment

Many years ago as I was climbing the ladder of my initial dream of becoming an influential hairstylist, I would thumb through hair industry magazines such as Modern Salon and American Salon looking for inspiration for creating looks through haircuts, color and makeup that would get me noticed. Through this I became familiar with the NAHA competition and in the year 2000 I decided to enter the makeover competition and asked an aspiring photographer friend of mine to shoot the entry photos for me. It was truly the beginning of a future that not even I saw unfolding right before me. At the time, I was laser beam focused on becoming a top hairstylist/platform artist and had become an educator for two hair care companies trying to do just that. I was very pleased at what I had created for the competition as far as the makeovers themselves, but what I did not quite grasp, was how important the photography was until it was over and the winners were announced and published. I realized then that it was not simply a competition on how creative you could get with color or haircuts, or even makeup... but more of a collaboration from a team of artists coming together to create something amazing, beautiful and a bit funky.

The more I looked at magazines and studied the winners of this competition as well as the photos that were in the print ads on every page, the more I realized I was in love with the photographs and how beautiful of an art form they were. Although I climbed that ladder all the way to being a platform assistant for ARTec Wordlwide and the lead American educator for Grazette of Sweden, I quickly realized that perhaps I was chasing the wrong dream. My passion had begun to change as I started studying the work of the photographers instead of the hairstylists. I began thumbing through magazines looking at the lighting, the makeup, the clothing, the hair and how it all came together and became more inspired than I had ever been. There was one photographer whose images jumped out at me like no others had... his images were so unique, and out there, and beautiful. I folded the corners of the pages I saw his work on and even tore some of them out. The day I realized his images were smeared all over the NAHA competition I remember saying to myself "I will work with him someday."  That may not seem too far fetched until I give you the detail that this photographer, Frank Doorhof  lived in the Netherlands; far from where I was in Tampa Florida; not to mention that I didn't even have a passport. Shortly after that I started networking with photographers and began creating a portfolio of everything that I loved; hair, makeup and wardrobe.

Fast forward to 7 years later when my portfolio got noticed by a guy named Scott Kelby whose business assistant called and booked me for a photo shoot the very next day. (This is a crazy story in itself which I shared in a previous blog; I will post that link) So... I began working with Scott and his company Kelby Media as well as his many photographer friends who happened to be the best in their field and who also happen to spend their days training their fans all over the world how to create beautiful images. It was truly that "lucky break" that people talk about but even I did not know the magnitude of what this gig would mean to my life when it happened. After working with Scott for a few years, and even filming my own makeup course on Kelby training, I was with Scott one day and he told me about a new "super cool photographer" that was going to come and shoot a course for them. The next words out of his mouth as he showed me some of "this guys" photos were "His name is Frank Doorhof." I almost fell over... no joke. I tried to not be the fan girl that I truly was and simply shared with Scott that I was VERY familiar with Frank's work. I seriously remember crying on my way home that day. A dream was coming true... I was going to work with this amazing photographer that I had been following for years long before photo-shoots became part of my every day.

This is Frank taking a photo of the video team and I in an elevator on location for Kelby Training

Now that you know the back story, I can share the current story. Since that day, I have worked with Frank many times on several shoots and through creating amazing images together we have become great friends. Working with him has been a thrill ride every time and I think that by being familiar with his funky out-of-the-box style long before I met him, the connection was already there. Just when I thought we had reached a beautiful plateau, Frank asked me if he could interview me for his online show "The DOORhof is Always Open" over lunch at Photoshop World in Las Vegas this year. Although it was unexpected and totally improv, I was so honored to say yes and admit that it was a total "pinch me" moment. That interview took place in September but because of a book deadline he had not posted it on his site yet (I was impatiently waiting patiently.) In the meantime, I found out that many images that Frank and I have created together now grace the pages of that book he was writing "Mastering The Model Shoot" which became a best seller and #1 on Amazon in that category within days of hitting the marketplace. It's really surreal... and quite honestly makes me want to cry again.

Some of the images we have created together over the past few years

So..... when Frank tagged me on Facebook today, announcing that our episode of his show was finally up on his site my initial reaction was to immediately share it on all of my social media pages but then I thought... 

WAIT WOMAN!!!! This is a VERY special moment that deserves it's own blog telling the whole story; it is meant to inspire people... it is meant for more than what it seems on the surface, (just a cool moment for me) 

So I waited to write about it and post it today in the Monday blog to start off YOUR week.

Guys and Gals... I truly want you to be inspired, I want this story to help you realize that EVERY single moment is on purpose and nothing you do can change that. You should wake up every day knowing that your life is predetermined, your purpose is already defined, you just have to accept that and live life one play at a time in order to experience it. Realizing this takes the stress away, I promise. Stop hating moments that you think are stupid and meaningless, the ones that may seem to have no point always do! Stop thinking that your dreams and wishes will never come true because by doing that you are missing the moments that will bring you to them. I talk about this all of the time... it has become sort of my mantra... so if you read my blogs, get used to hearing it! (I even share it in my interview with Frank.)

BE REAL, BE TRUE and BE ON PURPOSE every single day and you too will have amazing 

moments that will make you want to cry in a good way.

Love, Hugs and Inspiration

xoxo
~Shells~

I hope you watch the video below... 



The first interview is with 
Tamara Lackey, a child and editorial photographer who I have the privilege of working with for the next three days.  
(My interview with Frank starts at 16:32)

here is the link to the blog post I spoke of about Scott finding me 
(ultimately leading me to Frank)
http://shelleygiard.blogspot.com/2012/01/one-chance-that-cost-me-999.html

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Open Minds Will Open Doors

First and foremost, can I share how crazy it has made me that I have been so caught up in work, traveling for work and being in a place that has had very spotty Wifi service leaving me unable to blog for you? Okay... well... I just shared, so I hope it was okay. Now, I will also share that I have had this blog post trapped in my head for nearly a week and THAT has made me even more crazy because I normally dump this stuff out so I don't forget my thoughts.  However when I saw that I was challenged with getting it written and posted, I faced that challenge head on, jotted some notes down, and in the past several days as life has happened, I have been able to take in some additions to what I will be sharing with you today.... see? everything DOES happen for a reason!

Okay... rewind to last Friday (Sept 30th) I had an experience that I would like to share that proves a few things that I always say. 1: Everything happens on purpose 2: One thing leads to another and 3: Open minds will open doors... almost always. So here's the story... a few weeks back, a photographer friend of mine called me up and asked if I was available on the evening of the 30th (7-9) to do Zombie makeup for a small video commercial production for a local brewery. It happened to be the same brewery that I had worked on another project for with him several months before which although unpaid was a lot of fun and my work ended up on one of their beer labels... (which I thought was pretty cool and no, I don't drink beer.) I asked some more details like how many Zombies... etc. and then he shared that the budget for the project was $100. I figured... $100 bucks for two hours... something fun and different with a client that already had seen and liked my work... and decided sure, I will nurture this relationship, so I accepted the offer.

I showed up on set and met a lot of really cool people, I was able to actually meet the brewery owners for the first time in person, chat with the "zombies" and in two and a half hours I created 7 walking dead looks, complete with blood, scars, open wounds and the look of death... (it totally grossed me out, HA!) Just before I began to pack up, the owner walked over and told me how happy she was, how much she appreciated the extra time I took to really deliver and well... that in itself made it worth my time. I continued to pack up and as she slipped the check into my purse she said that she "added a little extra". I said thank you... expressing my appreciation for her appreciation and continued cleaning my brushes and packing.  A few moments went by and one of the "zombies" that I did not create (there were a few who were asked to do their own makeup) walked in to give me kudos on a job well done and asks me if I teach. I smiled and said actually, yes, I do why? He proceeds to say that he works for the Art Institute of Tampa and would love for me to come and teach some workshops for them on theatrical/ zombie makeup. I was thrilled and had to smile knowing that this was simply another facet to the amazing journey that I have been on since I truly opened my mind to what I can do for others to help THEM get what they want. (side note... I had never really done Zombie makeup before that night.) We exchanged cards and I am looking forward to this awesome opportunity and as with anything, I will give it MORE than I have and then some.

When I left, I left with an amazing feeling and the "zombies" actually clapped for me on the way out. (Which was SO creepy weird) but it felt really good to be appreciated. As I shuffled for my keys the check the owner wrote fell out of my purse and when I looked down I realized the "little extra" she gave me was double the rate she had quoted. Once again, I had made a wise choice to go outside the "norm" and take the job that most people would have turned down, which is exactly how I have built my career.

My reason for sharing this story is because so many freelance artists/photographers get so hung up on "what they are worth" and refuse to ever work for any less that they miss amazing opportunities. ( I was one of them once upon a time) I have found in my own career that when I keep an open mind bigger doors always seem to open, so I encourage you to stop closing doors that could lead you right to the very door that will help you reach your dreams. I remember years ago attending a motivational conference hearing the phrase... "When you help others achieve THEIR dreams your dreams will also come true." That resonated so strongly with me and it truly changed my path. We must simply "get over ourselves" long enough to see the beauty in helping others and truly caring about doing something that may help them feel important or help them live out THEIR purpose before we can truly live ours. It's a valuable lesson that I leaned that day and when I did, it was not only career changing, it was LIFE changing.

Each year when I work with the world's top photography instructors at Photoshop World, as I sat in the keynote sessions at The Makeup Show last week in Orlando, and as I sit this week in the classrooms here at The Artist Summit  in Provincetown, Massachusetts listening to my amazing peers, the one thing they all have in common is this trait and I feel so fortunate to finally get what they mean and be able to connect with them when those words leave their lips. "It's NOT about you... it is about what you can do to change the lives of others in a positive way that will truly make the difference. That my friends... is the most amazing feeling in the world.

 Enjoy your week... I will be back to write on Friday! :)

XOXO

~Shells~

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It's a Long-Shot but Someone Will Surely Do It

Once upon a time, just about a year ago… I was a makeup artist hoping to stay inspired in something that I loved; to reach out and meet other people who shared the love of makeup and perhaps even meet a few people who shared my love of making others feel good about themselves; to share what makes them who they are, what they want to become and how they plan to get there. Sometimes, it can be a lonely world, because many people in the “normal” daily grind just don’t get this kind of passion… this kind of love.

Artists… they are quirky, precise, anal, obsessive, compulsive, scattered, spirited, fun and often broken… yet passionately focused not only on what they love AT THAT MOMENT, but have an undying love for beauty,  the art of expression, of emotions and acceptance of others in every aspect of life. 22 years after starting my career, I am still in love… it’s the longest love affair I have ever had… and I KNEW there had to be people who shared the same love. Diamonds in the rough, needles in the haystack that we may be… I needed to find them; it became a quest.

November 13, 2012… The Makeup Show Orlando; something that I had heard of but never had the ability to attend… it was always out of state and I was a single mom with no family around working my buns off for years to make ends meet; not an excuse… just a fact. I finally had the money and time to attend; it was coming to Orlando for the first time… only an hour and a half away. I rearranged schedules last minute and even entered their photo contest and became a finalist. My hope was to soak up some knowledge or simply add to my already inspired outlook on what I did for a living, because despite how up and down the career could be… I loved every moment as long as I was creating, learning, putting smiles on people’s faces and sharing my knowledge, strength and wisdom with others around me who cared to listen.

I sat in on a class called “Ten-Words” taught by a man I had never heard of… probably because I had never really used MAC or worked at a makeup counter; but this class sounded like it was right up my alley. As I sat in this classroom with other artists; some who were veterans such as me, and some that were much newer to the industry eager to hear that this career was a good choice. I watched and listened as this man, Michael DeVellis told his story. In just a few moments I knew that this moment was totally on purpose; a pivotal moment in my life; I felt it down to my toes.

As he went down his list of words he got to LONG-SHOT and a tear literally came to my eye… no wait, maybe it was just dirt… nope, it was a tear. My memoir had just released in October and THAT was a long-shot for me, to put myself, my life out there in the raw bare bones to help others… so this word rung in my ears VERY loudly. At the end of the class I stood in line to meet him, I figured I would introduce myself but had no idea as I walked up and handed him a card what I would say. I told him I was an inspirational speaker/author/makeup artist of 22 years and proceeded to say… I love what you are doing, so here’s MY long-shot… I would LOVE to be a part of this… of this thing you are doing in a bigger way. He shook my hand, took my card and listened to what I had to say. 

Since then, I was chosen to attend "Evolution", another event by this “group” that was held in my home state of Massachusetts, the same week I had a book signing in my hometown . It was awesome, and I was so happy to be there and connect in ways I cannot even explain with 19 other artists that shared my love and passion of being a makeup artist. I recently attended his TEN-WORDS event once again… just as a reminder that there ARE people like me… who share that love… who love to inspire and support others in this ever changing career. 

The reason I am sharing this story with my readers, some who may be fellow makeup artists, and many of you who I know that are not, is this...

What is YOUR long-shot? What is it that you would love to do, be a part of, what dream would you  love to come true? We all have something that we wish for, hope for, would LOVE to make happen if obstacles or life did not get in the way. Many great people had a long-shot that they went for... a chance they took when nobody believed they could do it; writing my book and becoming a published author was certainly one of mine. Long-Shots CAN become a reality, but only if you take that chance, take the steps and JUST GO FOR IT! Obstacles are not excuses, they are merely objects...circumstances that we must to overcome in order to achieve our dreams!

Have a great weekend, be safe... 

DREAM BIG and LIVE BIGGER!

XOXO

~Shells~