#jamescmakeup

I have been watching all the social media and resulting mess from the gurus proactively saying “everyone's a star, anyone can do make up.” 

Yes its true anyone can do make up but it takes skills in business, management and marketing to make it a career. 

I see a lot of short sighted advertising and posting concerning make up artistry ranging from: 

“special offer of £20 for a booking in September.  I'm a celebrity makeup artist....” 

Really.  You do celebrities and you charge £20?  Can you confirm that with references? Images? Tear sheets?

“I specialise in film and TV.”  

Show me your CV.  show me your portfolio and website.  Nope?  Can’t do it?  What a surprise. 

Bridal and editorial. 

 Where are your tear sheets?  Can you tell me what magazines “sparkle and glitter make up by x” has on their CV? 

When will people stop over reaching and actually realise that you can be an assistant its not a negative thing.  That not everyone will think you're a genius and yes we are always learning. 

I will be very carefully reviewing my diary, my contacts and my affiliations over the next few months with a view to cutting out the deadwood and walking away from anything that cannot show me a solid marketing strategy, at least some consideration to the budget and doesn’t rely heavily on my paying out thousands of pounds for the privilege of working.  

Every contract will be reviewed in minute detail and if I am not happy and there is no room for negotiation then I am out.  Losing copyright, intellectual property etc is not happening on my watch. 

I have been talking to not only casting agents but producers, some of whom I have known for many years.  With the abundance of entertaining offers coming my way: 

thousands of pounds for a speculative ad and pr campaign an some loosely termed celebs in my clientèle list anyone....

I feel like today was a breath of fresh air. 

A whole host of updates, comments, likes and the right kind of attention for my work (thank you instagram) has brought me to a conclusion process and I can see a direction.  

So far I have had a lot of interest and gratitude for coming to the fore with new work in the London market which in turn has led to contacts in the USA, Germany and my favourite home from home India.  

Yes my darling dears, I have a niche.  

Between now and the end of July, I will be doing a massive amount of test shooting which will be split between: 

Submission to magazines (two are already in the planning stages) 

A comedy Sketch show in Glasgow

House of iKons casting for their show during LFW. 

I wil lnot only create the look and apply the make up but I will shoot the images myself. 

Commercial, just hearing that word creates a host of debate in Scotland.  No one seems to be Willing or able to fight for it but they all want it.  

The age old argument of commerce verses art strikes terror in the heart of artists from photographers to makeup artists.

Why does it scare them so much?

I've been accused of elitism, only the wealthy shall make film and TV shows.  Wrong their is room for everyone if we are sensible and business !.

I love my job but have taken a much needed break from it to regroup and p!an the next logical phaase and really put the art back into my job.  After all I am a makeup artist (nee' designer). 

Teaching wil be phase one before I get back into the swing and look wistfully at the past in that cleaned up introspective manner. 

Pulling focus to the more creative all be it gory past of my best selling classes I will redefine jamesc for a new start.

I wonder in my darker moments if I made a mistake.  I promised myself that I would escape into world, knowing nothing is ever as simple, cut and dried as We like to think I still did it.

Took a risk and Spread my wings to fly.

Ok I’m being hunted for regional movies, not quite my bollywood aspirations but I’ll accept it as a stepping stone to different things.

I can officially call myself international, I’ve worked across the uk, holland, germany and india.

Which is where I am now.

Tongue tied and twisted, the price I had to pay.

Its not a wholly bad journey; I learned that I can walk alone if I need to that I can fight my corner, red in tooth and claw, the question is, was it worth the sacrifice?

Dry eyed and hardened I stand my ground and hold my own.

The quote from bette davis “I survived because I was tougher than everyone else” and a marylin monroe quote “they only want you when your gone,” flit through my head daily.

Especially when I talk to old contacts who are begging me to come back, to what I ask?

The response is always home.

Home? I live out of a suitcase folks!

2014 Will see the beginning of a new JamesC, already working on the plan which 2013 almost killed.

I pulled it back and savd it from the lions just in time.

I have been so busy of late that  I really haven't had time to update but here IA ma sitting quietly in a cyber cafe catching up.  Things are moving along nicely so much so I am debating a second phone, my little Blackberry will be upgraded and I want to add something perhaps a galaxy or similar to allow me to have a portable portfolio without the hassle of a printed book.  

Plans are being drawn up for a shoot for myself and a few for clients so all in my time in India is a creative journey,