Sera pushing her passion
Dumisani Ncube | Friday November 25, 2016 15:17
However, due to their creativity stubbornness they continued pushing their passion. Beauty therapist, Euphemia Sera is one creative that has faced such challenges and decided to follow her heart and do what she wants.
The 21-year-old beauty therapist who trades as a make-up artist, facial consultant, massage therapist, stylist, pedicure and manicure artist is one of the many creatives that have faced challenges whereby their families would suggest they do something while their heart was set on something else.
“Parents do not believe in such professions of being a creative, they would want you to go to school, get a degree and get an office job. My family started off against this whole idea of me being a beauty therapist but they ended up showing support when they saw that I am not stopping and I am making a living out of it,” said Sera.
She noted that despite making a living out her craft as she is booked every weekend at various functions such as weddings, pageants, fashion shows, private company events and individual events, she is a third-year engineering student in telecommunications at a local tertiary institution.
“I am in school doing this degree only to please my mother as she was against the idea of me being a beauty therapist,” she said. She vividly noted that there is nothing wrong with school, as it is equally important.
Being a creative that has faced such a challenge, she is working on spearheading a campaign to urge parents to allow their children to follow their passion and venture into different fields without limiting or influencing them to do something different.
“Part of the campaign is to groom my peers, share my knowledge with them. Despite me being a young professional, I would like to share my skills,” said the softspoken Sera.
At 21, Sera has established a clientele and her own beauty therapy company, The Makeover Palace, which is mobile, as she currently does not have office space. Her clients call her to their respective places or they sometimes come to her house.
She said: “I am booked every weekend in different parts of the country every weekend. I have even gone as far as South Africa at one wedding. This has been my first gig outside the country”.
She noted that she takes her work seriously and professionally. “I do not want to rely on my mother’s support. She has struggled to raise us up. I think it is time I return the favour,” Sera said, as she noted that she makes sufficient income in a month that can take care of her family.
With many young women in Gaborone having beauty therapy stalls in different places such as bus terminuses and malls, Sera is impressed that the practicing of the craft is growing and it is being fully accepted.
“I see it is really growing, especially those that specialise in pedicure and manicure. This shows we need more beauty therapy schools in the country.”
She admitted that the rising numbers of beauty therapists means competition and urged her peers to be creative around the issue, have different approaches in their craft and stand out.
Sera noted that her inspiration comes from researching on different platforms on the Internet such as Youtube, blogs and websites.
Apart from getting the inspiration on digital platforms, she is inspired by local makeup artists Maxine Mooketsi and Tlhomamo ‘TheQuing Diamond’ Moje as she follows their respective works, especially the ones they post on Facebook.
Before being a makeup artist she was once a painter. This is where she learnt the skill of playing around with colours, which led her to being a makeup artist before she could become a fully-fledged beauty therapist.
Like many creatives, upon completing her work she posts some of it on Facebook, which has even led to her attracting more clients.