We recently connected with Opal Moon Facepaint Alexandra Cook and have shared our conversation below.
Opal Moon Facepaint, appreciate you joining 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?
I am so happy as a creative facepainter, artist, henna artist, and more because when I was a child I always dreamed of becoming an artist! I have fulfilled my passion in life, and I am so blessed and grateful for all of the amazing things I have been able to do with my business thus far! Seeing a child smile, and get so excited after you have painted their face as a princess, or Spiderman is such an amazing feeling. Their eyes light up, jaw drops, and they can now live in their fun fantasy world as one of their favorite characters, or animals! It makes it all worth it for me!
I no longer wonder what it would be like to have a regular job because I have been there, and done that. Most of the jobs I have had in the past just didn’t fulfill my soul, and my calling like facepainting, and doing henna does.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into this industry because I have always had a passion for art. I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts. While I was in college I worked for Sephora (a cosmetics store), and learned how to do makeup there. With my skills as a makeup artist, and my skills as a painter I combined the two for a large festival we have in Tucson called Dia de los Muertos. It is an amazing celebration of life for those who have passed away, and most people paint their face as a skeleton, or catrina on the day of the festival. I started facepainting myself, then friends and family, and then it grew to me taking clients. Once that evolved I started facepainting my daughter, and it went all uphill from there! As a facepainter, Special FX artist (think movie makeup like zombies), henna artist, makeup artist, and muralist I set myself apart by honing in on my skills and improving them all the time. I have evolved and grown so much from my first facepainting days, and now I offer some of the most detailed, high end artwork on people’s faces! Whether that be for a birthday party, or Halloween, and of course Dia De Los Muertos! I am truly proud of myself for growing this buisness from the ground up, while also being a mom, and doing everything myself!
Some things I would like for my fans and followers to know, is that if you have a passion, don’t stray too far away from it for long. You truly can do whatever you set your mind to, as long as you are motivated enough, and strive to reach your goals and dreams! Just think about the days when you were a child and had all of these aspirations and dreams. For alot of people they still have those dreams, but don’t know how to obtain those dreams or goals. Just know this…it is possible!! If I found a way to live my dream then so can anybody!
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Society can do so much to support artists and creatives today! It truly is possible to see small local businesses and support them in their endeavors. The way I look at it, is that when I make money from the people who support my artwork and believe in me, they aren’t just giving money to a large corporation, but they are literally helping me feed my family, clothe my daughter, and help with my basic necessities. I am always the first person to support any small business I see around me because I know how important each sale means to me. We can definitely take notice of more of our own local community and small businesses out there and be supportive. Sometimes that doesn’t even mean a sale, but even promoting on social media about a brand or small business you believe in can make all the difference in the world! To help creative thrive we need to stick together and support one another!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
A story that illustrates my resilience is actually from fairly recently. This summer I really had to buckle down and do alot of soul searching, because it was the slowest summer I have had for my business in quite some time. It was very hard for me, because when you are in a slump like that, it does make you wonder, “Should I just give up on my dream, and go back to a regular job?”. I was down to my last $100.00 and struggling, but I didn’t give up on myself and my business. I tried manifesting, and motivating myself, even reaching out to potential clients I had never worked with. I am so glad I didn’t give up, because I am currently having an amazing experience growing my business, and staying so busy. The past two months have been fantastic and very successful for me, and I’m so proud of myself for not quitting. Sometimes you just have to keep trucking along and believe in yourself. That you will make it! I definitely made it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/opalmoonfacepaint
- Instagram: @opalmoonfacepaint
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opalmoonfacepaint