We’re looking forward to introducing you to Lorann Schindler. Check out our conversation below.
Lorann, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
There is definitely more than one thing that makes me lose track of time and find myself again. As I type this, I am sitting in a coffee shop at a high-top bar in the front window. I have been pensively staring out of it watching cars go by as if I am in some sort of melancholy nineties music video. Completely lost in thought but also thinking nothing at the same time. Vibey music playing in the background while I think whoever curated this playlist captured perfectly the essence of this moment. The kind of playlist you wish you were cool enough to make. And then here I am back to reality realizing it is nearly closing time, I have accomplished very little and need to pack up. So, I guess that is one way I lose track of time…sitting in a coffee shop just soaking in the vibes. I also lose track of time in a crowd at a concert and find myself in the lyrics being sung from the stage. I lose track of time wandering through an art museum and find myself in the paintings, remembering a different time in my life and I go looking for that girl I was then.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I work in all mediums of art, with makeup and photography as my focus.
I studied photography and the basics of art and design principles at the University of North Texas before transferring to Tarleton State University. It was there that I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentrating on 2D media, such as painting, and a minor in English. Upon my college graduation, I attended the Terri Tomlinson Makeup Training Academy to study the art of makeup. That’s just where my story started professionally, though.
My story, really, started from birth. Art, or being creative, was just something that was always inherently rooted in me. My lineage is full of artisans, makers, painters, etc. I was always a little weird; I always had to be doing or making something, getting my hands into absolutely anything I could to make something. I did everything I could as a child: painting, sewing, pottery, spinning art, baking, sneaking into my grandma’s makeup, you name it. I was trying to make art with it.
I have spent the majority of my life working with makeup. I just thought my Barbie’s blue eyeshadow was so beautiful, and I wanted to get my hands on anything I could to recreate that look. By the age of eleven, I began to work with my local high school’s theatre department doing hair and makeup. By the time I was fourteen, I had booked my first clients for homecoming and prom, and now, twenty-four years later, I have not stopped.
My love of photography also started at some point in my childhood. Barbies with their beautiful blue eyeshadow, I would style their hair, pose them atop their white convertible, and use up rolls of my grandma’s film having Barbie photoshoots. In high school, I joined the yearbook staff and was instantly connected to the camera. As a yearbook editor in my senior year of high school, I decided to set off on a path of obtaining an art degree.
I work as a freelance makeup artist doing everything from on-set production and commercial work to editorial photoshoots to runway shows and more. But most of the time, these days, you can find me on set for some sort of small production. My degree in art gives me a leg up if you will. I am highly trained in art and design principles, color theory, color mixing, etc. I can take art direction easily because I can easily see the full picture of a project.
As a photographer, I love working with people and helping them to tell a story. I enjoy artistic portraiture, fashion photography, photojournalistic-type work/content creation, lifestyle portraiture, product photography, and concert photography. I am sort of a one-stop shop, as I will often do someone’s hair and makeup and then photograph them. I think that is something that truly sets me apart. Neither one is just a hobby for me. You are getting her full attention and skill from both aspects.
More recently, I added “Studio Owner” to my list of careers. I spent the majority of 2021 designing, decorating, and preparing my studio, Jolene’s Place! In 2022, I launched it! The studio is available to rent on Peerspace! It’s a concept and idea that lived in my head for quite a while, and it is so rewarding to see it all come to fruition and be available now for people to come in and create their own art. Every room of the space serves a different purpose!
The open-concept living room with vaulted ceilings serves as a photoshoot space with multiple seamless backdrops from which you can choose. Three bedrooms each give you a different vibe to choose from.
One room gives a light but dark retro aesthetic for your grown-up Barbie dreams. Another room brings a light and airy boho vibe. Our last room helps you relive your childhood with all the ’90s/Y2K nostalgia. In the kitchen and seating area, you will find an eclectic mix of mid-century modern, art deco, and post-modern vibes. I also paid attention to details all the way down to what is stored in drawers and cabinets.
There is also a full hair, makeup, and wardrobe room available. As a makeup artist, I have noticed that a lot of studios make hair and makeup an afterthought, providing very little space to set up your kits. I made sure in my studio that I made the hair and makeup artist the first thought, giving them the workspace of their dreams!
My story is varied; my career is vast, but it all works in harmony together.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I have several people who come to mind when thinking of someone that saw me before I saw myself! My mom’s best friend, my Aunt Julie, saw me from a young age and championed me along the way. Aunt Julie was a teacher at my local high school who was able to get me involved in things I would not have on my own as an introverted child. When she saw a little girl who loved doing hair and makeup and had a sort of natural knack for it, she got me involved in theatre at the high school when I was just in the sixth grade. In high school she put me on the yearbook staff and handed me a camera telling me I had the eye for it. Here I am now as a makeup artist and photographer. She saw something in me and helped set me up for my future! Also, my junior high BFF and lifelong friend, Ivy, comes to mind. Ivy always saw me before I saw myself. She recognized in me a little weirdo who needed someone to believe in them. Ivy always encouraged me to try out and practice new makeup techniques. In junior high she always volunteered to be my model so that I could practice on someone other than myself. When I’d wear blue hair mascara in my hair and other whispered about it, it was Ivy who got in their faces and told them I was brave enough to be myself unlike the sheep that they were. Ivy has not changed in that way. She still fights for and champions others, the weirdos on their own paths.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Love yourself. Plain and simple. Just love yourself.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Oh, for sure! I am just as embarrassing and weird at home as I am in public. In the words of the legendary Ms. Britney Spears: “baby, what you see is what you get!”
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am without a doubt doing what I was born to do. I am fortunate enough that no one ever tried to tell me what to do or rather no one tried to tell me the stereotypical thing artist are told: “get a real job.” I have always been working my way towards a career as a creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lorannschindler.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/L_schin
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/lorann-schindler-508b7b30
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorannschin
Image Credits
Reese Williams, Alexis Pouncy, Michael Roberts, Anastasia Tucker, Black Pat, Lorann Schindler
