Theatre professionals are very busy. It can sometimes be hard to justify taking time for yourself. It can feel dangerous to take time from work and side gigs. Looking for the next gig or show is the life of a freelancer in the theatre. Sometimes taking time for self care can feel like you are taking pay or work away from yourself. I feel like we as an industry have a hard time equating self care with our career. Actors tend to do better at this as their bodies are their job, but those of us who are back stage or front of house don't always realize that taking care of ourselves is also part of our careers. 

I am a freelancer which makes self care easier and yet harder at times. Here are some small things I do sometimes to self care and to make sure I have a life. I work to live (and love my work) I do not live to work. 
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1. Drink Tea- or kombucha (I know it is also a tea) or coffee. I always have tea with me in my sewing kit, purse, etc. A good "cuppa" can do wonders for your day and attitude. It also forces you to slow down (or else you spill). I have a specific teacup that I use when drinking my tea. It was given to me by one of my assistants as a Christmas gift so that also brings back some lovely memories each time I use it.
2. Call a friend/family member- just taking a little time to call my mother or sister is a small moment of self care. Talking with anyone not in theatre about something other than theatre is great. Bankers don't come home and talk to their friends about banking (at least I hope they don't). It can be a little different to do this as a theatre professional since we love the industry we are also working in, but it is so helpful to separate yourself sometimes. 
3. Use Essential Oils- or a nice candle can help calm your space. I have migraines about once a month so I always have some peppermint oil and coconut oil around. The oils combined help me combat these migraines. Small things you can carry with you in your purse are great to have mobile self care moments. Maybe it is simply having a pair of headphones so you can listen to that rain playlist on your commute to work. 
4. Spend on a Small Weekly Treat- Once I week I have a treat. It could be a sweet treat (Mini Gluten free Trader Joes Cupcakes this week!) or something from the shop you wanted or even seeing a show or museum exhibit. Allow yourself a cheeky treat each week. Something small that won't break the bank.
5. Have a Monthly Treat- Have a larger treat that you look forward to once a month. I try to get a massage. I hold stress in my shoulders and lower back from stitching and computer work, so having a standing appointment with my therapist is very helpful and a nice thing I look forward to each month.
6. Create a Loving Ritual- Taking time to light a candle you enjoy while getting ready, checking in with your best friend at the end of the week, sitting down to watch your favorite YouTube channel with your morning coffee, etc. Create a ritual that brings you joy.
7. Eat your Veg- Trying to get your five a day is hard, but worth it! I recently made myself a huge salad for lunch at work and taking it out of my bag for lunch and sitting down to such a fresh meal was just what I needed that day. 
8. Ask for help- Sometimes it can feel like you have "failed" if you need to ask for help with anything. It is the hardest part of self care. Asking for help with one of your weaknesses can be hard, but asking for help with something you see as one of your strengths can be even harder. Do it! There is nothing to be ashamed of. There have been many times I ask a friend for help. I usually put it off for a while because I think I can do it on my own, but once I finally get around to asking for help, I feel so much better. 

Welcome to the first part of a small series I created called "Sample Pack Makeup History". In it I strive to give an abridged over view of different makeups used in theater and our everyday lives. My reference materials will be included at the end along with a few videos or articles I find along the way. Enjoy!

Some archaeologists believe these two forms of eye makeup were not only used as decoration, but to protect the eyes from the sun's glare- similar to a baseball or football player's eye black today. There are known medical records prescribing eye paint. Others also believe that eye painting helped represent the god Horus and was considered a powerful charm. 
Another ancient society that used eye makeup was the Romans (both men and women here too). Unlike the Egyptians, the Romans wanted lightened eyebrows so they used lead to whiten them as well as ash, saffron, or powdered antimony (another word for "KOHL") to create eye shadows.
The people of Western Europe during the Middle Ages gave up whitening their brows and just plucked them! That's one way to cut down on your beauty routine. 
During the Northern Renaissance, Puritans railed against the "evil practices" of makeup wearing. They believed that men and women would pay in the afterlife for their vanity. Those who disagreed and loved to spend time on makeup sometimes used "Bella-donna eye drops". These eye drops make your eyes dilate and sparkle. The catch? They were made from deadly nightshade and were highly poisonous to the wearer over time. 
Moving on to a more flamboyant time, during the Baroque and Rococo eras, women and men liked darker eyebrows again, they achieved this by using lead combs (lead is poisonous in case you haven't read all the lead paint health announcements...). 

An image you may have seen floating around the internet illustrates the difference between black and white film makeup and color film makeup. The side by sides are so different!
(The article I found the image in can be read here)
After this time most makeup was considered "uncouth" or "improper", especially any eye makeups. It wasn't until the 1920's that makeup hit its stride again. Women shaped their eyebrows, had pallets of eyeliner with small brushes, etc. The introduction of silent films also created a market for makeup as women wanted to emulate the heroines in the movies.  

Those of you who use an eyelash curler will be happy to know the very first one was invented/introduced to the public in the 1920's as well. It was very time consuming, taking at least ten minutes per eye!
During WWII, eye liner was used unconventionally to create the illusion of a stocking "seam line" on the backs of women's legs. Talk about make due and mend!
In the 1950's eye makeup really hit it big time. Women preferred pronounced eyes and used eye liner, mascara, and vivid eye shadows they began to see in fashion magazines. Paris fashion models were wearing eye makeup with their street clothes, which caused the "biggest beauty news since lipstick" according to Life magazine. 
In the 1960's false eyelashes were introduced along with mascara and eyeliner in colors such as lavender, blue, green, and yellow. These fun colors became more muted in favor of a "natural" look in the 1970's. But, by the 1980's bright makeup trends were back in full force. 

References:

• Why'd They Wear That? Fashion as the Mirror of History by Sarah Albee
• Survey of Historic Costume 5th Edition by Phyllis G Tortora and Keith Eubank
• Face Paint: The Story of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge
• Glamour Daze

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of "Sample Pack Makeup History". It is short and sweet. If you are interested in more in depth history check out the resources above! If you are more of a visual learner check out these YouTube videos about the history of eye makeup! There are so many more than these, go explore! 

• ​100 Years of Eyeliner-Allure
• 100 Years of Brows- Allure

My first question to Kim was how she went about choosing how to host her “side hustle”. Having the right host for you is very important. It needs to be easy for you to change, customize, and get foot traffic. A “side hustle” is your side business. If you are putting more time into it than your main career/job, it is no longer a “side hustle”.

Kim told me she chose Etsy for a few reasons. Etsy has its own search engine optimization (SEO) making your items easier to find. They show up more often in searches in turn bringing more people to your site. There are other sites like Weebly, Wix, etc. that allow for shops to be attached, but those require a different understanding of SEO and search terms. Kim felt Etsy was easier for her because of this. She also picked Etsy for their shipping ease and user friendly amenities that aligned with how she wanted to run her “side hustle”.

After picking a good host for her side business, I asked Kim to give some tips on how to make sure your “side hustle” remains just that , yet how to make sure it makes a profit.
Kim was very quick to say research. Research is important as a costume designer and as a “side hustler”. It is important to research your demographic, your product, your host, etc. Know what kind of cut your host will take from your sales, know what others making similar products to you are charging, etc.

The next tip is to have a community. Having someone to bounce ideas off of or to ask questions when you hit a problem is very helpful. As I talked about in a previous blog (here) it is important to have Facebook groups, chat groups, friends, etc. to talk through things with.
Kim keeps organized to streamline her business. Her specific products can be prepped easily so they are ready to customize and finish when they are ordered by her customers. Finding moments when she has free time Kim preps her supplies just like a prep cook in a restaurant. Having things organized and ready to go keeps the time needed to do things for the “side hustle” to a minimum.  Also having a specific area of your living space designated to your business is important to keeping thing organized.

Being a business you would buy from is also important. Kim sets her customer service high as well as her diversity and inclusive advertising. If you want to buy from the company, most likely others will also buy from you. Kim’s business is all about her customers. She customizes her products for each order. Working with the creativity of her customers excited Kim. It also excites her customers. Many other stores make products and sell them as is. Kim prefers to have starting points for her customers to build from. Kim also uses models of different sizes and skin tones. She admits she needs continue to expand her inclusiveness of models but strives to make her products non-binary and friendly to all who wish to purchase them. “I like buying things from places like Unique Vintage and Modcloth who have more inclusive models and products. I want my business to reflect that.”

Overall Kim says find something that makes you happy and you may be doing even if you weren’t paid for it. She started making ears for Disney Bounding (dressing to suggest a Disney character using modern fashion) just for herself and friends. People would come up to her in the parks asking where she got them and if they could buy them. This sparked the idea that she could make money from something she was doing anyway.
It was great to get some insight into a “side hustle” from a fellow costume designer. Kim’s biggest tip is to find a “side hustle” that you love to do and can make a little cash from and treat your customers well. “There will be people making what you are making. Find a way to stand out.”

As a young professional it is important to have some big goals set for yourself. I have two big reach goals I would love to work towards.

The first being- To design costumes for the cast members/parade/new show at a Disney theme park. As readers know I worked for the Walt Disney World Resort after I graduated from undergrad. (Read about it here) I really enjoyed working for the Disney company and bringing magical experiences to those visiting the parks. While there I had the opportunity to go backstage and meet with other cast members working in the creative costuming area. I even got to see some costume renderings for new princess dress designs, parade costumes, etc. I have always loved Disney and the joy it brings to so many people.

The second big goal for me is- To work on a show that transfers from Broadway to London (or is tested in London and then transfers to Broadway). Having lived in London for about 4 months as part of my MFA degree, I vowed I would come back to live there again. It is an exciting city and I would love to work and live in it again. 

These are my two big goals I have set for myself. Now I need to work on some smaller ones.