A Make Up for Stage & Screen student from Stratford-upon-Avon College is proving that age is but a number when it comes to pursuing your dreams.
Bianca Pal, 40 from Stratford-upon-Avon, is juggling learning with motherhood as she works towards her dream career as a Make Up Artist in the creative industries.
Studying on the Level 3 Make Up for Stage & Screen course, Bianca is hoping to develop her skills to advance her career – and hopes to make her son proud in the process.
Bianca has had a passion for make-up since the age of five. Growing up she was always playing with her mum’s make up products and her school had a dressing up/make up station meaning she came home each day covered head-to-toe in products.
However, life took her in a different direction. She worked as an Assistant Creative Director for an advertising agency, working on Unilever beauty and personal care brands. But the dream never died.
Bianca took a day course in Film & TV Make Up at Christine Blundell in London and loved it. However, now as a mother, a full-time course in London wasn’t an option. But the Stratford course proved a lifeline: “It was great to have the opportunity to study the same content locally, and with the flexibility I needed as a single mother to a toddler.”
Bianca has loved her time at college with a favourite element being making connections: “Feeling the excitement of learning new things and connecting with new people. I’ve really loved working with the other students in my class and hopefully have helped them out a bit along the way.”
She has also loved developing new skills: “I’ve learnt new skills in prosthetics and created big, bold makeup looks that I probably wouldn’t have even thought of trying without having the briefs and objectives we have had on the course.”
Her decision to come back to learning, especially as a parent, has come with its challenges: “I think the most challenging thing about coming to college has been giving myself the permission, as a relatively new mother, to do something I’ve always wanted to, without feeling ‘mum guilt’! When you are practicing and learning about something you love, sometimes it can feel indulgent, in a way, but ultimately, I’m doing this to build a beautiful life for my son and I. It’s not a crime to love what you do – it’s a real privilege and it’s important to follow your dreams, no matter what.”
Bianca is determined to keep building momentum as a Make Up professional and hopes to be working in a range of creative industries using the skills developed at college: “I hope to grow my beauty business and use my new skills to elevate what I can offer. I’ve loved using the airbrush, for example, so I’ve just bought my own. I can see it being very popular with my bridal clients. One day, I’d love to work on a film set, perhaps when my son is older. It would be a dream to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company soon too. For now, I’m focussing on expanding my offering, honing my skills and finding flexible ways to support my son and I. I’m feeling excited about the future and all the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Check out Bianca’s business’s Instagram: @biancabeautyorg and @bpaintsfaces
