Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alice Ness. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Alice thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
As a Creative Director, my job is very project based. I actually work a few different jobs but I love that they all have the same underlying theme of being creative. Some weeks it can feel like I’m running around like a hectic little hurricane, but once the to-do list starts to get crossed off and a big project is completed it makes it all worth it. I love that in my Creative Director role, I can show not only the companies products in a creative way, but I can help others see themselves in our marketing in a relatable way. One project that’s ongoing is our influencer program. Giving artists within our network the opportunity to get their work seen on a national level and grow in their careers is such a phenomenal thing to experience. Anyone can see the professional higher budget content but when they see their own work shared, it hits so differently. I like knowing that this project that I oversee is helping someone else grow in their craft.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
When I was a child, I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to create illustrations for books. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to be a textile designer and go to school for fashion. When I really started to think about a career, the beauty industry fell in my lap and I ran with it. At the end of the day, I’m exactly what I wanted to be; an artist. I went to cosmetology school in 2010 and after graduating and getting my license I wanted to experience as many parts of the industry as possible. I worked in a salon behind the chair, I managed a salon, I did hair and makeup for weddings and events, I worked in film, I went into education, I did editorial work and even got my work internationally published. While I always loved the hands on parts of the industry, I always felt that the business, coordination and marketing side came more naturally to me. Starting working as a Creative Director really helped me feel like I found my niche in the industry. It takes a unique mindset to run the logistics and organization of a project while still understanding how the hands on side works. It’s an art and a business and not everyone can do both. I love that in this role, I can help other artists grow and relate to them at the same time.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The Grow series by Antony J.F. Whitaker. While this is a series that was mostly cater to the salon world, salon owners, managers and stylists, I really took a lot away from this series in my everyday life. Specifically, one of the books starts with “Lead, Follow or get out of the way…” I really loved that. It’s a great way to explain that everyone has their strong suits, everyone works differently and everyone thrives in different environments. Some people are natural leaders, they know how to listen and take all the information they are given to create a plan that will benefit the entire group. Some people are better followers, they may not want to be responsible for the entire group or need to make the difficult decisions but they know how to contribute their skills to better the situation. And some people don’t yet understand where they stand at all and should really give things a bit more thought. I really liked how blunt and honest so much of this series was. Helped me feel a lot more confident in my own strong suits.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I know it sounds so stereotypical, but I couldn’t say it better… it is extremely rewarding to get up every day and truly say you love what you do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alice-ness.com
- Instagram: @alicenesss
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-ness-104774115/
Image Credits
Luigi Crespo Photography (for Ultimate Face Cosmetics)