We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Thorne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

To be successful you need to have a thick skin, and self motivation. For some reason a lot of people want to point out what could go wrong when you start a new venture, and usually don’t offer a lot of hope or support. You have to look past what others think, and trust in your own vision and ability, and keep pushing to make your dream a reality. You have to be okay with learning as you go, and facing adversity head-on. There will always be bumps in the road, and doubters will always be there too, so you need to be okay with working through the tough times, and not letting the nay-sayers get in your head.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the styling industry by accident when I was in college at the University of Dayton in Ohio. I was a broadcasting major and worked for a company that produced commercials and video content. I started producing/voicing commercials, and eventually was also responsible for hair and makeup, set styling, lighting, and a host of other interpersonal skills that have become useful today in starting my own business. I learned on the job, and had the freedom to make mistakes, and perfect my craft.

I did end up going into broadcasting after I graduated and became a radio DJ in Dayton, Seattle, San Francisco, and eventually ended up in San Diego. I’ve always been interested in the art of styling, and could always see a clear vision when it came to hair, makeup and wardrobe design.

I think what sets me apart is my experience and my ability to create an entire vision; I love art direction on shoots, and also the tactile element of creating a hair and makeup look that’s cohesive. I have varied experience with not just weddings, but editorial work, branding for companies, family, and maternity shoots.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I would say every small business that got through the shutdowns during Covid can tell you how much resilience that took, and is still taking, as we are still recovering. It’s a day to day, and month to month struggle and learning and relearning process.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I would say that non-creatives don’t completely understand that we are running an actual business, and not just having fun. Being a creative who’s forced to figure out the business, and marketing side is extremely challenging. Every day we have to not only do the part that we love, but we have to always be ahead of the 8-ball, and constantly behind-the-scenes figuring out how to drive our own business, deciphering who’s reliable that we want on our team, figuring out the ever-changing social media algorithm, AI, and all the other newer technology and how it affects our business. There’s so much more, but overall I’ve noticed what people don’t understand is what they tend to devalue, and it’s just another obstacle having to prove yourself on a regular basis.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thorneartistry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thorneartistry/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorneartistry/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/thorne-artistry-la-jolla

Image Credits
Mandy Ford, KC Alfred, All Good Things Photography, Shay Studios, Los Bano Photography, Trynh Photography