Going to School for Makeup Artistry
Going to school for makeup artistry gives an artist credibility. Credibility leads to trustworthiness. These values are exceptionally advantageous in an industry where careers are built on interpersonal relationships. Talent and creativity obviously form a large part of a makeup artist's repertoire, but these abilities alone are insufficient to realize meritorious and financial success.
The total sum of a program curriculum is required to achieve credibility. A budding artist cannot pick and choose which courses to attend if he or she wishes to be regarded by clients as a legitimate makeup professional. (It should be noted this rationale is not applicable for professionals who return to school for specialized workshops or courses to upgrade their education.)
If you have a passion for makeup artistry and plan to make it your vocation, going to school for makeup artistry makes sense. Some individuals may promote purchasing supplies and striking out on your own without obtaining certification, but there are two excellent reasons this approach is not recommended:
- Credibility; and
- Trustworthiness.
Credibility is all about believability. An example that illustrates credibility is a witness in a trial. For a jury to accept the witness's statements and conclusion, they must believe that the witness was telling the truth, is qualified to make those statements and has the necessary intellectual capability and skills to arrive at his or her conclusion.
In essence, credibility has four components:
- Experience
- Qualifications
- Intelligence
- Skills
A school for makeup is able to equip you with all of the above. You will gain experience through study and hands-on application of theory and techniques. With experience, you become qualified to pass written and practical examinations on course materials. Your individual test grades and final grade denote you have the intellectual capacity and further affirm your experience, qualification and acquired skills.
TrustworthinessYour Certificate proves your credibility, which, in turn, lends you a degree of trustworthiness. Complete trustworthiness is not automatically extended, but following specific ethical values will aid in increasing other people's perception of this character trait.
The Josephson Institute of Ethics, a nonpartisan, nonsectarian and nonprofit organization that develops ethical programs for many entities, including educational institutes, categorizes trustworthiness as one of its Six Pillars of Character.
Trustworthiness is a combination of four traits:
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Reliability
- Loyalty
Honesty plays a role in both communications and behavior. Honesty in communications involves telling the truth to the best of your knowledge is a forthright manner without any intention to mislead or deceive someone. Honesty in behavior means an individual does not engage in theft, cheating or fraud.
Integrity is behaving without hypocrisy. A person with integrity conducts him or herself according to his or her values and never strays from those principals, even if the outcome might be of benefit to him or her. He or she can be counted on to always "do the right thing".
Reliability is making sure you always fulfill your promises and responsibilities. If your boss asks you to order in supplies for a shoot the next morning, he or she needs to feel confident you will order the supplies and ensure they are there on time.
Loyalty can be a much abused or, sometimes, undervalued personality trait, especially in the business world. Loyalty is furthering your employer's best interests rather than your own for so long as you are employed by your boss. Even if you decide to terminate your employment, you are still bound by loyalty not to divulge the employer's confidential information or lure away his clientele. However, unrealistic loyalty demands from an employer that conflict with your ethical values should never be agreed to.
Going to a school for makeup will ultimately benefit you by furnishing you with credibility, upon which you can build trustworthiness. One is not possible without the other.
