Sponge Stories

From a Frozen birthday party to co creating the Face Painting Hub, Elizabeth Gale from Sparkle Face joins me to talk about how one thing led to another. We chat about first gig nerves, learning on the job and why experience doesn’t necessarily stop you questioning your own work. Elizabeth also shares how she and Amanda Careford built a business together, from teaching and tutorials to developing b...

This week on Sponge Stories, I’m chatting with international award winning face and body artist Helene Rantzau. We talk competitions, continuing to learn even when you’re at the top of your game, finding your face paint family and why conventions can completely change the way you paint. Helene shares what it was really like winning the International Face Painting Competition in Helmond, why compet...

What does it actually feel like to be a brand new face painter? This week I’m chatting with Laura from Sparkle Inc about the bit we don’t always see online: the nerves, the overthinking, imposter syndrome and the reality of trying to build a business from scratch. We talk about getting that first paid booking and suddenly realising you actually have to do it, learning to trust yourself, posting on...

This week on Sponge Stories, I’m chatting with Samantha Helen, face and body artist, educator and founder of Essentials by Samantha Helen. Samantha shares her slightly unconventional route into the industry, from working on a MAC counter and painting herself with some very old Snazaroo, to teaching, building a team of artists and creating her own range of professional face painting products. We ge...

This week I’m joined by face painter and body artist Jade La Forest Wolfe. We chat about Jade’s first chaotic face painting jobs, nightmare clients, knowing your worth, burnout and finding your own style. Jade also shares how she entered her first body painting competition having never completed a full body paint, her journey into competitive body art, meeting Nick Wolfe and what they’re building...

In this episode of Sponge Stories, Siobhan chats with Beshlie-Ann Carver-Carpenter from Glittery Rainbow Cat. Beshlie shares how she went from studying Fine Art and working as a veterinary nurse to discovering face painting after her children started drawing on each other with Sharpies. They talk about learning to trust your instincts, the designs that still cause anxiety, managing queues, the imp...

This week on Sponge Stories, I’m joined by husband and wife team Michelle and Michael from I Paint Faces. We chat about how they’ve built the business together, growing a team of painters and landing what sounds like the face painter dream: their own permanent Paint House at Knockhatch Adventure Park. We also get into event positioning, managing huge queues, knowing when to take time off and why s...

This week I’m joined by Erica Jane Walsh from Art Vision Events, who is celebrating an incredible 20 years in the face painting industry. Erica takes us right back to the beginning, from turning up to her first bookings with only a handful of designs, to developing her instantly recognisable wispy style and building a career that was originally only ever meant to be temporary. We chat about diffic...

🇨🇦 NEW EPISODE! And Sponge Stories has officially gone international! 🎙️ This week I’m joined by Mackenzie from MJC Artistry in Vancouver, Canada, for my first proper international recording, complete with time zones and a VERY early start for Mackenzie! Mackenzie only started face painting three years ago after a conversation at her local rock and gem club sparked an idea for rock themed face pai...

What does it really take to organise one of the biggest face and body art conventions in the UK? In this episode of Sponge Stories, I'm joined by Bex from BAPIA and UK FABAC for a behind the scenes look at everything that goes into planning a convention. From months of preparation and juggling countless moving parts, to creating an event where everyone feels welcome, Bex shares the reality of brin...

What does it take to turn a face painting business into a complete party experience? This week I'm joined by Jade from Party with Jelly Jade, whose business has evolved from painting faces into entertaining thousands of children at birthday parties across the UK. We chat about how it all began, from painting Batman designs straight from a face paint book while hosting McDonald's birthday parties,...

What starts with a 13-year-old charging 50p for face painting in her front garden somehow leads to architecture, nightclub face painting, a laser cutter in the living room and a physical face paint shop in Glasgow. In this episode of Sponge Stories, I’m joined by Lisa, the face painter and business owner behind POP Stencils and Face Paint Pro. Lisa shares how her early career took plenty of twists...

As one half of the legendary Wolfe twins, Nick helped shape modern face and body painting as we know it. From creating the iconic Wolfe FX paints and winning World Bodypainting Championships to teaching artists across the globe, his influence can be found in almost every face painter's kit and technique today. We chat about how he and his twin brother Brian transformed the industry, what it was re...

This week on Sponge Stories, I'm joined by Michelle from ABC Parties. Michelle has had a remarkable year. After stepping away from the industry during a difficult period in her life, she returned determined to rebuild her confidence, reignite her creativity and throw herself back into face painting. Since then, she has won Face Painter of the Year, entered an international face painting competitio...

This week on Sponge Stories, I’m joined by Bethany from Brushed Beauties, a face painter based in Northampton with a background in branding, design and marketing. We chat about how Beth turned a weekend hobby into a thriving face painting business, the lessons she learned from those nerve-racking first jobs, and some of the most memorable events she's worked on, including the Women's Rugby World C...

This week on Sponge Stories, I'm joined by Jane from Daisy Jane Face Painting. With nearly 10 years in the industry, Jane has built an instantly recognisable brand, a thriving business and a reputation as one of the most loved painters in our community. In this episode, Jane very generously shares her ongoing experience with grief and the realities of running a business built around joy when life...

Rachel Connolly discusses the importance of networking for business growth, the challenges of operating a rural business, and the significance of inclusivity in face painting, providing valuable insights and practical tips for each topic. The conversation delves into the importance of inclusion in the face painting industry and the challenges and opportunities for neurodiverse individuals. It also...

Millie Rose, founder of Fantastic Faces, transformed her passion into a flourishing business after winning the Prince's Trust Enterprise Award in 2019. From facing challenges as a single parent to building a creative team, Millie's story is a true testament to resilience. She started out with just a dream and a scabby old box of paints, and now she’s redefining face painting across Yorkshire. It’s...

The conversation explores the power of social media for creatives, the journey from imposter syndrome to authentic content, the balance between content creation and face painting gigs, the evolution of content and face painting, and a discussion on a favorite face painting gig. The conversation covers a range of topics including the world of events and corporate gigs, the transition to adult clien...

The podcast episode features a conversation between Siobhan Chudleigh and Donna Godfrey, discussing the challenges and experiences of face painting as a career. They cover topics such as the early days of face painting, the transition to full-time work, and the unexpected aspects of the job. Donna shares insights on the admin side of the business, the physical toll on her back, and the rewarding m...

Georgiana shares her journey into the world of face painting, from her beginnings in Romania to establishing herself as a successful face painter in the UK. She discusses the challenges she faced, the importance of investing in herself, and the evolution of her business. The conversation covers her experiences, challenges, and successes in the face painting industry. From pricing strategies to sea...

The conversation covers the journey of starting and growing a face painting business, discovering the art of face painting, building an online presence, the challenges of social media, and the development of artistic style and technique. The conversation delves into the art of intentional painting, the value of precision and placement, and the struggle with self-comparison in the face painting ind...

Episode 3 brings a really honest and refreshing conversation. I’m joined by Sara from The Artful Dabber and we talk about what it actually looks like to change direction in your career and back yourself while doing it. Because let’s be honest, that can feel pretty daunting. We get into the importance of branding in your business too. Not just logos and colours, but how you show up, how people reme...

Episode 2 is one that’s going to hit home for a lot of painters. I’m joined by Heather from Rainbow Tiger Face Painting and we get properly honest about the stuff that doesn’t always get said out loud. Imposter syndrome. Burnout. And the honest mistakes made on social media in the heat of the moment. We talk about that feeling of “am I actually good enough?” even when you’re fully booked. The exha...

Ever caught yourself scrolling and thinking everyone else is better than you? Episode one kicks things off with Juliet Eve. We chat about comparison in the face painting industry and how easy it is to get pulled into what everyone else is doing. Juliet shares why focusing on your own style matters and how leaning into what makes you different can actually be the thing that helps you stand out. It...