If you're comfortable, you're not growing

Every morning when I wake up, I scan my phone for notifications. Three facebook accounts, a twitter account, a YouTube channel, and four Instagram accounts…yes; you read that correctly, four! Of all those messages and notifications, there is usually at least one private message from a newish face painter with a panicky question about a first gig or starting this journey. Now I say panicky because these particular messages have a tone to them where I can hear their voices shaking and see the sweat dripping; even from behind my computer screen. Before I continue, I want to be clear that I NEVER judge them. I was there once too! And, oh do I remember that awful, stressful feeling.

First gig anxiety is the worst. Double-checking my kit to make sure I didn't forget anything. I was changing my clothes three times before I left the house because I wasn't sure how a face painter dressed & always wondering what business I had charging anyone for anything, ever. It took at least two years of steady face painting work before I didn't have a mini panic attack before every gig. I can practically feel the anxiety building up again in my stomach as I type this. So how did I get over it? Well, I made mistakes. Lots of mistakes and I slowly but surely learned from them. I forgot supplies, I painted weird things, I overcharged, and I undercharged. I made every mistake in the book. There were times where I was VERY uncomfortable and nervous. Those first few years were fraught with anxiety and self-doubt, but over time, that doubt turned to confidence and then that confidence turned into a lot of fun.

All those uncomfortable moments were helping me grow into a pretty darn good face painter. I'm not just referring to painting skills either. Sure, I can paint or handle just about any request a kid throws at me these days, I've heard it all! But more importantly, I can ask politely to be in the shade instead of the sun. I can now request payment when I arrive at a gig without feeling awkward. I can stop in the middle of the party and say "face painter needs a 5 min potty break" or grab a drink of water. All those uncomfortable mistakes I made starting have helped me grow my business into something I'm very proud of and helped me grow as a person.

If you're starting a face painting business and you're scared, that's ok. We were all scared, and if I'm honest, there are some days I still am. I make mistakes now too, just a lot less. Don't be afraid to start! Make mistakes! Learn from them! (yes, I'm yelling at you) Mistakes are a part of life. If you're not making mistakes, you're not growing you're not changing, and you're not learning.

One of my favorite quotes about making mistakes and it's so true. "Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts." - Nikki Giovanni

Thank you for joining me here on my website. If you liked the blog and can relate, please share it with a friend or in a group. XOXO ~ Ariel

P.S. the picture for this blog was the first volunteer gig I ever did about 10 years ago. I had NO clue what I was doing and I loved every minute of it.