The Beauty in Belief

It Starts with the Mind

The mind is our birthing ground; it’s where we create and decide. The minute that we believe something, it sets us on a path.

Sometimes, we believe in negative things, especially about ourselves, which is due to external factors, such as our upbringing or life experiences and even voices that we have internalized over time, but the great thing is that we can always decide to believe differently, and the truth is that we all have faith in something.

As a person of faith and a believer of Christ my entire life, I have discovered that everything always goes back to God’s Word. Many people struggle with the unknown and with having faith. In a world full of therapists, coaches, self-proclaimed experts, self-help books, etc., I’ve discovered that everything is always a derivative of Biblical teachings. The mind is where everything begins; everyone knows this regardless of religious beliefs.

Scriptures Agree

No wonder, the Bible has over 20 scriptures about our thoughts and the mind, and over 200 scriptures about faith. There is a beauty in belief when you choose to believe God and His word.

One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:8-9:

“8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (New International Version, 2011, Philippians 4:8-9)

When you believe something, you have trust and confidence in that belief. If I believe a chair can hold up to 200 lbs. and I weigh 170, I believe it is sturdy enough for me to sit in and not collapse. Therefore, I will confidently have a seat in that chair. We believe things based on either facts or faith, and most people don’t realize how much faith they have (just maybe and sometimes, in the wrong things). However, once we place our faith in the right things, we can conquer anything!

IT, Not Beauty

I would like to share my testimony of becoming a Makeup Artist. It was never my plan to be in the beauty industry. I was in college pursuing my B.S degree in MIS, and I would always get compliments on my makeup. The funny part is, at that time of life, I wasn’t wearing eyeshadow, eyeliner, lashes, mascara, nor was I doing my eyebrows, but people loved the way that I did my skin. I then began to inquire with MAC Cosmetics about employment in either 2008 or 2009 (I figured I could work part-time while in college) and they would say I needed my resume and a portfolio. I definitely didn’t have a portfolio, and my resume had nothing to do with beauty retail.

In addition, my friends would always say “MAC wants you to have prior counter experience”, which I just explained that I didn’t have. Over the course of two years, every 4-6 months, I would ask a MAC Manager what was needed to work there, hoping the answer would change (I did this between 2 specific locations), but it never did, LOL!

Finally, after about 4-5 years since I first inquired about the job, I last-minute went to a Makeup Show that they would have yearly, and struck up conversation with a lady that I had no idea was the Regional Recruiter for MAC Cosmetics. She offered me an interview--I was blown away! Long story short, I joined MAC July 2013, and both of those locations that I would always inquire about, were both my home stores at a point--I was AMAZED.

I had just officially started (professionally) doing makeup in January 2013, which was also when I did my first Vision Board, but many things and acts of faith occurred prior to this in 2012. God wanted me to have faith and it was evidently clear. I had friends suddenly asking me to do their makeup, and I had this nudging feeling that wouldn't go away about becoming a professional MUA.

In September 2012, my friend, who is a celebrity photographer, came into town and volunteered to do professional photos for me (free of charge). Right after that, I had another friend give me a referral to get my graphics and business cards, and she allowed me to use her beautiful art gallery for my official “I’m an MUA” event in November 2012 (free of charge). I also had a couple of friends who worked the event for me, to make it extra extravagant. And, I even purchased another phone as my business line prior to the event! Suddenly, everything began to align when I trusted God and gave Him my YES.

Faith vs. Force

I have so many testimonies, but I had to believe that this was God and I had to have faith that I would succeed (because remember, my Bachelor’s is in IT!). When you believe, nothing is forced, it is aligned. When you have faith, things will flow. Having faith doesn’t mean that it will always be easy, it only means that you believe it will work in your favor despite the circumstances. When we force our will over God’s will for our lives, it comes with a lot of anxiety, which often leads to living an unhappy, unfulfilled life.

I have also advised for years that “Whatever you will do for free, you should do in life.” I encourage anyone to pray and trust that your gut instinct is God speaking to you. There is truly beauty in belief!

Reference List:

New International Version. (2011). Philippians 4:8-9. Biblica. (Original work published 1973)

Alexis of A1Artistry is a professional makeup artist with 10+ years of experience in many different areas of makeup. A1Artistry’s work has been featured in photoshoots, video shoots, weddings/events, magazines, billboards, and even in local & national TV productions.  

In 2023, Alexis worked on the Usher “My Way” Production, as the official makeup artist for the dancers in his show. Apart from being a professional MUA, Alexis is an entrepreneur who has launched a luxury 3D mink lash line—thriving in this field for almost 8 years now.  

Truly, Alexis is passionate about beauty, entrepreneurship, and helping people find their beauty inside and out!

Visit https://a1artistry.com to find out more about my A1artistry products and services. 

Follow me on IG: @a1artistry & LinkedIn: Alexis Chapman (MakeUp Art By Alexis)