Bette Davis on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1988)

Faithfull, Mick Jagger's Muse written and performed by Fiona Graham

Last show of the season! Faithfull, Mick Jagger's Muse @SBStudioLLC this Friday. Tickets are going fast. Don't miss the “hypnotic, transcendental, intelligent, courageous, bright and soulful perfomance by Fiona Graham. There is no mistaking the talent of Fiona Graham. There is no ifs, ands or buts about it. You will leave the theater full and wondering what's next for Fiona and when is her next performance. Susan Batson Studio. 300 West 43rd Street Suite 300 New York, New York 10036. T: 212-226-4630 F: 212-226-4456 New York · susanbatsonstudionyc.com www.mickjaggersmuse.com

Thinking of giving up?

Thinking of giving up?  (can't see the forest for the trees) Whew, this day, this week, this month has been so friggin hard! I'm facing some of the toughest challenges I've ever faced in my life. My "gift" as a coach and manager is helping people, using my intuitive ability to empathize while reassuring and reaffirming. So imagine how I feel when I'm affirming and encouraging others while feeling quite unsure about my own situation? It's those moments when someone who trusts me enough to share their angst and insecurities shows up and I'm compelled to help that I pay attention to my own advice to not give up. If you've taken a leap of faith to start your own business and you're in the midst of the work of it-the networking and social media-ing and business planning it and taking on and maintaining new clients, then you know...the WORK of growing a business. I'm sure there are many days when you're just not sure you made the right decision. I mean, lets be frank- this shit is HARD! lol. I can laugh because when I thought of starting my own business I knew it would take work but I wasn't thinking of the other areas of my life which would be affected so dramatically by my decision. The endless hours that compromise my personal relationships, the lack of job security because I'm my own boss, so no I don't have a 401k or health insurance to invest in, the clothing and dining expenses racking up because I have to look the part and schmooze to network, the having to reach down deep to believe in myself as I believe in my clients... When you are feeling doubt and the work in front of you seems so daunting, in other words, when you can't see the forest for the trees, STOP. How about some SELF AFFIRMATION?! Look at what you have accomplished. 1. You took the LEAP! 2. Even when others who should support you, doubt you, you KEEP GOING! 3.Ok, so you're a tiny bit $$ broke...for now..but somehow the lights are on and the bills are getting paid! Something, or SomeONE is working in your favor. BELIEVE! 4. You're not 22 anymore, so no health insurance scares the heck out of you but today you're ALIVE and KICKING! BE THANKFUL. 5.You will never ever have to say you DIDNT FOLLOW YOUR DREAM! 6.Even though the list of "have to do's" never dwindle, be PROUD that you keep taking things OFF the list. 7. You've GROWN and MATURED because you haven't had the luxury and security to keep you ignorant. And that is a GREAT thing! 8. You are becoming your own HERO every day you motivate yourSelf. 9.You and only you is defining and redefining who YOU ARE. 10. And last but not least - YOU CAN'T TURN BACK NOW, YOU'VE COME TOO FAR! Have a great week and oh yeah, go make some aRt:) Jennifer Heslop 917 771 5063 www.motivateArt.com Clients: UrbanErotika Dirty Artist Management Client updates- March 21st - April 13th-motivateArt client Mo Beasley's UrbanErotika Art Gallery Exhibit celebrating Women's History Month at ImageNation Raw Space. Find out more about this event! motivateArt Client- DiRTY Artist Management- Stylist Faustina Rose. [The Work of DiRTY Artist Faustina Rose]

2013. Change! An Action not just a Concept. motivateArt

2013. Change! An Action not just a Concept. motivateArt

As a creative consultant, I often also am a life and career coach for my clients.  My goal is always to help steer, guide and help manifest the dreams of the people I work with.  My daily interactions and how I interact reveals my own inner issues and demons.  

What do we have to do to achieve our goals?  
Dream.  Plan. Manifest.  Somewhere between the planning and manifesting I believe the heavy work of   CHANGING begins.  Its easy to dream, easy to desire. It's hard to settle down and make the fantasy a reality. That's where change begins.  

Following your dream- I'm sure you've seen your favorite celebrity say "follow your dreams".  As if the dream will lead you towards it, beckoning you like a sultry lover. Uhhh No!  Your dream remains intangible unless you change it.  The decision to realize the dream is a conscious one and it's a commitment to work.  Yeah. WORK.

Planning- Planning can be so damn hard!!  Creative people sometimes have the hardest time planning, buckling down.  They have great ideas and just want the freedom and space to create but setting goals and planning how to achieve them can be hard.  Well how do you build your brand, build your business, hell how do you get through a busy day without planning??  If you're just winging it and dealing with things as they come then I'm pretty sure there are many projects undone and many goals unrealized. 

I've heard it said and I admit to saying it sometimes too- "That's just not my thing", "that's not my strong suit", "that's just not how I do things", or "I can't". Being resistant to change is self defeating.  If someone you trusted more than anything, who is successful, a go getter, a winner said- You have to plan to achieve your goals, wouldn't you CHANGE your I can'ts and I don'ts to I wills?

You will not manifest your dreams if you don't have a strategy.  In the planning stage I see it in my clients and myself- some of our inner poop rises to the service- our resistance to doing things differently, the fear of success, how lazy we really are, the fear of redefining ourselves.  And once you start dealing with that poop, all the deeper poop shows up too!! 

We often give up during the planning stage.  It's uncomfortable, it's taxing and exhausting.  The choices   are to face it and CHANGE or not because without CHANGE you will not achieve your goals.

Manifestation-Bringing into realization.
After planning, there has to be action behind it.  You have to DO the plan, WORK the plan.  For me, action is a physical force and an energy force. CHANGE creates a different energy, an alternate energy to what has been consistent.  All energy manifests. All action manifests.  Negative energy like negative action creates negative energy and negative reaction. Thus positive CHANGE towards manifestation can only create positive energy and positive reaction.

Start planning. Keep dreaming but start planning.  There's going to be a few speed bumps in your way. These speed bumps are probably you getting in your own way.  Get the poop bucket out and sit down, CHANGE is coming:)

www.motivateArt.com

Let’s just jump right into it. Its Self Evaluation time!

ARTist

Let’s just jump right into it.  Its Self Evaluation time!

Yes, I said it.  Gulp.  Time to look at yourself intensely and uncomfortably.  I don’t mean in the mirror (vainy!). I mean internally. Introspectively.  I self evaluate CONSTANTLY.

It can be quite trying and occasionally debilitating because I obsess which sometimes slows me from being in action.  But most of the time checking in to my core is healing.

For Artists self-evaluation can be the motivation to create,

to re-center, to question, and to affirm.

I’m always thinking about- Am I where I want to be in my career? Have I plateaued?  What’s my next step?  Do I feel satisfied or is there more? What else can I create?

You’re probably constantly thinking about the answers to those questions. It is what probably brought u to this site, exploring the possibility to join a community of like-minded artists, maybe find the answers to some of these questions. You are more than likely a seeker, pursuing and making yourself available to the next opportunity. Write down your own questions and at the end of every day or once every week, or once every month, evaluate some of those questions.

Self-evaluating makes you accountable to yourSelf.

But don’t go crazy about some of the questions you just can’t answer.  It means you’re not there yet.  Answers come when you are ready to receive them.

For instance, the question- “Are you where you want to be in your career?” It’s so simple to answer.  How do you feel?  I mean how do you feel when you’re creating your art, doing your craft? If you are feeling joy, exuberant, contentment, satiated yet hungry to continue, peace, then I think you are happy and love your present moment.  You are growing at the speed you are comfortable with.  If you are feeling dull, unsettled, discontent, resentment, lethargic, pissed off, ummm well, there’s work to be done.

For me, the desire to transform is intrinsic to my nature.   I get jittery, a little nutty, unhappy, and grouchy if I am not in action, or not seeking more and more ways to express my self, create Art. And the yuckiest part is I become negative.  If the job I'm in becomes unsatisfying I start kvetching about how stupid everyone is, how disorganized and ridiculous the company’s business structure is, and I find myself talking to myself!  Constantly repeating, “I’ve got to get outta here” under my breath while I type away!

So I’ve learned to self evaluate- to honor mySelf. To pay attention to my own signs. The way I feel.  To check in to -What do I want?

Now if you are ok where you are and with who you are, salud.  But if not, then your next step is asking yourself, what am I willing to do to become happy, to create more, to be more?

An Artist is compelled to create so even if you’re stuck in a corporate job or took a job to make ends meet, you will have found time to do the things that make you unbelievably happy when you’re doing them.  I am realistic; sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, assume responsibilities that may take us off our artistic path, there’s births, deaths, and just LIFE.  You are not on an island by your self so I know that often we give up our art to deal with life.  But don’t. 

If you are self-evaluating, you are self honoring, and you will be drawn to fulfilling yourSelf.

I said it before Artists are COMPELLED to create. 

Here are a few more questions to think about-

1.     What did I create today?

2.     When is the last time I created and am I ok with that?

3.     Do I feel stuck?

4.     Are there people who can help me?

5.     Am I ready to do the work?

6.     Am I ready to be who I think I am?

There’s more:)

Make Art today

www.motivateArt.com

A creative services agency catering to The Artist

SAVE THE DATES! Beauty Events, seminars, etc.

March 3rd...
Celebrity Makeup Artist D'angelo Thompson and NYIB

" GET YOUR CLIENT RED CARPET READY" 
Red Carpet Beauty Class 

"Red Carpet", is a major buzz word in the industry. For years D'Angelo has worked with celebrities as well as the who's who on the world stage. www.dangelothompson.com

*Learn amazing tools and techniques of how to design and communicate the ideal "look" for a client. *How to communicate your vision with the others on the" glam squad" so its a HOT cohesive look and a night the media won't forget.
DEPOSIT: Non-Refundable & Non-Transferable $100.00 deposit due
INSTRUCTORS : D'Angelo Thompson
SUPPLIES INCLUDED: Make Up Forever Make Up Kit provided
Certificate of Attendance provided by NYIB postgraduate education

GO TO www.dangelothompsonpresents.com FOR MORE INFORMATION
GO TO www.motivateArt.com FOR MORE INFORMATION.
GO TO New York Institute of Beauty www.nyib.com FOR MORE INFORMATION

This is how we do it! motivateArt

SYMBOLISITIC

HELL YEAH!

Industry tips from the Beauty and Fashion Career Seminar with Celeb Makeup Artist D'angelo Thompson!

Some  of the most talented representatives in the Beauty and Fashion Industries  were panelists at the Kick Start Your Career in the Beauty  & Fashion  Industry seminar,   the first in a series of beauty seminars co-produced by motivateArt  with 

Esthesia Productions.

Hair Artist Hadiiya Barbel, Wardrobe Stylist Desiree Konian, Photographer Ezequiel de la Rosa and Celebrity Makeup Artist  D'angelo Thompson, spoke candidly about their careers , the highs and lows and gave tips on how to stay motivated throughout the experience.

On the differences between the beauty and fashion industries a few years ago and now-

Wardrobe Stylist Desiree Konian-  

There isn't any more room to be a diva.  The day of the Diva is OVER! What matters is your skill set and your personality. 

Hair Artist Hadiiya Barbel- 

The way you start out in these industries is so important.  When I was starting out and even now, who ever I met I thought, how can I take this relationship further, how can I stand out and be remembered?

Celeb Makeup Artist D'angelo Thompson revealed some of the challenging moments in his career including dealing with temperamental photographers and makeup artists. 

-Never lose your cool! Always be professional and maintain your composure.

On how to deal with rejection, Fashion Photographer Ezequiel de la Rosa offered his thoughts- 

Look at your self as a product.  If you don't fit this job, you may be the right fit for another.  Take everything in stride.  

When Ezequiel de la Rosa, whose career  started as a makeup artist and hair stylist and who has worked all around the world including Rome and Italy, was asked by one of the attending makeup artists- what do agencies look for? 

His advice- Agencies want beautiful make up. How do you get there? Research.  Look at magazines, emulate the images you see and bring your flavor to it!

One of the attending artists exposed her lack of confidence and wondered how the panelists deal with rejection.

Hadiiya Barbel quickly responded, encouraging her to use critiques as a guide. She mentioned that some criticism is actually valid and should be taken in stride.  Confidence comes from within but to aid in affirming yourself as an artist, Hadiiya suggests always taking pictures of your work and looking at your progression.  Pay attention to your own growth.

All in all the seminar served to inform and affirm.  The attendees were artists, stylists and models at various points in their careers needing some insight into the industry and having talented expertise to tap into was awesome.

D'angelo Thompson used a phrase that is so powerful, when discussing how to overcome fear- say yes! Say yes to what you fear the most.  There is nothing like The Power of Yes!

More information on upcoming seminars at www.dangelothompsonpresents.com

motivateArt interviews Special Effects Artist Michele Mulkey!

 motivateArt

is always curious and intrigued by what moves an artist.  As a creative person, I know the feeling to create, to design, to manifest drives me and has been the catalyst for me to work with other creative people.  Art is music, makeup, photography, food, tattoos, film, design, painting, architecture...where ever creative vision is manifested. Michele Mulkey's art is often bloody and horrific but always compelling.  I wanted to know more about this artist.

What motivAtes you…Michele Mulkey?

With an impressive 12+year career as a SFX Makeup Artist and Prop Maker, motivateArt was curious about what keeps this talented and humble artist turned on by her art?

The Passion of The Christ, Charmed, The Chronicles of Riddick, Blood Junkies, Law and Order, Jason Patric, Denzel Washington, Christine Lahti, Jennifer Tilly, are just a few production and talent credits under Michele’s belt.

And now a random left turn has her working for Lighthouse Management Solutions on a project for the U.S Department of Defense!  While visiting her parent’s home and upon the urging of her mother, Michele answered a small job posting looking for a sfx makeup artist.  The job turned out to be not so small and her most recent credit is as the current Director of Live Action Event for the military base.  Not only is Michele’s talent as a makeup artist utilized but her prosthetics are used during Department of Defense military exercises. 

While listening to Michele speak about her journey to now I was impressed by her humility and passion.  She has become an entrepreneur, a natural segue from freelance makeup artist to business owner.   Creating prosthetics for film and TV productions and understanding the void on the east coast for custom made prosthetics at a competitive price, Michele started www.michelemulkeyfx.com/fxstore, where prosthetics are custom made for each order.  She is also the co creator of www.Animakeupfx.com, which provides Cosplayers worldwide with cutting edge special effects make-up and custom prosthetics bringing the world of Anime to life.

mA- Glad to be chatting with you Michele. motivateArt wants to know, what motivates you?

MM- There is an intense need in me to create.   Artists HAVE to create. There is a compulsion that can’t be denied.

mA- But there can just be but so many different types of bullet holes and scars you can create, aren’t there?

MM- You would think so but every job is a challenge.  No matter how many times you’ve done a job, every job is new.  No script is the same, no scene is exactly the same, so the makeup needs will also be different in subtle or not so subtle ways.

mA- What is the goal for you when you are designing or creating prosthetics?

MM- How realistic can it be, can I make it be.  I get so excited at the final result when I’ve created something so real but it isn’t.

mA- What makes you happy?

MM- When clients or friends are a little grossed out and sickened when they look at one of my pieces or my application.  Crazy feeling to be happy when someone’s like- “I can’t even look , I want to vomit”!

mA-You mentioned that every job is a challenge.  How?

MM- Well, on a film/TV shoot it starts with the script and the director having an idea, a vision of what he or she imagines on the screen.  It’s my job to make that vision real or as close to what is imagined as possible. From concept to application, there is constant trouble shooting, coming up with new ways to problem solve. 

mA-  From owning your own company to having a growing social media presence. How do you feel about your growing success?

MM-I am shocked that things are going this way.  I have the opportunity to travel , to create, having my own effects shop was always a dream.

mA- What’s next for you?

MM- More projects- College Humor, State Farm, prosthetics for the 2013 movie release “Black Rock with actress Kate Bosworth…

mA- Is there a new goal?  A new motivation?

MM- Absolutely! I’m excited about this new year. Of course I am grateful and looking forward to more film and TV projects. The world of Anime is new to me but people are excited about my prosthetics and sfx makeup bringing their characters to life.  I want to grow my business more, gain more customers and clients, and in time hire more people to be part of this industry that is so thrilling and rewarding to me.

mA- Thank you!  And motivateArt is looking forward to working together in the near future.

Maintaining The Momentum 2012

Is it a consensus that 2012 is about action?  Most of the people I work with all have the same feeling that this year is about manifesting, staying in action, maintaining the momentum.  Momentum is the 

the impetus of a body resulting from its motion; driving power or strength. Maintaining the motion, the driving power and strength are crucial to me, crucial for motivateArt.  I can feel the ripple effect my energy has, not only physically as in I work more and sleep less now to manifest motivateArt into its full potential but also the energy of faith and belief in the inevitable success of motivateArt because how could hard work not breed and manifest success? SO I stay in the momentum, I encourage the velocity to stay at high speed because there is no turning back, no more options.  I do not give my mind or spirit the room to question or falter. And because I move this way, I have begun to attract opportunity to me.  Yes I seek it out but I also receive it as it comes.  Because I am the master of the momentum, I also decide where to place my energy and who and what I choose to exert my energy with.

LOCATION UPDATE- January 16th Kick Start Your Year Event with Beauty and Fashion experts!

See above

motivate Art- Co producing with celebrity makeup artist D'angelo Thompson

I've known celebrity makeup artist D'angelo Thompson for several years.  Always such a pleasure and a giver, I find myself sharing my Self with him.  I am a reticent person most times, choosing to share information guardedly but there is something about this person, his energy, his spirit that seems open and without judgement.  And so to go into business for myself and have the opportunity to work together with him, co producing his seminars and events is a pleasure.  His willingness to give business advice and to mentor inevitably encourages me to be better, smarter.  He also reminds me to stay in line with positivity, that there are many ways to win but HOW you win matters even more.  

And so I'm proud to announce one of our newest ventures together- Stay tuned!

The Creative Process- a motivator

This past Sunday, 12.04.2011, motivateArt was behind the scenes of the Jock Hall The Agency shoot.

www.jockhalltheagency.com.  The shoot was all about their 2012 lookbook of amazingly talented cool people from varied industries and social perspectives.  Makeup artist Kavita Kaul rocked it out, working on 2 beautiful women for the shoot- celebrity, fashion and lifestyle publicist Mashiriki Williamson and retail development director Sharifa Cudjoe.  Beautiful skin, beautiful energy, photographer Khary Septh took to the Fort Greene streets to shoot.  

Surrounded by creative energy always serves to confirm that I'm doing what I'm meant to do, what I want to do. The high that I felt in that environment inspires me to keep seeking...connecting..creating.

www.motivateArt.com...the movement.

Jock Hall The Agency shoot 12.4.2011

motivateArt photographer- Times Square NYC 2009

motivateArt photographer (behind the scenes of kat and duck photoshoot)

motivateArt photographer- Nas 2009 Rock The Bell Tour

Pushing through- social media networking at its best

Yeah, I'm pushing through.  It's really great to have found my Purpose, truly the thing, the quality and characteristics I've had all my life is now MY PURPOSE, MY PASSION.  I just finally realized that what I do so naturally is what I'm SUPPOSED to be doing all he time.  There is no turning back now. Free time is spent gathering contacts, researching possibilities, tweeting,blogging, facebooking.

For some of my younger clients who are born into this age of media networking and use it only to speak of what they're  going to do with their partners or occasional smart commentary on politics or the news, they are not using this tool to their business advantage.  I tell them that there was a time you would have to pay thousands of dollars to equal the amount of free exposure you can get on the internet.

Whooo, it is tiring though.  Every moment spent to reinvent and be included and be seen and noticed. Hell I'm hoping to be "followed"lol I work all of my free time wanting to be followed.  Wow.
Yet a pool of like minded people/fans/friends following me is cool but I want to generate ideas, be titillated by their posts, be stimulated to action.  In the meantime, I have to try my hardest to do the same!

Did Facebook start this phenomenon of obsessive connectivity or Twitter?  I am obsessed with having you think I'm interesting enough to read my blog, find my tweet cute and appealing and most of all I want you to buy my services.  Isn't this whole thing about selling yourself?
For those who are  not trying to drive traffic to their website or to inform about their business, what is it all about? I guess we're all deciding to be relevant for however it serves us best.  Maybe I don't have 400 facebook "friends" but I'm praying for 400 "followers"!! I'm relevant, I swear!!!!

The Game

I am enjoying choosing the Light, choosing Positive Energy, choosing Purpose.

"Employee"!  I've always had an adverse reaction to being defined as "an employee'.  Mostly I cant stand that the word even accompanies my name, like a tag stitched into my Life Jacket.  I have enjoyed freelancing for so many years and liked the freedom that is self imposed whenever I chose a job understanding that there would be a beginning, a middle and an end.  Still an employee but without the demands  of having to engage in office politics or laughing at the boss's corny jokes.  I felt that my work spoke for me and I was being hired because of my reputation of being a hard worker, able to stay unnerved during chaos and confident in my ability to deliver.

So funny that now I coach creatives who freelance that laughing at the boss's corny joke, hanging out with the crew after the shoot and occasional  banter with the crew is necessary probably even more necessary than being a hard worker who can deliver.  Yes, you have to be able to "bring it", no matter what but in these times where many are jobless accepting short term employment and "freelancing", we are all in a competitive market , all squirrels trying to get that nut. No one is really "free" in the "freelance" game anymore.

So I stand in the place of being grateful to be an Employee, while I build this business, motivateArt. Still crawling but working hard to stand to running, I appreciate and am motivated by my need to create and develop and grow but I am also grateful for the support my job brings, (aka that cheese that pays the bills)lol.
Cheers
motivateArt.com

FEAR- debilitates or MOTIVATES?

Do you allow your fear to stop you or move you?  Does your fear make you worry about what you might lose or does it make you scared about what you may never gain?  Does it take something or someone pushing you out of the "nest" to make you have to move forward or does your fear that that something or someone will push you out before you are ready motivate you to move faster than the pusher?

I am most afraid of losing, being stuck, having regret.  I am most afraid of living under someone else's design. I am most afraid of not living out the Purpose I believe has been divined for me.

What motivates the Artist?

What motivates you?  What makes you get up everyday to pursue your "calling"?  I consider myself creative, a creative person.  I understand indulging the "the calling".  The calling to create, the craving to express art through many forms.

I have designed clothing, written published articles on everything from natural and herbal beautifiers to interviewing singers, started a promotion company representing a musician I never met but wrote an amazing bio and press release on and had the editor of Billboard Magazine write an article on him.  I have started a t-shirt line but never sold one t-shirt, I have worked in television and radio production, worked for a renown world music club as a publicist, am an amateur photographer, whose amateur pics have ended up in 2 hip hop magazines....there's more but this is about you :) .

I'm just trying to say I understand the unsettled feeling, when you know you have more to do, more to be but you're not quite sure if what you're doing is IT.  So you just keep expressing your art.

What motivates you?  The feeling.  The craving.  The desire. The calling.  You motivate You.  Creative people cant  help it.   You are driven to indulge and express.  The key is remembering that every medium you've chosen to express your creative self has led you to the next.  That even though you may be waiting for that BIG BOOM letting you know you've hid the jackpot, your life's calling; that every pursuit contributes to the next.  You bring every experience to the table all the time.  Your last creative experience influences and impacts the next.  Radio engineering prepared me for television production, writing articles for neighborhood urban magazines, prepared me to write press releases for musicians.

I didn't realize that I was on one track, learning all along the way.  I just jumped from one thing to the other indulging the creative in me.  Now I know that every indulgence has prepared me for this moment.

I still have other creative pursuits.  But now I look at how the next pursuit will enhance my current pursuit.

So get up and go create, be motivated by that crazy feeling in the pit of your stomach!