I did Jada's makeup. The clowns did their own.

One of the best parts of my job is making every client I touch walk away happy, no matter what the gig is. This summer, I became a volunteer with Flashes of Hope.

Flashes of Hope volunteers work together with children's hospitals all over the country to bring the family portrait experience to sick kids and their parents. After spending quite a bit of time in hospitals with my own sick family members, I understand the crucial link between looking good and feeling good.

As a makeup artist working with tweens, it is absolutely critical to have plenty of sparkly lip gloss. I made double sure to stock my kit that morning with various combinations of pink, purple, and glittery stuff. Leslie, my contact at the charity, said "meet me by the giant ostrich" when I spoke to her on the phone. (If you haven't seen the new children's hospital at Johns Hopkins in downtown Baltimore, the enormous ostrich is one of many bright and cheery new contemporary art pieces that add to the charm of the facility.) The hospital designated a room as a mini photo studio for us, and that is where I set up my makeup table and chair. Soon after we were ready, familes began trickling in for their photos. Eventually we were even joined by a couple of wisecracking hospital clowns. It is amazing what a little concealer and a lot of eye cream can do to refresh an exhausted mom who has been sleeping sitting in a chair next to her child's hospital bed for the last few weeks. I am so thankful that I get to be a catalyst in making someone's day, month, or year better.

I have to say a very special thanks to my friend/mentor Kim Reyes for hooking me up with Flashes of Hope and for just being generally awesome!


Ron Mott profiled Flashes of Hope recently on the NBC Nightly News. Watch this video. Get involved!