We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chelsea Sinks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chelsea below.
Alright, Chelsea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
Thank you for having me! I love being an artist. Being creative and connecting with other creatives is my biggest source of joy and inspiration. I recently connected with a bug dealer named Kim (@beesandwings on instagram) and my next shoot is gluing gemstones onto dead bugs. I’m having so much fun with it. The unpredictability of having a creative career can be challenging for sure. Having a “regular” job (what is a regular job these days anyway?) might have led to more security and steadiness, but it also might not have. In the hard moments I reflect on the people I’ve met and the things we’ve created together. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.
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.
My name is Chelsea and even in my earliest memories I remember being completely obsessed with makeup. From watching the artists at the makeup counters in my hometown mall, to falling in love with fashion magazine covers, to needing to see the makeup in every “Americas Next Top Model” episode photoshoot, to the incredible makeup transformations in movies like the “Lord of the Rings” and “X-Men”. I have always loved how makeup can tell a story.
In my younger years I remember face painting my siblings and all of their friends for birthday parties. My brothers were my first makeup models. When I was attending Cosmetology school in Portland Oregon I discovered the store “Hollywood Lights” and saw professional body paint for the first time. It was life changing. That led to painting on my friends all the time. I would paint them on the floor at house parties and events around town. My friends and I would paint at festivals, which quickly turned into us having our own body paint booth. From there it turned into doing photoshoots in the forest, desert, wildflowers, city art exhibits, and anywhere we could make art. I still love doing that.
After many years in Oregon I knew it was time to follow my makeup dreams and move to LA to attend Cinema Makeup School. It was challenging and it was also the best decision I’ve ever made. I learned about prosthetics, airbrushing, how to work with SFX materials, technical makeup skills, and how to create characters. I turned my best friend into a crab- it was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. It’s been two years out of school now, and I’m still learning so much. I’m honestly just so grateful to get to do what I do.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I believe the best art is handmade. AI and CGI might be quicker and taking off more than ever before, but the real magic is creating things by hand. I hope things like prosthetics and puppets live on forever here in Hollywood. Give artists big budgets to make awesome things. Art makes the world worth living, I hope we don’t forget to invest in it.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
When I’m creating with a team, I’ve learned that the true magic lives not only in the final piece we create, but in the memories we made. Art has taken me to breathtaking places. One day it’s a sunrise over a junkyard filled with rusty old cars and wildflowers growing through them. Another day it’s with a badass model and a tarantula in the volcanic fields, or watching ballet dancers dance in the rain in Zion, or being naked in the freezing wind and painted red in the desert with 20 other people. Working together during these adventures- the laughs and challenges, and the process it takes to create something beautiful has been the most rewarding part of being a creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: chesphinx.com
- Instagram: chesphinx
Image Credits
Elena Kulikova @elenakulikovastudio Rafael Avcioglu @rafael.avcioglu Rob Woodcox @robwoodcoxphoto Amanda Jackson @mandie_mannequin