December 2, 2016

Meet Orange County Makeup Artist: Sophia Bawany

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Bawany.

Sophia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved all aspects of art. Growing up I wanted to be an artist and dreamed of becoming the next big thing in art. Unfortunately, I didn’t have talent with a conventional canvas. Being from a family that puts a very high value on education, my mother made sure that I earned a bachelor’s degree to have a safety net and to also add value to my personal resume. Getting my business degree actually proved very valuable as I would eventually be running my own business as a makeup artist. 5 years a husband and 2 countries later I found myself enrolled in Makeup Designory Burbank to study Film, Print, and Television Makeup. I learned special effects as well as the essentials for beauty in various mediums. As a student, I was very very hard on myself and would come home in tears when I felt I hadn’t mastered a concept. I would go home and work on my craft on whoever I could get my hands on (unfortunately more often than not my husband was the designated client). As my education drew to a close I started thinking about the next and more important step… getting paid work! I didn’t leave any stone unturned and used all avenues. I have now managed to get consistent work and have had the honor or working with legends like Lionel Richie and Chris Tucker. I am constantly networking and have a moto… never say no to work no matter how small it may seem and keep moving forward.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been easy. Being one of the oldest students in school-27- was a challenge along with the added stress of looking for work. Also when you see others succeed you can’t help but feel insecure at times. That’s when you have to take a step back, breath and know that your time will come too.

When you look back, can you point to a period when you wanted to quit or a period that was really frustrating?
Absolutely. I feel like there is always a moment for every artist and every entrepreneur when they look around and see others with what looks like a more “balanced” life or a more “successful” career and you want to quit. When I see my friends with 9-5 jobs and weekends off it makes me pause. But when I get on set and see my work on screen it makes up for the odd timings and when I meet new people it compensates for the weekends of work. Artists sometimes have to wait longer for their success to show and the waiting time is difficult but in the end, I know it will be worth it and that is my motivation to keep going.

What advice do you wish to give to those thinking about pursuing a path similar to yours?
Really study your craft. In an age of the internet, beauty influencers: be old school- learn the basics and then use technology to keep yourself updated. The industry itself is a circle so make sure your network is strong and constant and always be respectful of other artists; these are your peers you will be working alongside them so respect is a non-negotiable. Most importantly DONT GIVE UP! One of my instructors at MUD told me I’d be knocking on 100 doors and 1 would open and that I should get used to people saying no and to keep going. You have to be persistent

What are you most excited about these days?
The prospect of continuous growth! I dream of traveling all over the world for assignments and being able to work with different photographers as well as crewing up with exciting film crews. The more you work the more you develop as an artist as well as a person. I look forward to stretching myself and seeing a better version of me.

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