Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Griffin.
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been a very creative person ever since I was a child. I have been interested in all Arts. I loved to draw, paint, pottery sculpting and also buying old things and making them look new. In high school, I became more interested in what I could teach myself and learn. I realized how talented and creative I could be, as I became a teen I was interested in scary movies although I was scared to watch them. I became more interested in how they did the makeup and made the scars and wounds look so realistic. So, when I came home from school one day, I told my mom I wanted to get some scar wax to practice. At the time, it was very expensive. So instead of buying it, I made it at home and did my first Fx cut and let me tell you… I scared the crap out of my mom and what I loved that came so natural to me and I was having way too much fun while doing it and freaking people out. I already knew how to paint, draw, and sculpt so taking all that and transferring it from paper to face was not hard at all, so the more I practiced the more I became good at what I was doing. To know Fx makeup, you also need to know the basics of makeup and skin types, so I started teaching myself on how to do makeup and applying it by watching YouTube videos and with my mom and sisters being my biggest fans, they were always allowing me practice on them no matter what. After I graduated from high school, I was not as consistent with makeup as I should have been due to working a lot, but my friends would still allow me to practice on them when I had a chance to. Throughout the years, I was entering competitions and taking makeup gigs here and there, whether it was basic makeup or Fx makeup, I enjoyed doing it all.
Approximately about six years into my career, I wanted people to take me more seriously by having my license. I also needed to learn things I didn’t know about makeup and different techniques. I decided I was going to start school, but my plans were cut short because I ended up getting a call that I thought could never happen to me. THAT A TUMOR WAS FOUND IN MY THROAT. It was cancer… At that moment, I knew my life was going to change and as well as my mind state. I got so unmotivated during the process of my treatments that I almost gave up but funny enough when you invest in something you love, and you feel that strong feeling that this is meant for you and keep praying and that this is what you are called to doing there is no way you can give up. I kept that mindset the entire process of my cancer treatments and it only just made me push harder for what I wanted for my career. A year later, in the midst of it all, I finished my treatments, one month into my recovery, I told myself to keep pushing. That’s was when I found out about this awesome school called (Gwynnis Mosby Makeup Artist Training Center) and turns out I remembered her from the Pmac expo that she has every year. Gwynnis Mosby is a renowned celebrity Makeup Artist. As I attended her school, it was the highlight of my life. She gave me confidence in areas that I felt weak in and also encouraged me and taught me so much. I knew once I graduated, I would be getting booked and busier than ever and I loved it. The more friends, family and customers booked me, the more clientele I built, the more trust and loyalty grew.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There have been small obstacles with covid situations and me trying to stay safe while recovering and gaining my health back and to also keep being healthy as possible while still doing what I love to do. Since I have graduated and received my state license, I feel that my career has gradual taking off and has increased tremendously. I would say my biggest struggle is learning the internet world and getting on the trend of all the social media to brand myself but now that social media is the most popular source to market and advertise your brand. I feel my business has not been as consistent as I would have liked it to be due to my social media skills, I do not have as many followers as others. I feel it is not always about the followers, it is about the talent that you portray and show to the world what makes you different from other artists.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional Makeup Artist and a Freelance DIY Crafting; I work in Commercial, Film, and refurbish old everyday items and I am building my personal clientele. I specialize in beauty, Fx makeup, Body casting, and Diy projects, I provide clean makeup to clients that will enhance their natural beauty. I also do pregnancy and family body casting along with face and body painting. I love what I do and putting my creative touch on everything.
I am mostly known for my Special Fx makeup, the makeup I do speaks for itself and with that, I’m forever getting new clientele. I am very proud of my work and all that I’ve accomplished, with me being very shy at times, I often find myself comparing to others, but then I remember to take a look at back at all I’ve succeeded in, and I realize that I’ve done a lot more and I ever had the courage to do and for that, I’m so proud of myself. What sets me apart from others is that I am professionally trained in makeup and self-taught in Fx makeup. Not saying that other people aren’t, but not a lot of artists understand the proper technique of applying makeup correctly and knowing the science behind it because everyone has a different face and skin texture. It is important to know how to navigate the difference in people’s faces, that’s a major part in being a Makeup Artist. GMMA training was step by step in depth. When I started school, there was no touching makeup because we had to learn the history behind it and makeup theory. Learning makeup is for anyone but knowing where and how to place highlight and contour on faces differently and color-correcting the right way will set you apart from another artist that’s not educated.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are a lot of people I want to give thanks to for my success, but the main ones are my family, teacher, and my favorite celebrity makeup artist. I love that my family has always supported me no matter what my mom, dad, and sister mean the world to me, and they have always supported all my crazy ideas and I love them for being my cheerleaders. My teacher has played a major role in my success, she has helped me find the courage that I never knew I had and also brought so many great opportunities and opened doors I never thought I had access to. Gwynnis Mosby was the exact push I needed for my career. I always love watching YouTube because it’s everything there is to know about whatever you want to learn. Some of my favorite celebrity makeup artists have YouTube channels and I love to watch them and get inspiration and also recreate ideas and buy products that they recommend having in your kits and shortcuts and up comings. I also get great ideas from Instagram. I love putting a different spin on things I recreate and get inspired from because I can be as creative as my mind lets me and that’s the best part of it all.
Pricing:
- Full Face: $80
- Full pay rate: (Photoshoots/Commercials/Videos/Short Films) $120 (4 hours)
Contact Info:
- Email: griffinashley51@gmail.com
- Website: https://griffinashley.crevado.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.griggs.1238
Image Credits:
Courtney Andrews (myartdesignsinc) Shamonica Griffin
