We recently connected with Josehan Avila and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Josehan with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from both my mother and father. Growing up we didn’t have much but what we did have my parents worked hard for. Shinning a light on my dad he would wake up at 4am every morning to do a workout and head to work doing sometimes 12-15hr days. I would wake up for school and he has already left and most times id get home, and my dad was still not home from work yet. His dedication to making sure there was bread on the table and a roof over our heads was the most inspirational thing to see. My mother was always waking up before my father so 3:30am making him breakfast and lunch for the day. She would make breakfast for me and my brother and got us ready for school all before her actual day started. I remember staying home from school a few times because i was sick and so i would have to go with her to do all her duties and she literally took my grandparents to 4 different doctor’s appointment for each of them. I remember by the time we got home from her day it was already 4pm so she could cook dinner to have it ready by pm which was when my dad usually arrived. The way my parents did all that they did for a minimum of 18 years so graceful and with a smile on their face making sure we were not worried about anything other than school was admirable. I learned that if i was to make anything of myself I would have to be consistent and have a strong work ethic.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a professional Makeup Artist best way to describe what I do is my slogan “Bringing inner beauty to the surface with the blend of a brush”. My passion for making people from any walk of life feel beautiful has always driven me to where I am today. My business began during covid when everyone was saying “No” to weddings i started saying “Yes”! This allowed me to build a decent makeup clientele in the Southwest Florida area so much so that I created my own team of makeup artist and hair stylist. We were more so focused on Weddings, Quinceanera’s, and Galas. I have had many iconic opportunities thanks to my mentor Manuel Espinoza as well as some amazing clients. I have worked on productions with Jennifer Lopez for “Global VAX concert” and “Merry ME”, I have worked on a campaign with GUCCI, NETFLIX, Disney, Starbucks and was able to do New York Fashion week with Art hearts fashions, as well as Lequan Smith. I was able to bring my best makeup artist and hair stylist with me to the next New York Fashion Week so they could experience it and it inspired all of us to do more and keep building. I would part take in the Newark New jersey breast cancer awareness walk and do makeup for the survivors . So i decided in Florida we would always give back to our community at least 2 times a year ! We partnered with a few different associations for charity, and we would donate our talent to make these ladies feel beautiful. This touched my heart and brought it so close to home being my sister is also a survivor. I made the decision to move to Los Angeles California in pursuit to expand my business and grow my reach and see what LA has to offer.
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?
Three qualities I would say have defined myself as an artist and business owner would be resilience, kindness, and perseverance.
Kindness is key most of the times to get your foot in the door always have a smile on your face and be pleasant to work with. No one likes working with entitled Divas.
I would also say being open minded fully about looking at negative moments and making them positive. There is going to be many people/opportunities that end up saying “no” when those happen reflect on it and realize what could of been done better or what did you learn from that experience rather than taking it as defeat. Sometimes the opportunity wasn’t yours because something bigger and better is coming.
Always be open to constructive critics from people who have been in the industry for much longer then you have. They can save you decades of learning curves. which brings me to always learn from artists next to you or go to different master classes continuing education is always a must.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I would have to say the last 12 months have been a learning curve for me tremendously! I have altered my artistry and have explored more brands then i ever have before. i was able to take tips and tricks from some of the best makeup artists iv ever worked with and put them to use while still being able to rediscover myself as an artist. Its been a tough yet fun journey for sure but i am finally able to say my artistry is strongest now more then ever.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JosehanAvila.com
- Instagram: @J_Artistry__
Image Credits
From left to right (instagram) -Bride: @Westindieray Photographer: @Mel.visuals -Model: @Carlielemcke photographer:@Themanuc -Model:@Estdani phototgrapher: @coveneyinc -Model:@Fowlowl & @jackieappletree Photographer: Raw._ul -Bride: @Westindieray Photographer: @Mel.visuals -Model: @Jazzcovv Photographer:@eu_ginoo -Model:@kellyxgallo Photographer: @eu_ginoo -Model: @tina_Glaze_ Photographer:@otparas -Me:@J_Artistry__ Photographer: Mayleen -Me at NYFW : @J_Artistry__ photographer:Yolonda
