In 2006 I was at a gig-decompression party in/near the Brewery. I was among friends. There was a face painter going around giving all the women beautiful sparkly face accents. I wanted to be pretty like that and I finally tracked down the make-up artist when he was available.
He asked what I wanted, and I told him that I really liked what he had already painted and to be inspired. He stopped for a moment, paused, looked at my face and my outfit (I was wearing black pirate pants and a men's ruffly tux shirt and boots) then whipped out his brushes. I was excited to see the colors and sparkle and glitter he was creating.
When I looked in the mirror, I saw that half my face was a painted as a skull. Internally, I was like WTF. I was really disappointed. I wanted to be pretty, sparkly, colorful. But all I got was this half face skull. But I said nothing. Other than thanks and went back to the party to make the best of my new face. In typical heathervescent fashion, I choose to own it.
If the make-up artist gives you the only half a skull face at the party, live the undead lifestyle, even if it's the opposite of what you wanted. This was way back before zombies became popular. It was also the same year I started my Zombie Cabaret.
I'd be lying if I said that makeup artist didn't inspire me to do the Zombie Cabaret. So while he failed at making me "pretty" and "ladylike" I got something much more... something I made my own. How many people can say they had a Zombie Cabaret in Los Angeles for 10 years? I know 2 of us.
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