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

Hi Emily, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Wow, I get this question all the time and what it comes down to for me is knowing that its my calling. It is my purpose in this world to serve others through creativity. It brings fun, happiness and beauty to people’s lives and that’s what people want. People want a little fun and magic in their life and I get to facilitate that. Facilitate it by teaching people young and old how to dance, how to nail that cool dance move. Facilitate beauty and happiness by creating the perfect wedding day hair & makeup look they’ve been dreaming about. I think you just know when people are receptive to what you have to offer and seek you out for it. I’m just getting started, but I’ve already seen some really magical moments with clients! Its the adult who gained self confidence through dance lessons. Its the little kid who gains joy when they master a new dance move. Its the bride who feels special and beautiful and pampered on her wedding day. Moments like that are why I pursue something creative and in a way, it kind of chose me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’d say what I’m most proud of today or excited about is the growth I’ve had with my hair & makeup jobs. While bridal is my main focus, I’ve had the opportunity to work in TV & Film this year with A&E as a celebrity artist as well as dive into catalogue shoots for dancewear/fashion. These were two major goals of mine that came true this year and I hope to continue working in a variety of different environments. Those opportunities were honestly just referrals…I felt pretty lucky to have had my name brought up in the room. In a way, that felt easy, but to be referred means you have to do good work and be professional which is tedious in itself! Professionalism is really important when working with major brands, companies, networks and bridal. It’s not something that comes easy for everyone and it’s what I strive for.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh gosh! This is a tough one…there are so many great areas around the city. I’d have to say downtown Marietta though. For starters, it’s a bit of hidden gem considering I feel like only locals go there. its got everything as far as restaurants and bars go. Marietta Pizza Kitchen, Mac’s, Twobirds Taphouse, Silla de Toro tapas, Glover Park, Red Hare…I could go on! Then let’s not forget about the theater scene. You have The Atlanta Lyric Theatre for great musical theater and cabarets as well as The Strand theater. Andits a beautiful town to walk around in with historical buildings and beautiful churches.

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?
I just want to shoutout my Formal Faces team for being the most supportive and collaborative group of women and artists. I’ve learned so much from then alongside education programs. But truly nothing is more supportive than those women!

Instagram: emily_hmua

Facebook: Emily Willis

Image Credits
Kevin Harry Photography

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