Meet Anya Zeitlin

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anya Zeitlin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anya, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I take comfort in knowing that I’m doing what I love and being in a creative flow state. If I’m in alignment with those qualities then I tend to find joy internally and feel pretty confident. I also try to focus on being in a state of curiosity as to learn, growl, and improve. So shifting feeling like an imposter to a state of curiosity can be useful. Feeling confident internally instead of seeking external validation is important in finding joy in the process and meaning in the work. External validation is nice and it’s important to make sure that I’m delivering what is expected of me, or even exceeding those expectations. But trying to shift seeking validation externally to appreciation for members of the team or crew, where everyone brings their unique energy, can help as well. It is nice when there is appreciation generated (and I can only control myself) and when that energy is created amongst everyone, then the whole machine functions in a really beautiful way, and there isn’t a sense of ego, which helps. There is a hierarchy of roles on set which helps the process function smoothly, so knowing my role and maintaining flow, curiosity, and appreciation help me to stay focused and feel confident. If everyone brings their unique attributes and a sense of cooperation and appreciation then vibes are high and it’s hard to feel like an imposter. You don’t always have control over what production will be like so it’s so important to cultivate a sense of self that can ebb and flow with external forces. And then align with environments where there is mutual appreciation as well as creative alignment.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I work as a makeup artist in commercial and film production. It is a dream to be able to do what I love and collaborate with different teams/crews. I get to take into consideration what producers, directors, art directors, creative directors, photographers and other heads of production are looking for while also considering what’s happening with wardrobe, production design, and who the talent is or what my “canvas” is.
I will work with some teams repeatedly, which helps us to get into a groove and helps me to understand what to expect as well as what the desired look tends to be for makeup (and often hair as well). But sometimes it’s a completely new crew and it’s fun to be able to figure it out from scratch and get in flow with new people building old and new relationships. It’s also fun to bring my vision and ideas to the table and help to come together on the vision.The cycling through of familiar faces and new faces is an aspect of my job I love, and to be able to experience variety with projects, crew, and locations. Another aspect of my job is reading the talent in my chair and what they need from me to help set the tone and for them to feel what they need on that particular day, as I’m usually the first person they interact with on set. It’s important to be able to make them feel at ease and confident, while also implementing the desired visual effects according to productions needs. I stare at talent all day to be able to see when and where I need to make adjustments so it’s essential to have a good dynamic between us. It’s also important to be able to know when to step in and when to not step in according to the flow of production. Some photographers or directors love adjustments and others want minimal interruptions, so being able to read those cues is important, as well as to not disturb any of the other department’s work. The creative aspect of my work is where I find real flow, I can find inspiration from almost anything so it is fulfilling to follow my creative path from project to project. I work with the face and any exposed skin as well as other contributing visual factors in production like hair (which I often do as a combo artist), wardrobe, and production design, as well as other influences like heads of production or those mentioned above help me to understand and see the vision unfold, or I might have an idea before application. And if something happens that doesn’t feel right as I go along (an undesired effect) then I change direction It’s a dance internally and externally.
I often get hired for a more natural look, which I love doing. I also understand the nuances of character development in narrative projects and love doing my part in that. When I have the moments of truly doing what I love it’s important to embrace these moments and focus on the love and gratitude for others around, and for myself. Or even find the small areas to be grateful for weather it’s an application that went well, an interaction, a location, a new connection, an old connection, etc. The gratitude will transform the imposter syndrome to positivity/love, or at least it’s what I’m aiming for.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Working for several years as a freelance artist for both Laura Mercier and Tom Ford Beauty traveling to different stores in Hawaii and Utah (and prior to that working briefly at Nordstrom City Creek and also Splendor Beauty during college) helped me to work on a multitude of faces. I learned what products work on who, as well as developing my ability to interact with anyone. In addition, that sales focused background helped me to learn how to connect with anyone, and you never know who’s going to be in your chair. So that was priceless experience. Also being able to try/play with all the products on the market helped me to understand how different textures work on different faces. The layering of textures helps me to achieve a more skin like quality. Being able to understand color and skin undertones (people usually aren’t just one) helped me to learn to get intuitive with colors and often blending several gives a more natural and soft effect.

My degree in communication with an emphasis in PR/advertising also helped me to understand the marketing world, and I’m often working on shoots that are advertising products so that has felt supportive. Other education like learning like classes for special effects, makeup master classes, and on set safety classes, has helped to support my skills and keep me in a state of growth, which is important to me.

As a child (prior to the internet) I used Kevin Aucoin’s Making Face as a makeup bible learning about shadow/light, shake, blending, texture, and more. I practiced all of his techniques on myself and friends, as well as hanging out at cosmetic counters where the employees somehow took time to teach me techniques. Being able to watch and learn from others along the way has helped me to build my arsenal of techniques by taking what feels in alignment and leaving what doesn’t. Learning from others is key and keeping an endless sense of curiosity.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Traveling for work is another aspect I enjoy. I love working with new crews all over on films and commercial production, and at some point would love to teach a class if the right opportunity presented itself, or even write a book. I eventually might like to do some sort of creative or art direction, or even directing, as I love the way everything comes together on set for film and commercial production, both visually and energetically. The creative collaboration is what I’m here for and makes me feel alive. I can be found on my website www.anyazmakeup.com or on instagram at @anyabz

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anyamakeup.com
• Instagram: anyabz

Image Credits

Hayley Radel
Molly Oleg Solarzano
Molly
Molly