What do you do?
I pretend to be a make up artist.
What's the best thing about your job?
It's not really like having a job, it's doing something you like and getting paid for it.
Does that fit in with what you thought a job would be like?
Yes and no, it's like the ideal of having a job...When I was very young I assumed having a job was going out and being out all day and wearing a suit and dressing up in work clothes..
I hear you, all about the briefcase.
Well it was the eighties - shoulder pads and a briefcase. I didn't really know what my Dad did and my Mum worked at my school, so it was just about making money and being a professional.
And what do you think now?
Now I wouldn't be able to do that even if I tried, that's why I do the job I do - I don't have that type of a brain. I don't see the point of professional speak and business, well I see the point but it's not something I particularly strive for. It's nice to have a creative job because it's your choice whether you take a job or not and the actual physical end result is up to you, regardless of what someone says they want, how you create it is all you.
What makes a creative role appealing?
I don't like being told what to do. I don't like having the same rules all the time - this happens at this time and that happens at this time; I like the freedom and I like the challenge, it pushes me out of my comfort zone but I need that to keep me interested.
Would you say you're a good team member?
Yeah, you can't be a make up artist if you can't work with people, it's the reason you get booked. You don't always have to be the most technically amazing artist, if you're good and solid and people get on with you and like you they'll book you again and again.
Okay you're a good team member, do you have any weaknesses?
Trusting my instinct and my opinion, being confident but not cocky, well I've never been cocky! You have to be able to sell yourself essentially otherwise you won't get work so probably confidence... that and organisation.
What would you have done differently?
Had a bit more confidence to go for what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to do it but I didn't have any experience, I'd taught myself and I hadn't trained. I'd have liked to have done it earlier, I didn't start doing this job until I was in my late twenties but if there's something that you want to do you'll find a way to do it. You'll find excuses why you haven't achieved it, why you're not doing it, the opportunities you haven't had, but you have to find it and make it - there's a way in.
What advice would you give to others about goal setting?
You have to make the commitment. I made big sacrifices to do this - I had to more than halve my salary, I had to move, I had to make that commitment. My goal wasn't to work on a department store counter but I had to do that to be able to do what I'm doing now. Don't assume that if you want to do something that's the job you have to apply for, it's not because you probably won't get it. You have to make the commitment to get whatever experience you need to qualify for that job.
Watch Gemma in action.
Watch Gemma in action.
