Am I just another dog marking my territory?

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

 
I used to think I was a nice person.
Did you ever notice, that you aren't as nice of a face painter, when some competition shows up?

I was doing my yearly freebie facepainting for my sons' school picnic. Every year, my head swells and grows with all the compliments thrown at me by the kids and the other parents. Aaagh yes, I AM wonderful. I am the best. I am AMAZING! THANK YOU, LITTLE PEOPLE.    ........ Please.

This year as I am painting, a mom comments that she painted the day before for the preK and Kindergarten kids. I don't even look up. "Yeah, like you are really a REAL face painter," I thought. God should have struck me down. Well, she pulled out her stuff and had her own line of happily waiting children. The kids in my line were shouting at them, "Mrs. Shelley is the best. You should be in this line." I told them to stop; that it was very rude. The other mom was making many kids happy and helped take the load off of me.

Boy, it's sad, how less than friendly I was. It was as if I was saying, "these our MY people and they love ME. Take your beginner talent and go home." 48 and I still have a lot to learn. SORRY, fellow school mom. Wanna jam?

[smoothdansa]

Don't worry I feel the same way when a parent comes to me saying how they paint for their kid's carnival or party or whatever.  I always think to myself "I know it didn't look anywhere near as good as my stuff."  But with that said I still stay friendly to the person and make sure they're not using acrylic. 

I just hate the fact that I've been painting for 11 years, buying paint, researching new designs, buying the best brushes and sponges only to have someone go to Hobby Lobby or Walmart and buy some paint and brushes and call themselves a face painter.  As if that's all it takes to do what we do.  I mean how do you even work without a board with designs?  My point is understand where you're coming from.

[reginanewsum]

It's ok Sherry!  I understand what you felt!  I think we all have had those thoughts before!  When I am painting and people are saying, OMG you are so talenterd, it puts me in a zone all of my own!  Hard to explain, but you understand!  We do work so hard, not only on painting, it's the educationing ourslefs and the practice.  I have worked very hard to build my name up and my work and it fells good to hear the parents and the kids go on and on about the painting.  This is what happened to me, and I to wanted to say a few harsh words to the lady. At the ren faire, a lady came up to me and said "my daughter does this stuff too!  I was nice and said wow great, where is she located at? She told me Battle Creek! hmmm thats where I am from, I had researched and found no other painters. I ask for her name and she told me, I than told her "I had not heard of her, and she went on to tell me that she has painted for three years, has a great business and does two events a year!  I thought please!  I eat and sleep face painting, and I am on the phone every day! Still being nice I said, well maybe we could get together and jam some time? She looked at my back drop (which is my baby right now)  ask me where  I bought it? I told her that I made it and she said - ready for this!  If you give me your card, I will pass it to my kid and she can give you some private lessons on painting, with some practice you will get better and be as good as her! I seen fire at that moment!  I than rudely told the lady EXCUSE ME!  If she was THAT good, she would be setting next to me at this ren faire and painting everyone! GOD forgive me for my rudeness! The next day the lady came back, stood for about one hour and watched me, not saying any thing, but I was so happy I had a large line waiting to get painted at big prices! So there lady take that! I still researched the daughter and have not come up with any info!

[reginanewsum]

Maybe I do have some info on the rude ladies daughter! I did a birthday party gig at a park last night!  The mom who hired me told me that she has 6 children and would I mind painting at each of their birthday parties as their birthdays come around! I gave her a handful of cards and she went on to tell me that last month she had a sons birthday party, and had a face painted from lakeview come. I remember the rude lady saying her daughter lived in lakeview! I thought ( hmm why isn't she back this month?)and asked how did she do?  the mom said "chitty" you couldn't tell want any thing was? and we hated the paint she used! I asked what paint was it, the mom said I don't know but it was in tall skinny bottles!  Hmmm sounds like acylics!  and the mom said we won't have her back.  So I'm wondering if that was the daughter "that I need to take lessons from?  Well just checking my scheduale out maybe the daughter can come over next thursday and I could give her lessons on SAFE painting!  Ahhhh there comes the cat out in me again!  MEEEEEOOOOOW!

[Sherry]

  Aaagh yes, I AM wonderful. I am the best. I am AMAZING! THANK YOU, LITTLE PEOPLE.    ........ Please.

Lol Wina, you are too funny... and you ARE a nice person, but you're only human.  The good part is when we see these things and try to make it right.  I personally hate the competition thing too, because I hate the feelings it can bring out in me.  Constantly working on myself and trying to get beyond that.. but do we ever?

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

Maybe the other mom could come over for some facepainting lessons? I can gladly take her $$$.
Why not ad to my menu of work?