We recently connected with Tatiana Farmer and have shared our conversation below.

Tatiana, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I began my creative career during my freshman year of college in 2016. It wasn’t something that I planned honestly. I would wear makeup around campus and people would compliment me and ask me to do theirs. I began doing makeup for different scholarship pageants, birthdays, and graduation. After returning to Cleveland, I began to find myself having doubt about my creative career and what it would look like had I began focusing on that instead of leaving to begin my college career. I watched people who didn’t go off to college pour fully into their businesses within the beauty industry and how they were able to do that full time and how they gained a large clientele. I started to have regrets but after a while I began grateful for where I was in my journey. As many say, comparison is the thief of joy. I realized that I was exactly where I needed to be in those times. Makeup did so much for me during my college career. It even helped me take a spring break trip to Miami. While I quickly realized taking clients in college was far different than building a business in Cleveland, I began to yearn for knowledge on how to deliver my services professionally and gain clientele here. This was the start of me really becoming a student. Because of this I don’t regret anything. Everything happens when it is supposed to and me beginning my journey when I did worked for me. I wouldn’t change anything honestly. No matter when you start its never to late or early to learn something new, reinvent, and focus in on your creative career.

Tatiana, 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?

My name is Tatiana. I am 26 years old and I’ve been providing makeup services for about 8 years. I’ve always loved makeup. I picked up a Bobby Brown makeup book at a school book fair and became enamored with all the different possibilities, the different colors and products. I began doing my own makeup at 14 as an outlet. It always gave me the space to be calm and creative. My makeup became a marketing tool in a sense after I began college. Going to different parties and events with cut creases, glitter and rhinestones had many of my peers interested in makeup services. This was the start of my creative career within the beauty industry. Now I like to be able to enhance the beauty of my clients for whatever events they are attending. I provide makeup services for birthdays, graduations, bridal parties, or even just because someone wants to try something new. I pride myself on bringing to my client the calm, relaxing environment that makeup has been able to give me since I was 14. I like all my clients to feel comfortable and relaxed and be able to trust my creative abilities. This also helps them to release the tension and stress that comes with big days and events. I’m truly proud of my work and the growth I’ve had within this industry thus far.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For most creatives and artists, I believe an integral aspect of whatever it is that they do is emotion. For me personally, being a creative gives me the chance to not only be very raw with my emotions but also gives me a place to channel it. Whatever I feel, I can put into a creative look or even a different technique. It forces you to learn. Another rewarding aspect is being able to use that creative ability to connect with others. It doesn’t matter if I’m servicing family, friends, or strangers. I get that little time to connect with them through my art and it’s amazing what kind of outcome that can have, even if it is just emotionally.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve recently had to make a major shift in my life and makeup career. I previously worked as a manager within the operations industry. I feel that working in that role and also that environment took a huge toll on me. It affected my business, it affected my creativity, and my emotions. I was no longer able to work on my creative career and use that as an outlet to express myself as I normally would. This in turn affected me emotionally. Being in a factory environment and being expected to pour so much of myself into that role hindered me creatively. It felt like when Phineas and Ferb had to attend the camp that killed their creativity. I’m hoping that someone out there remembers that show. But I knew that I had to make a change. I left my job and took a leap of faith to focus on where I wanted to be in my career path and furthering my makeup business. While it hasn’t been easy, I don’t regret a thing. I’m grateful for every client that has sat in my chair and provided me hope in ways they might not even realize.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Linktr.ee/totallytot
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totallytotartistry/profilecard/?igsh=MWM0Ym03NWdxNWthNA==