Meet Rachel Malkin

We recently connected with Rachel Malkin and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I started really pursuing makeup when I was wearing a back brace for scoliosis in middle school and needed a creative and emotional outlet. That experience taught me resilience more than anything and has trickled into my career and perseverance with makeup to this day.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a makeup artist based in Brooklyn, NY. What I’m doing each day varies, but primarily you can find me on set a photoshoot, backstage at a fashion show or, my favorite, swinging by someone’s hotel to get them ready for an event or red carpet. I like to do makeup that is refined and minimal, but still luminous and transformative. I love bringing out that little twinkle in someone’s eye when they look in the mirror. I think these Frank Ocean lyrics sums up how I feel about doing makeup very well “”Play these songs, it’s therapy, momma. They payin′ me, momma. I should be payin’ them. I should be payin′ y’all, honest to God”

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?

Perseverance, staying calm, reading the room are all super important and I believe have helped me immensely get to where I am.

One piece of advice I got from my cousin who is a music producer is to just keep going, if you keep going it will keep happening. That has always helped me when maybe things are slower or not going as I want. As long as I keep doing all I can, the opportunities will come.

Staying calm is a skill and an energy that makes you feel better and also helps those around you to do the same. Shoots can be stressful! There’s a lot of people, a lot of ideas and things move quickly. To be the one who is staying present, calm and positive really shows confidence and rubs off on those you’re working with. Being a pleasure to work with is kinda the most important thing.

Reading the room is essential in this biz. Especially if you’re just starting and assisting, you have to learn when it’s okay to gab with clients and when you should shut up. Although I love to gab and it’s also important that you are able to chit chat and build relationships, it is often, it is way more helpful and impressive to be silent, attentive and as helpful as you can be.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert!! I recommend to everyone. This book is filled with perspective shifts and tools when pursuing a creative career, but I do think everyone should read it. Something that helped me early on when I read this book is college is not putting so much pressure on your art to be your main source of income in the beginning. Gilbert didn’t quit her restaurant job until after like her third book. Keeping the joy in your craft, while simultaneously being realistic takes so much weight off your shoulders when you’re starting out. It’s also just super helpful to have other interests, expertise and streams of income. Part of one of my favorite quotes (which is also in my email signature) from Maya Angelou is “”You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there,” so the sum of all you will contribute to your art and your career.

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