Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Wolf.
Emily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Art has always been at the core of who I am. Whether I was drawing, painting, and crafting in school, or pushing fashion boundaries with extreme makeup and hair looks, creative expression has always been at the forefront of my life. Art has given me purpose, and I feel forever grateful that I have been blessed with a gift that has allowed me to pursue my passion as a career.
But don’t let me fool you, being a creative ain’t always been so easy. Growing up as an art addict, life often looked like one big multi-colored mess. I constantly felt like I was being pulled into 10 different directions, and it seemed nearly impossible to focus in on one aspect of art. In my early 20’s, on a quest to find myself, I began to dabble into many different art forms. From jewelry-making to carpentry, I took a variety of classes throughout Chicago, and with each new class I was on to a new business venture. Although none of these stuck, each experience taught me something new about myself, and helped me identify my strengths.
The final venture on this journey of creative self-discovery was acting. I had joined the Screen Actor’s Guild as a child, and knew after college that I wanted to give the acting world another go. I was making progress, and landed a role on the first season of Chicago PD – How cool? – but even with this huge success, it still felt like something was missing. With the encouragement of some friends and family, I decided to sign up for makeup school. After only a few days in school, I was OBSESSED. All of my favorite elements of art have finally meshed into one, and I knew this was my calling. I had finally found something that gave me the freedom to create something new, and different, and beautiful each and every day, and my heart felt full.
Today, I am the proud business owner of Emily Wolf Artistry #LADYBOSS. I have had the opportunity to work on commercial sets, fashion events, print campaigns, photoshoots, Indie films, weddings, and even celebrity clients. I have worked with some of the biggest brand names and made amazing connections, but the biggest gift of all is the fact that I get to make people feel good. It’s been a hard hustle, but when you love something the way I love my makeup career, it makes every single moment worth it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The journey to building Emily Wolf Artistry has not been an easy one. There were many moments of feeling unsure, unfocused, and insecure. I remember feeling lost at times, and embarrassed when I would try things that would fail. For any young women that are starting their journey, I would first tell them to love themselves. The beautiful thing about being human is that we are 100% unique. There is no one else on this planet that is YOU, so you have to believe in yourself. You have to get to know yourself and let go of fear. The only way you will grow is by trying the things that challenge you, and failing at them. It’s ok to get it wrong and make mistakes. It’s okay to not be the best and to ask for help. What matters most is that you are willing to work at being better, and you are open to being a life-long student that is always growing and evolving.
I would also tell young women starting out their careers to work hard! Most people are not lucky enough to have their futures handed to them. You have to be willing to do the work to move your way up the ladder. In my makeup career that meant being a “yes women” to any opportunity that came my way no matter how small it was.
It meant working crazy long hours without complaining about it. It meant working for free – A LOT – in the beginning. If you really want something you have to be willing to do the crappy, no-so-fun, non-glamorous grunt work, before all the good stuff.
Lastly, BE KIND I actually have this tattood on my arm, so CLEARLY, I mean it. Be kind to every single person you come across in work and life. You never know who someone might be, or what someone might be going through so always choose to stay positive and lead with a kind spirit. Every single person on a job MATTERS! No one person is better than the next, so stay humble, and grounded, and be that person that is remembered for making people feel good!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Emily Wolf Artistry story. Tell us more about the business.
With my work as a makeup artist, my goal is to create something uniquely beautiful with each and every client. I am intuitively creative, with a natural ability to identify what’s esthetically pleasing to the eye. I am proficient in media HD, bridal, editorial, headshot makeup, fashion/runway, airbrush makeup, theatrical, and hair styling & updos.
Although I feel that one of my greatest assets as a makeup artist is that I am extremely versatile, I would say that beauty makeup is my specialty. I can definitely throw down a full-face of high glam, but I truly enjoy a more natural approach to makeup, focusing on beautiful skin and enhancing someones natural features. I also love more non-traditional editorial makeup that allows me be creative, and explore varied techniques and textures.
I am most proud of some very time sensitive moments I’ve had while working on set with The Onion. On one set I had to transform an actor into a “troll under the bridge” in a very short time frame. The results were awesome, and I truly impressed myself. I also had the opportunity to work with Buffy herself – the fabulous Sarah Michelle Gellar – which was a huge moment for me.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
My advice for mentoring is to find artists that you aspire to be like, and reach out. Contact them on Instagram, or submit to their websites and offer to work for free/ assist them on jobs. Linking up with a an established artist is a GREAT way to make connections and learn from an expert. As far as networking, join social media pages for schools, artists, and organizations that speak to you, and sign up for their events. Getting to know people in this industry is a HUGE part of growing your business so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. If people don’t know you, they aren’t going to hire you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emilywolfmua.com
- Email: emilywolfmua@gmail.com
- Instagram: @emilywolfmua
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyWolfMakeupArtistry
- Other: www.artjunki.com
Image Credit:
Revealed Studios, Lori Sapio Photography, Jonathan Toews
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
