A love for challenge is what fuels my creative drive – the challenge of solving the puzzle of how. How to reach a complex vision from scratch. I find creative problem-solving almost mathematical, engaging me to think about what will be go where and in which order. This is then combined with the captivating urge to make a statement and emotionally impact my viewer.
I was always fascinated by creatives, with a vivid memory of attempting to combine my favourite hobby and childhood film by drawing every single character in Harry Potter. Sadly, after making it through what younger me considered to be the coolest members of the cast, that feat was never completed. But I didn’t stop enjoying being creative wherever I could after that. The intricacies of design in everyday life intrigued me, particularly the detailed character transformations in film. I was excited to find a creative outlet in make-up art, applying my fine art knowledge to my newfound hobby of make-up design.
During my first year on the BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance course, I learnt a vast range of practical and research skills each week, starting with the fundamentals and moving onto more specialised techniques, relevant to so many different areas of the industry.
This gave me the confidence to organise some bridal work the following summer, including a styled venue shoot and my first wedding as a hair and make-up artist. I loved the elegance and sophistication of bridal styling and the nature of working with a client from start to finish to single-handedly bring their vision to life.
I put together a website and business front, which I now maintain alongside my studies, taking on over 20 wedding bookings so far, allowing me to work on a diverse range of clientele, and gain insight into the organisational and administrative tasks of running a business. The adrenaline and thrill of playing such a big part of people’s wedding mornings is very special, and this is venture I hope to continue to grow and pursue.
The collaboration opportunities really drew me to AUB. In my first year, I started applying the skills I’d learnt so far to a few collaborations, like a charity fashion show and period styling costume collaboration.
In my second year, I then worked behind the scenes as a hair and make-up assistant on Emilia! – one of the AUB Productions shows – an opportunity given to every Level 5 make-up student. We worked as a team of roughly 12 hair and make-up artists, under Level 6 head of department Lydia Harris. She not only directed and lead us but also passed on her advice for our second-year projects, which we all found very valuable.
Seeing our work come together with costume, acting and set design each night, to meet the vision behind it – the external director Mumba Dodwell – was incredibly rewarding, and gave everybody a strong sense of achievement. This first-hand, practical, theatrical experience improved our skill sets massively and presented the social opportunity to make like-minded creative friends from other departments, like our actors, who we missed seeing every day once the show had finished!
Our department became very close by the end of show week, making a lot of fun memories together. I enjoyed meeting and working with more of my year group too, making the rest of my second year a lot more sociable.
After such a positive experience last year, I am excited to be taking on the role of Level 6 Hair and Make-up Supervisor the first autumn 2025 AUB Productions show Orpheus and Eurydice, taking a contemporary twist on traditional Greek mythology. I look forward to getting stuck into character design and wig styling for this flamboyant era and experiencing production from a more design-based role.
Another of my future goals is to move into arts education, so I look to use the role to build on my creative leadership qualities and help advise the new Level 5s with what I have learnt so far while continuing to refine and develop my own skill.
Something else that drew me to AUB was the extracurricular opportunities to help young artists, like the 2024 AUBSU art auction, where I exhibited my first piece of art. After enjoying art as hobby for so long, seeing my artwork on display to the public (and the town mayor) was exciting enough! The buzz of watching the bids go up and up and seeing my piece sell was a real unforgettable moment for me as an artist, motivating me to start selling more work.
I now offer commissioned artwork through my business, and being able to receive commission for doing something you love is a real privilege. Looking back, the confidence this opportunity gave me was a real starting point for this. The buzz of seeing a new enquiry pop into my inbox never gets any less exciting!
For me, having multiple artistic outlets is incredibly important for sustaining a healthy mindset. I use painting and drawing as a reliable, therapeutic form of escapism within my personal passion projects. A creative outlook helps me notice and appreciate the beauty in the small things, which may just inspire a future creation that could then reach others a similar way.
When starting the course, I found it overwhelmingly easy to get in my head by setting unachievable standards for myself and my work. But every experience mentioned has shown me that showing up on time with a kind and positive outlook and a will to get stuck in and help out, allows the rest to come naturally. Working with your peers to combine strengths and weaknesses is very important for mutual growth.
Something I always like to remind myself when taking on a new project is that doubt will always kill more dreams than ability – so why not just give it a go?
