Since I last dabbled in this page, I've decided to take my hobby towards a more serious direction. And you might wonder how one might do that? Well, I made a Facebook page for it! I'm now managing more things than I need to handle, but I don't know if you're as aware as I am that there are different tiers of information disclosure that correspond with these accounts -- Facebook is exactly what I needed for a comprehensive online portfolio that's easily accessible for maximum exposure; Tumblr is for when you want to share something without having much to say and somehow, someone somewhere is going to feel like you totally just spoke their mind; Blogspot is somewhat the opposite; and Google + is, well.... like "fetch" - it's never really going to happen.
But I've digressed. The Facebook page is over here:
Makeup by Abi Portillo -- The Name on Everyone's Lips
And I have honestly never been more grateful for all those times that people laughed at how my last name sounded like "portfolio." Look at how well that turned out. Ahaha.
Apparently, not everybody thought that I was serious about this. Well, for a long time it was on the back burner, that's true, but I was surprised that people were surprised when I injected a semblance of seriousness to it. Fine.
What they didn't know, I guess, was that I've been booking jobs here and there. The best parts about it is the rush that comes with being in one's element, and of course, the fast cash. HEEH.
But more often than not, I've struggled with people taking me seriously. It's either that, or people in general are just not convinced that they need to pay their makeup artists. Which is a terrible mistake, as far as I'm concerned because we're the ones that are going to either make or break your face. A could-have-been client once took a group-discounted salon booking over me, and I'm sorry to say it, but she did look every bit the 20% that she didn't pay to have her face done. Lesson learned? I sure hope so.
On other occasions, I do take delight in some of the "pro bono" work that I've done. The Hansom video gig was tons of fun, mostly because I got to do both boys' and girls' makeup. AND while they didn't pay me in cash, they did pay me in other kindnesses. :D
The last offer I got maybe one of the best so far:
It's this like this -- tiny complements from people who genuinely believe in you -- that keep me going. Abi Rode has had one outright, random, non-family fan so far, and I treasure that immensely! It's fuel to the fire in my belly.
Needless to say, I'm not going to pass this baby up! Hell yeah, I'd swap a new tattoo for a job! But it's not even the monetary value that matters to me (although I have been saving up for a new tattoo or a fixer-upper. Those bitches are expensive!). Mostly it's the feeling that people recognize your talent and skill, and perceive it up to par as theirs. And this lady is incredibly talented. See for yourself!
Despite the fact that I absolutely hate what I'm doing professionally today, there are so many things to be excited for, and right now, I'm mostly excited about this. :D
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