Life and Work with Erin Davis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Davis.

Erin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a kid, I always knew art would be the way in which I made a living. In high school, I took all the art classes I could and eventually got more serious about fine art in college. I had a really stressful job during that time, but I still made time to do a lot of commissioned portraits while I was in school. After taking a break from school, I decided to have a baby – and I also decided that I never wanted to work for anyone else ever again. I didn’t want to make someone else rich from my talents. I didn’t want to be limited in the amount of free time I had. Most importantly, I didn’t want to have to pay someone else to raise my child.

During my pregnancy, I quit my job and was volunteering with a youth group but still had a lot of free time. I was unsure what type of business I wanted to create, and kind of devastated to discover oil painting fumes are NOT great for pregnancy. A lot of the extra time, I had was filled by diving deep into the underground InstaMakeup world. I never realized how expressive and creative makeup artistry could be and I was hooked. I was obsessed with seasoned makeup goddess Pat McGrath, (at the time) up-and-coming artists like Ourfa Zinali and Lora and Dana of Melt Cosmetics. Then, something just clicked. The skills that the most talented makeup artists that I followed possessed were all skills that I had acquired in my college painting classes; color theory, light, composition… BLENDING!?! My mind was made up, faces would be my new canvases. I practiced on any friends or family that would let me. I went out in over the top avante garde looks regularly. Iris Beilin complimented my white eyeliner at a Mac store in the early days, and in my newbie mind, that was all the affirmation I needed.

Over the years, I’ve been a part of many different types of teams and projects, and these days my focus is on photography and music video shoots because I love the fast pace and busyness. A lot has changed about my style of work since then (aka, I actually developed one) and the process has been so satisfying. I am 100% freelance and get to choose my schedule, raise my daughter, and have a career as an artist. I never believe in this notion that we can’t have it all, we absolutely can. Of course, being self-employed has its own unique challenges, but so does rely on one person/entity to give you a check! So, does not be in control of your time! So, does being limited in how much you can make in a month! I just prefer the challenges that are my choice over ones that feel out of my hands.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
What’s the fun of highs without the lows? In the first two years, I struggled a lot with pricing or taking on clients that weren’t a good fit in an effort to maintain a reliable reputation. I struggled with valuing myself as much as I wanted my clients to value me. I was scared to ask for what I felt I truly deserved which left me in the position to be taken advantage of, and ultimately, disappointed and unworthy. The process of going into business for myself has actually taught me a lot about how important it is not just to treat others as you want to be treated, but to treat YOURSELF the way you want others to treat you… because they almost always will.

The best advice for artists of any medium who are freelance is to take yourself seriously as a business. Pay yourself fairly in regards to time, materials and your skill level. Give yourself a fair raise every year or when you get a new certification or higher quality materials. Decide your prices, stick to them, and always, always use contracts outlining the precise fees and everything they should expect in exchange. Every. Single. Time. If you start these habits from the beginning, not only will you save yourself from clients that aren’t serious/ don’t fully appreciate your value, but it gives you the opportunity to take yourself seriously. Setting a professional tone for your clients is a service to the both of you because ultimately will help you feel confident in each other.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Made Up By Erin – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I usually say my specialty is versatility because I can jump into anything from drag to special effects to high fashion to no makeup, but that seems like a cop-out answer. What I feel I specialize in is the ability to enhance someone’s beauty without making them look like someone else. It’s a very subtle dance to go up against that line without falling over, and I think it sets me apart from other artists in the same experience range. I love makeup for the way it allows us to express and adorn ourselves and our alter egos, but I get the most joy from creating looks for clients that cause them to see themselves in a way they never have before. Having a client stare at themselves in disbelief because they never thought they could access that version themselves in physical form is amazing to witness.

Also, I’m really excited to accomplish a big goal – I was recently invited to do makeup for New York Fashion week this year!

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Challenges ARE literal opportunities! I think that women are in the greatest position of opportunity that we have ever been in because the challenges we have faced and overcome give us a compassion and informed intuition that is unique and exquisite. We’ve all known that women are powerful leaders when given the chance, and that is definitely the case in business as well. Women are well positioned to make their own money and use their personal power to make a large impact at this time on this planet. The opportunity and invitation is to embody and harness that power and empower others with the example of simply living your best life.

Contact Info:

• Email: madeupbyerin@gmail.com
• Instagram: @madeupbyerin
• Facebook: facebook.com/madeupbyerin

Image Credit:
Arayana Eison, Joia Talbott, Patricklee Hamilton, Annabel Lee, Rory Gory, Breanna Powell, Tiara Kelly, Maya Camille

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