Hello and welcome back to the final blog of the new LIV in Style series, Meet the Creatives! I am excited to share with you this last segment focusing on makeup, dance, and art. Meet the Creatives has given me the chance to interview and learn from 10 different individuals pursuing creative careers. The advice and knowledge I have gathered along the way has been immensely helpful to me as a creative, and I hope to you as well.
Be sure to check out parts 1 and 2 of Meet the Creatives if you haven't already
Happy reading :)
Michaella Andersen
Michigan State University // Genomics and molecular genetics with a minor in human behavior
At first glance Michaella's description above probably doesn't match your perception of a professional makeup artist. Michaella explained, "even though I was doing well in school, slowly I started realizing I loved makeup more than anything else." With this thought loudly lingering in the back of her mind, Michaella shared "I just kept thinking about what was gonna make me truly the happiest in my life, and that's definitely going to be makeup."
Moving to California in the coming month, Michaella laid out her plan of action. "I want to learn from as many different people as I can, different types of makeup, and different sub genre fields, like movie makeup." Michaella's goal is to be trained and certified by her makeup role model, LipstickNick. Additionally, she hopes to experiment enough with different styles of makeup so she can find which path she would like to take.
I asked Michaella if there was anything she wished she would have known before pursuing a career in makeup. She responded, "I wish I would have listened to what I wanted to do sooner. My mom, when I was in high school was like, you could just do makeup. She kept telling me I didn't have to go to college and could just do makeup, but I was stubborn and said no. We have to figure out what the heck we want to do at like 18, but no one really knows. So I wish I could have just started doing it sooner but I'm also really thankful for the experience MSU gave me. So I guess I'd change nothing, but everything at the same time."
This year I had the pleasure of working along side Michaella (and all her genius) on the Creative Beauty team at VIM magazine (Michigan State University’s fashion publication). I am so grateful to have learned so much from her, and am very thankful for her friendship and kindness. Michaella's instagram, @michaella.page, has over 13 thousand followers and an impressive portfolio of all her makeup looks.
Mark Jordan
Los Angeles, California // Professional dancer, actor, and model
After graduating high school, Mark moved to California to kick start his career as an entertainer. Although Mark has many titles, he decided to make his main career focus dancing.
Mark's passion is dance, however he stated, "I wish I would have known the actual financial side of my career. I realized if I didn’t do anything other than dance I probably would be a struggling dancer, because of all the people who live in LA and how competitive it can be. So I’m glad I invested my career into other paths and I'm definitely grateful for the social media platforms we have today."
Mark's instagram presence is quite impressive and acts as a type of modern portfolio. Mark posts all his latest dancing videos, TV appearances, and photoshoots (my favorites are his videos from Playground LA a well known dance studio in Los Angeles).
Since moving to LA in 2018 Mark has definitely made his mark on the city. I asked Mark what piece of work or experience he was most proud of thus far in his career. He responded, "My most proud moment was being able to dance at the 2020 Grammys after party, and being able to get on stage dancing with friends and meeting amazing artists that I have always looked up to."
Kate Gendruschke
University of Michigan // Stamps School of Arts and Design
Kate, a recent high school graduate, is excited to start her college journey as a fine arts student. Entering the Stamps School of Arts and Design, a prestigious arts school within the University of Michigan, Kate is looking forward to utilizing all her resources.
"I'm super excited to have the opportunity to use a bunch of new materials I don't normally have access to. It's easy to go to the store and buy some paint, and I love painting, but I'm super excited to do some more crazy stuff like work with metals, screen printing, and wood."
Kate shared some advice for anyone seeking a career in the art world, "pursue it with confidence. There's no straight path that you can take as an artist, you know, so many things are determined by chance... there are so many different things you could do with this degree."
Kate went on to say that you must enter this field boldly and unapologetically, "feeling unafraid of saying, this is something that I want to do. This is what I want to pursue in my life. This is what I love. Because then the good things will come to you, you just have to be confident in what you're doing."
On Instagram Kate has an art account where she posts all her masterpieces and also does commissioned work. In addition to her beautiful paintings, Kate also works with other mediums creating jewelry and custom designs on clothing. I personally have a hand painted denim jacket I'm obsessed with (see above)!! To check out Kate's work go to @kategendruschke.art on Instagram.
The winner of this weeks Instagram giveaway is...
Bella Pagogna
Congrats!
I hope you enjoyed all three parts of Meet the Creatives!
Thank you for reading
and as always keep LIVing in Style :)