Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sasha Coleman Arnett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sasha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
Yes, I have!
Looking back on my creative journey, I have to smile. It has been such a God-Winked experience. The Lord has been all over my story.
I have always loved the arts. My mom is a fantastic painter, as was my uncle. My grandpa taught me how to draw a squirrel on a log at the age of 5 or 6, by using a small chalkboard that I held in my lap. I remember it vividly, wiping chalk dust off my skirt and trying over and over again until I got it just right.
When it came time to attend college, I focused on drawing and painting and received both my B.A.A. and M.A. degrees. What did I want to do with these degrees? I wasn’t sure! All I knew is that I loved the arts and immersing myself into any outlet where I could express feeling with color, texture and movement.
Fast forward to having children. Being a mother became my focus and God blessed me with two kiddos, London and Roman. During this time I received a Canon Camera as a gift and I became “one of those moms”. I documented everything with that camera: loose teeth, playing in the grass in the hot summer months, tender moments between my son and daughter when they didn’t even know I was looking. You have to document those; they can be few and far between! It was magical. Facebook became popular back then and I would share images so that my family would be able to watch my kids grow.
That’s when I started to get requests.
“Sasha, do you think you could take pictures of my kids?” “Hey, I know you’re busy with your family but could we hire you to do our family pictures?”
And that’s when I suddenly found myself in the middle of being paid for a trade that I loved, that I felt passionate about. Now I wasn’t just capturing those sweet moments for myself, but I was able to share that gift with others. And I was getting paid to do this? What a blessing.
As the years went on, I did part time work as a painting instructor at the Council for the Arts in Chambersburg. I adored that job; but the requests for photos kept me so busy that I had to walk away from that position. I still miss it terribly. But I knew I wanted to contribute more to my family financially. And then, I was asked to do Senior pictures for a daughter of a friend. I was scared. This wasn’t my niche. I had never done this before but I was up for the challenge and so we went for it.
I. Was. Hooked.
Something about working with teenagers and being able to show them just how beautiful they truly are, it was magical for me. I found a way to incorporate painting in my photography by looking at color and light. Those clouds look like broad strokes of a brush! The light surrounding my client’s hair makes her look ethereal. Just all of it. It opened a whole new creative world for me.
Now, as a recently divorced, single mom, with my “first subjects” being 14 and 12 years old now, I can clearly see how God set up me for success. He knew I would need to be financially stable on my own. Every struggle, every cheap session in the beginning, every glorious sunset on a photoshoot has paved the way for me to be able to proudly say “I made it through!” I can use the talents God has blessed me with to give back to others while fulfilling my creative desires and support my family financially.
I am one lucky lady.
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 Sasha Coleman Arnett and I am…
First, a Child of God.
A Mother of two.
A Daughter.
A Friend.
A Photographer.
A Painter.
A Makeup Artist.
I live in south central Pennsylvania. I was born and raised in Michigan and lived there most of my life, until I moved to Washington D.C., where I became a Makeup Artist for Clinique and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. After moving to Pennsylvania, I decided to start my own Makeup Artist Business and named it Pretty Faces By Sasha. Wedding and event makeup kept me busy but not nearly as much as I was when living in the city. So I drew from my studies and became a Painting Instructor at the Council of the Arts. That job was amazing because I was able to show budding artists how much raw talent they had. The best part were their smiles after completing their paintings.
I had two kiddos and started dabbling in photography as a hobby to document their lives. One thing led to another and I started doing the same for other local families, all the while still teaching painting and taking makeup gigs on the weekends.
Pretty soon, it was hard to keep up with photography requests so I decided to incorporate photography into my makeup artistry business. Pretty Faces By Sasha grew into a full service business where both makeup for the photo shoot and photography are offered. It filled a vacant niche in our area.
Now, Pretty Faces By Sasha specializes in makeup and headshots for corporations, real estate agents and the like, and Senior High School photography. Providing makeup application before the teens’ sessions is the perfect time to connect with them and make them feel relaxed. We laugh and chat about all things school and makeup. Their moms get to sit back and watch their daughter transform from that once small, rosy cheeked toddler to a beautiful young woman right before their eyes. To say there are tears shed isn’t an exaggeration. Once I see the moms cry, I’m done – waterproof mascara is a must on shoot days!
On all photoshoots, I am always looking: where are the shadows and how do they play with light? Is my client posed in the most flattering way? What kind of message does my client want to convey to their potential clients? What textures will serve as a gorgeous background for my Senior and their outfit without taking away from them?
Pretty Faces By Sasha is marketed as providing colorful, unique and fashion forward images to clients, and to offer youthful makeup application that makes women feel as beautiful as they truly are. Pretty Faces has been honored to receive national awards, such as: HOT 100 Senior Photographer and Icon Status by Senior Style Guide two years in a row, Top 100 Senior Photographers in the World by Senior Year Magazine, Top 50 Senior Photographers to follow by Senior Muse, among other national awards and publications. Artwork has been featured in Michigan Department of Agriculture’s State Fair Publication, three murals at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit, and various gallery shows.
It’s surreal to me to look back on how I got here, now, as a single mom and business owner. What at times, seemed like a deep emotional hole that I struggled to get out of, turned out to be my key to freedom, both emotionally and financially. I can now say I am grateful for every single moment my life has given me so far. I have learned how to keep pursuing my passions while not loosing my identity as a mother and a child of God. It can be a hard balancing act, I’m not going to lie. But I have been so blessed to have met the best clients who frequently turn into friends. My job isn’t a job. It’s a daily example of how God can work in ways where we don’t even realize He’s working.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal/mission driving my creative journey is two fold: one benefits self and one benefits others.
The “personal” benefit that drives me is having freedom. It is a joy to make my own hours which helps when scheduling activities for the kids, social events and just life in general. I also take so much pleasure in all things beautiful: paint and makeup, particularly, are key componants for me. I am able to take a “blank canvas” (literally or figuratively) and create something beautiful and magical, something that the viewer may not have seen the potential in before.
The “others” benefit, which I suppose is a selfish benefit too, is seeing the look on my clients’ faces when they see the end product. I love it especially when they come to see me and are dreading having their picture taken. They think they look unattractive or feel like they have gained a couple pounds and don’t feel comfortable in their skin. This happens all of the time. It makes me a bit sad but it also drives me to show them just exactly how I see them. I love to be their personal Hype Girl! And when they see themselves in makeup, or get those headshots back, the comments send me over the moon. All I want to hear is “I feel beautiful!” If it weren’t for the reality of life, those words would be all the payment I would want.
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 think non-creatives may think that getting a degree and specializing in something is the only way to “make it”. That’s not the case at all. I strongly feel that being successful in a creative field is equal parts talent and connections. You can have all the talent and degrees in the world, but if you don’t put yourself out there, if you aren’t willing to work for free (or cheap) at the start; if you aren’t willing to meet others and make connections in your community, it’s going to be a very hard hill to climb.
Being a success in the creative business is all about vulnerability. It stinks. No one likes to be vulnerable. But when I get inquires about a commission piece or photography and makeup rates, I have never been asked what my college degree is. Ever. They have seen my work on social media. They have heard from co-workers that I’m easy to work with . They see friends of friends posting their photographs on their social media and tagging Pretty Faces By Sasha. It’s as simple, and as hard, as that.
Hard because it take relentless vulnerability and a dash of luck. Easy because you simply just need to DO IT.
Creative people are passionate people. To say you’ve made a career out of your passion, that’s a win in my book.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.prettyfacesbysasha.com
- Instagram: @prettyfacesbysasha
- Facebook: @prettyfacesbysasha
Image Credits
Pretty Faces By Sasha