We recently connected with Alina Gobbi and have shared our conversation below.

Alina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am definitely happy as an artist. I absolutely love what I do, even though being a creative or entrepreneur has its own pros and cons, just like everything else in this world. But sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to have a regular job… and I start thinking that it would be nice to not worry about income because I would get a paycheck every week or every other week. It would be nice to have paid vacations and other benefits. I would just work certain hours and have weekends to myself, etc., etc. But then, my mind brings me back to earth because really, I had regular jobs before, and I could not last longer than 4 months at a time! Even though I was a good worker and employee and I liked the job and I was good at it, I just could not stand that I’m not in control of my own schedule, that I don’t have that freedom of choice, that I don’t have as many opportunities as I would have liked to. All those things mean a lot more to me than a stable paycheck or benefits because I know I can achieve a lot more, and in some ways, I already have. So, even though sometimes I wonder about having a regular job, it probably will never go beyond my thoughts again.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I always knew that I’m a creative person, but I would have never thought that I would become a makeup and hair artist. Even though I have always been dealing with hair and makeup pretty much my whole life because I used to be a dancer, and I had to do hair and makeup for the stage performances and competitions not only for myself but for my team as well. I guess, back then I had no idea that hair and makeup could be a career and a full-time job. At that time, I used to live in Russia, and 6 years ago, I moved to the USA, where I had a new life/career start. For a while, I was thinking about my future career in the USA, and the answer came while I was preparing for my wedding. I had trouble finding a good makeup and hair artist. Back then, I used to live in New Hampshire, so the choice of the artists over there is not that big. This is when I decided to pursue a career in the beauty industry. I thought that I could bring something new to the industry because the hair and makeup style in Eastern Europe and the Middle East is very different from America. So I could combine those styles and introduce some new techniques. I love what I do, not just because I like makeup and it’s fun to create different looks, but more importantly, I love that I can boost my clients’ confidence, make their day better, relax and take some stress off and help to create lifelong memories!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a makeup and hair artist is my clients’ emotions when they see my work. I love to make people happy; that is why I put my heart and soul into my work. Hair and makeup are more than just a visual, physical change. They also change you on the inside—your confidence, your self-acceptance, your mood.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In my opinion, networking is the key to everything. So, any networking people can do is great, whether it’s on social media or in person. If we are talking about makeup artistry in particular, I think it would be great to have more local makeup artist support events and classes, where makeup professionals could meet, learn, and support each other. Or maybe even have a series of makeup competitions where the artists could show off their skills and get more exposure among other artists to gain more potential career opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alinagobbi.com
• Instagram: @alina_gobbi_beauty

Image Credits
Anastasia Isaeva