answers # 1 and #2

question: how did you get into doing makeup for a living?

It was one of the choices my guidance counselor gave me… the list was like "makeup artist, ribald 19th century poet, hockey player, and richard simmons".

Not really. I lived with drag queens and did their makeup using my watercolor brushes and was known around here for being really crazy with makeup. Trannyspeak lesson: don’t say ‘do my makeup’, say ‘beat my mug’ , or ‘bang my face’. Trust me, when people hear that you’re the best at bangin’ faces, you’ll get a reputation too.

Anywho… 10 years after that, I had a friend who I used to teach yoga with who visited from Dallas and kinda roped me into it. She actually set up an interview with the boss and me after I said no because she said "you’re the most fabulous man in Austin, WE NEED YOU". And I really like this job. Hooray. So yeah…

Drag queens + expensive watercolor brushes + pushy friends = me being a makeup artist.

It’s funny, I was offered a job with Chanel last night that I turned down… the makeup gig is my grown up job, I really consider myself to be a yoga teacher more than anything else.

and you know that sound a baloon makes when it’s full, and you pinch the ends of the neck of it and pull them taut and kinda squeaks? and then you let it go and it flies all farty around the room? That’s the sound that yellow makes.

and also… ‘flies all farty’ would be an awesome name for a band or perfume.