Meet Megan Urmann | Makeup Artist + Aesthetician

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

Hi Megan, why did you pursue a creative career?
It’s a funny story, I actually tried my best to avoid it! Not to say that being an artist and living in creative flow isn’t deeply rooted in my existence, I just fell victim to the trope that there is very little success in being an artist. Growing up, all I heard was that there is no money in art, and that income is the only way to measure success. Now I don’t fault my family directly for these ideals, but it did send me down the path of life chasing a lot of red herrings. Originally, I went to school to be an art therapist. That way, I could marry my creative passions, my love for psychology, my drive to support my community, and my dream of a stable income. What could possibly go wrong? Well, I found out very quickly that going to a traditional college wasn’t sustainable for me. I dropped out and bounced around a lot of odd jobs before I built up a strong enough safety net and felt comfortable playing with the idea of pursuing an artistic career. It took a lot of courage, faith, reassurance, and support, but I did finally take the leap, and I’m so glad that I did. Once I started sharing my art with my community, a lot of unexpected doors began to open for me. I am at the point now that I genuinely feel like this is where I’m meant to be in life and what I’m meant to be doing. The projects and communities that I find myself to be a part of inspire me and ignite my soul in ways that I never could have imagined. I truly believe an artistic career was ultimately the only real possibility for 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 like to make the joke that I am but a mere vessel for my art. While I do need to credit myself for the years of my life that I have devoted to education and training, my art is something that is very instinctual for me. I have learned that I am most successful when I am able to turn my brain off, submit to the creative flow, and figure it out as I go. With a background in fine arts, I love that I have been able to transmute these principles into my makeup artistry and aesthetics business.

It is my goal to take on a wide variety of projects, to challenge myself and diversify my creativity. As a makeup artist, I have never listened to the gurus and niched myself down. While the fashion industry is my OG love, with runway, editorial, and commercial projects at the forefront of my work, I also love to do makeup for elopements, weddings, film, markets, festivals, performances, special events, and beyond. My style remains flexible and forever evolving. Each new project is a new opportunity for creative expression and I LOVE to sink into it.

Artistry aside however, I have found that I have a true passion for networking and community building. The people I meet are really what get me excited. Everyone has a story, whether they wear it on their sleeve or not. Everyone has dreams, aspirations, heartbreaks, anxiety-inducers, passions, and endeavors. My favorite thing to do is to connect with people while they’re in my makeup chair. It’s really about the heartwork of it all.

Regardless of all of my accomplishments and challenges in this industry, it’s really the people that have made all the difference for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is really hard to narrow down! We are really spoiled here in Denver – there are SO MANY interesting and exceptional spots. One of my favorite ways to spend my time is to run a gauntlet around the city. This entails stopping by several locations in one evening, for a small bite to eat, a quick drink, or a short visit. Some of my favorite parts of the city to do this are South Broadway, Santa Fe Arts District, The Dairy Block, and RINO, so start there.

Eat at City o’ City, Somebody People, Sukiya, Fruition, Linger, Avanti F&B, Zeppelin Station, SuperMegaBien, Noble Riot, Biker Jim’s, Sushi Den, Jelly Cafe, Lucile’s Creole Cafe, Stowaway Kitchen, Cuba Cuba, Voodoo Donut, and pretty much any of the food trucks you see around.

Grab some coffee at Roostercat, Metropolis, Hudson Hill, and Bardo.

Share a drink at Sputnik, Death & Co, Fort Greene, The Brutal Poodle, Atomic Cowboy, Milk Bar (especially on Goth Night), Matchbox (especially on Emo Night), Deviation Distillery, The Block Distilling Co, Run for the Roses, and Williams & Graham.

Go see live music at Hi-Dive, Globe Hall, The Gothic, The Bluebird, Mission Ballroom, or Red Rocks,

See a movie at the Sie FilmCenter.

Check out Mutiny Information Cafe, Ritualcravt, and The Terrorium.

Drive up to Boulder, hike around Chautauqua, and experience the view from the Sunrise Amphitheater.

And definitely make sure to spend time at Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver Botanic Gardens, and Meow Wolf.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Where do I even begin? The support of my community has been PARAMOUNT to my success. I am fortunate enough to have a massive network of incredible individuals in my life who have helped me so much along the way. My immeasurably wonderful partner and daughter. My many mentors and confidantes. My indispensable friends. My extraordinary clients. All of the amazing people I get the pleasure of working with on such inspiring projects. All of my supporters, online and in the real world, who constantly and consistently cheer me on. I am so grateful for you all!

Website: https://neomeganism.com/

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

Other: https://linktr.ee/neomeganism

Image Credits
Weston Mosburg @weston.mosburg for 303 Magazine Dixie Hartzog @witchvoid Robin Fulton @robins.photography Kelsey Templeton @ke.l.se Vallerina Photography @vallerina01 Lily Fox @lilymarie.fox for 303 Magazine