NYWIFT Blog

How I spent my Covid ‘way-cation’

By Jennifer Snowdon

It’s Fall and back-to-school. Students’ pencils are sharpened and crayons are at the ready to reflect and write about: “How I spent my summer vacation!”

In many ways, I feel that I’m just coming back after a long ‘way-cation.’ 

By ‘way-cation,’ I mean everything I’ve been away from during Covid! Away from everybody and everything during lockdown; missing any possibility of work as a makeup artist; tossing out so many ideas for the future that are impossible to recoup; stranded from all the wonderful family and friends gathering in person, and away from hugs!

I was inspired by this excerpt of Welcomehumans by Lindsey Uluwehimailani Morriss:

“With your first breath in the morning light,
what is it that you want to commit to
again and again? Can you say it out loud?
What matters to you
now more than ever?
Where does your energy
yearn to go now that the
world has stopped?
What is worthy of your time and heart, 
your prayers and thoughts
your blood and guts?
What will you choose to place your value on? 
With a once in a lifetime chance,
a moment out of time,
the movie’s been paused,
and you have the power
to decide what plays next.
Welcome to the re-evaluation of the century.” 

In the newness of this Fall season, I do not want to forget when everything stopped and the re-evaluation of all aspects in my life began.

I spent days in contemplation and meditation, praying for the quieting of my mind and the rush hour life of before. Then came the evaluation of what was still relevant, followed by days of purging files of creative plans and projects that no longer would have a place; serious plans of re-location that were not just put on the back burner, but in the shredder. I faced the regret of all that hadn’t been accomplished already and the important work that was often brushed aside for the busyness of the day-to-day. 

I was left holding one file, one idea that first came to me in 2007. It’s been rescued from the “regrets” pile and launched into action, something relevant and worthy and inclusive of all that I love. My comprehensive skills as a makeup artist combined with the intuitive understanding of what I have come to know as the essence of everyone, allows the uniqueness of each individual to be brought forth in appearance. My intention in carefully teaching custom makeup techniques is to let the inner light shine forth, both in person and on camera.

It is my pleasure to introduce:

MAKEITUPTRUE
Virtual Makeup Coaching Sessions 
for individuals and corporate groups.

I have many people to thank who helped and advised me through this entire process. I’ll be acknowledging them on my Social Media platforms for some time! 

Check out the website and amazing results on The Gallery:

www.makeituptrue.com 

If you have any questions about the Services offered, feel free to contact me directly. All contact info is on the website.

PUBLISHED BY

Jennifer Snowdon

Jennifer Snowdon Jennifer Snowdon, Makeup Artist for film and television, has 25 plus years experience in the industry. She worked on the first High Definition camera tests with David Niles, who was building the camera for Sony. That insight into the cameras to come created a different lens for her makeup work and it wasn’t fully realized until the cameras became the standard ten years later. Keeping pace with the wave of visual online marketing, communication, and now performance venues, she has just launched a new facet of her career. She loves teaching makeup applications for individuals and groups, whether for the marketplace or for landing that special role with a video audition. Virtual Makeup Coaching sessions at …MAKEITUPTRUE.com Currently, she is Makeup Department Head for WONDERAMA and working closely with David Osmond, Emmy Nominated Host. Premiere of Season 7- September 17. TV and @WONDERAMATV. In her love of the Indie Film world, several of her favorites are available on Amazon Prime now. One of the favorable outcomes brought about by the Pandemic was when virtual content became high demand, opening up viewers to so many incredible Indie filmmakers. Favorites to work on and watch: “Threebound” with Kate Forsatz, writer, director, producer, actor, and an NYWIFT member. A smart Rom-com watch. “No Pay, Nudity”, starring Gabriel Byrne, Nathan Lane, Francis Conroy, and many more Broadway stars; Directed by Lee Wilkof. A New York story for all creatives in the industry. Comedy and poignancy both. Makeup Dept. Head for the NY Unit of “EDEN”, a Foreign Film with Greta Gerwig and directed by Mia Hansen-Love.  In the Documentary World, Key Makeup Artist for PBS “American Masters - August Wilson - The Ground on Which I Stand” with greats such as James Earl Jones, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Frankie Faison, Kenny Leon. She felt honored to work with these legends and to hear the tales of the inspired life of August Wilson.  In Theater she loved creating real-life characters such as Dr. Martin Luther King in “The Man in Room 306”, Craig Alan Edwards, 59 E59 Theater, and Katherine Erbe as Pat Nixon in Checkers, Vineyard Theater. A member of NYWIFT for so many years of invaluable connections, networking, mentoring exchanges both for Jennifer and by her for others, with education from panels of women willing to share their expertise, that she loves offering her makeup skills to the yearly events, The Muse Awards and Designing Women. 

View all posts by Jennifer Snowdon

Comments are closed

Related Posts

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Alyssa Lomuscio

Welcome to NYWIFT, Alyssa Lomuscio! Alyssa Lomuscio is a TV editor, story producer, and assistant director based in NYC. Her work as a story producer has earned her two Daytime Emmy award nominations in the Outstanding Lifestyle Program category. She is also a science fiction writer of short stories, novels and screenplays under the pen name A.M. Lomuscio. A 2019 Clarion writer’s workshop alum, her short fiction can be found in Apex magazine and Uncharted. In our interview, Alyssa discussed her time balancing being an AD and a writer and shared stories of working in TV. 

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Aurora Caruso

Welcome to NYWIFT, Aurora Caruso! Italian-Belgian artist and former journalist and production assistant Aurora Caruso works with video to explore the relationship between reality and art. After several years in the Italian film industry, she is currently studying Communication and Art & Design at John Cabot University, an American university in Rome. Driven by her passion for cinema, she moved to New York to continue her studies at The New School and has just returned to Italy after a semester there, with the goal of finding work in the United States. She aims to become a director, and her work is shaped by innovation, curiosity, and critical thinking.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Carol Welter

Welcome to NYWIFT, Carol Welter! Carol grew up in the United Kingdom, steeped in classical theatre, before crossing the Atlantic in 1977 and making the United States her home. Trained on the English stage from girlhood, she spent years acting and directing before discovering that writing was her true creative playground. Through Masters-level workshops and decades of artistic exploration, she turned her talents toward stage plays, screenplays, and poetry—crafting stories that blend imagination, humor, and heart. A woman who has worn more hats than a Shakespeare festival costume rack, Carol has directed, designed, and shaped productions from the ground up. Now a spirited senior storyteller, she writes across continents and galaxies, drawn to tales of transformation, unlikely heroes, and tender love stories. In our interview, Carol reflects on her journey from the stage to the page, the themes that inspire her work, and the new projects she’s most excited to share.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Maria Giese

Welcome to NYWIFT, Maria Giese! Maria Giese is an American film director, screenwriter, and longtime advocate for equity for women directors in Hollywood.  She wrote and directed the feature films When Saturday Comes (starring Sean Bean) and Hunger (based on the classic  Knut Hamsun novel).  A member of the Directors Guild of America for over 25 years, Giese is widely recognized for her role in initiating the 2014 ACLU and 2015 EEOC investigations into systemic discrimination against women directors.  Her work is featured in the documentaries This Changes Everything (2018 Netflix), Half the Picture (2018 Amazon), and the Sundance hit Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power (2022 Kino-Lorber). Maria spoke to us about her career trajectory, her turn to advocacy, and what she sees for the industry moving forward. 

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php