Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexandria Bishop. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alexandria, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I always knew I was artsy, ever since I was a kid. I always had a pencil in my hand and would much prefer spending my time quiet and drawing vs socializing or participating in class. I would have sketchbooks taken away by teachers and I was told by a math teacher once, “You’re going to regret wasting your time day dreaming when you enter the work force one day.” That just motivated me (purely out of spite for her) to push myself further with art. Junior year of high school, I attended the summer program at College for Creative Studies in Detroit and it clicked that this was where I wanted to be. Surrounded by creative weirdos and people who believed in what you do, instead of trying to smother it. After high school, I began doing special effects makeup and getting into horror movies. I would practice on myself daily, as well as drawing and sculpting in my free time. During that 10 year stretch following that, I managed an adult foster care home for the mentally ill and elderly. There I did hospice care for Alzheimer’s patients as well. While working there, I continued doing makeup and art on the side. I sold my first pieces to family, as I think happens in a lot of cases. I got the confidence to start selling at conventions and art fairs like Motor City Nightmares and I started doing paid makeup gigs for friends. I worked on my craft, trying to get it to the level I want it to be at. I set goals for myself like getting artwork into galleries and working in movies. I didn’t leave that job to pursue this full time out of 1. Fear of not being successful and 2. I genuinely loved the people I cared for back then. The beauty they brought into my life with their stories and being able to show them the love that a lot of people don’t receive when they need help later in life. But in 2020, Covid hit and closed the home permanently. It was all very sudden and I immediately dove head first into artwork and makeup full time. Making an Etsy shop and booking my first music video and short film gigs. Since then, I have worked on feature length films, was in the top 6 of the Face Awards in California, set up at larger shows like Oddities & Curiosities, have had my artwork in galleries and continue my Etsy shop. I think the universe pushed me out of that career because if you stay where you’re safe and avoid fear, you won’t reach the places you want to be. It has been a really long journey so far but I’m eternally grateful to be where I am in it.
Alexandria, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
(Answered the first part in previous answer)
The services I offer for makeup include: bridal, editorial, special effects and body painting.
The services I offer for artwork include: sculpting, illustration (digital and non), wood burning and painting.
I think I am most proud of my growth with my work. When I look back at even a year ago, I see the places I’ve improved and it feels like looking at someone else’s work entirely sometimes. I’m also proud of the connections and amazing people I’ve worked with along the way.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspects are seeing how my work makes people feel. The confidence in people’s eyes after I finish a beauty makeup, the excitement when I finish a Halloween look on someone, the messages and comments I get about how much my art has affected someone in a positive way…it’s such an amazing feeling. Art is powerful and it’s easy to get in our own heads and feel like a kid doing arts and crafts and handing off art to be hung on a fridge. But when you take a step back and look around, you see how deeply important art is to this world, especially in dark times.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I think for me, connecting with people on a genuine level is all you really need to do. If you go on just to get praise and sell people things, they know you aren’t genuine. Building connections has been the single most important thing I did and continue to do in my career. Not connections just to get work, I’m talking about real human connection and respect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AllyBishopArtwork
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/aalexandriabishop?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aalexandriabishop?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@alexandriabishop5548
- Other: https://alexandriabishop.carrd.co/?fbclid=PAAaZEJ-nstHaxlANRZs6yvm3XULnQ7-AYbOce3kamoj8W7e0Zbd-jfSFfJEo