Meet Elizabeth Mywaart | Photographer, Makeup Artist, and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Mywaart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Answers:

I see risk taking as an essential part of running a business. I’m using the standard understanding of risk as “possibility of loss “. Everything we do in life carries a risk as we can never truly know what an outcome will be, therefore there is always a possibility of loss. More than that, I think that for every chance we take or decision we make, there is always inherent loss. We are always operating with limited resources, which means that we can’t choose “everything”, we must invest our time and money with the understanding that each decision results in many other “no’s”. If we choose to invest our time into a product, that means there’s another product we can’t invest in. If we hire one employee, that means we won’t have time or money to hire a different one. So for everything we choose to invest in, there is a loss of all the other things that might have been, other products we could sell, other people we could train, other services we could offer. This plays out on a small or grand scale with every business, as it does with life itself. Risk is inherent to living, and understanding that every choice carries some risk. Every “yes” means a “no” elsewhere. It took me years to understand that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a photographer, what sets me apart the most, is that I also do makeup. More than that, I’ve spent 10 years as a makeup artist and I’ve learned to pay attention to faces in a way that so many photographers don’t. Before I was a photographer, I’d hear client feedback that said they didn’t like how they looked in a photo, so often they meant their expression. When people get their photos back, they often zoom in on two things: their faces, and areas of their body they are most sensitive about. From this response, I learned a couple tricks. Firstly, I do a little tutorial on posing before we even start a photoshoot, I teach them some cues that I can use throughout the session to help them stand straight and be aware of their bodies and to feel comfortable paying attention to those things. Secondly, I learned it was best to show clients photos pretty soon into the session. After I get about 10 good shots, I’d show the client how the photos are turning out. Typically at that point the client would mention what they don’t like about a photo, which is great to be able to know so early on, and it also builds their confidence.

Being a makeup artist and working in that industry has taught me how to pay attention to body language, how to make people feel comfortable, and how to make sure people feel beautiful. Becoming a photographer was an extension of those skills and made the transition smooth. My first goal when I combined the skills was to make it cheaper for clients to book destination weddings, that was in 2018. By 2019 I’d been booked to go to Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Hong Kong. Covid changed many things but brides are dreaming of destination weddings again and I’m excited for where my camera and makeup brushes will take me next! So far, France in 2023.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Edmonton and, while it’s not very glamorous, we have some amazing restaurants and are only a couple of hours away from some world-class mountains. With a week I’d have to hit these locations:

1. Baiju – Amazing cocktails and unbelievable food
2. Chartier – French cuisine
3. Bar Bricco has the best pasta in town and amazing small plates.

There is some amazing shopping on 124th street, Blogger’s Armoire has fabulous consignment.

If you’re up for a road trip, Canmore has wonderful hiking, food, and views, and in Kananaskis you’ll find an unbelievable spa with stunning mountain views.

If I was to hang out in cozy cafes I’d go to Square one, and if I’m eating pizza, it’s Stone and Wheel.

Edmonton is sprawled out but there are gems all over the city worth discovering.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many who have supported me in my journey. I’ve been a business owner, and, later, entrepreneur, since 2011. In that time I’ve had many who have helped me so this list can’t be comprehensive. Mostly, it’s my husband, Justin. He’s supported me through the many ups and downs of being a business owner and, especially during covid, there have been many.

Website: http://BlushedBeaute.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blushedbeaute/

Image Credits
First Photo: Tricia Victoria Photography Photo of me with brush and camera: Wild Love Photos