As a trainer I have the privilage of meeting amazing and inspiring women and men all the time. Sharing their journey in becoming a Make-up Artist and helping them to get started with their career in the beauty industry, is one of the many perks of my role. Which leads me to speak about one of the most inspiring and positive women I have ever had the honour of teaching-Olive Shaugnessy.
Olive Shaughnessy decided on enrolling on one of our courses, after she had been recently diagnosed with terminal 4 cancer, and she was such a bright light and a pleasure to teach.
Olive was diagnosed with terminal 4 cancer, after she hurt her neck while on a treat day out with her children, as they had just finished up at school for Christmas holiday, olive with 5 children in tow was rushed to UCHG, Where Professor Curran- with eyes full of tears- told her the devasting news.
While Olive was feeling very ill and down after treatment she heard a program on the radio, asking what would you do if you won the lotto- Olive immediately thought that she would love to do something creative and spend her time in a career that she loved.
Olive enrolled on the Make-up Artistry Diploma Course, and loved the fun, creativity, and found her experience to be very healing as she was doing something she loved indeed olive loved her course so much, she never missed a class, to the point that she actually got a taxi from UCHG ( an in- patient at the time) to the academy to ensure she didn’t miss any time.
Olive found a huge sense of self achievement from completing her course and passing her exams, and she continued to apply makeup to her family and friends and also was delighted with how she was able to apply her own makeup, as loosing your eyebrows and your features changing can be quite a difficult journey as I can imagine.
Olive continued writing her book – The Olive Branch- my second chance, she found this experience to be extremely therapeutic for her and a great way to release. Olive completed her first book and sold over 4000 copies, with people still looking for it. Her launch night was 10/12/15, one year after her diagnosis – Olive always looks for the positives in life and her book is an amazing read- she strongly believes A little bit of kindness goes a long way and always makes the time to talk, as we are very much in a society that we are too busy to talk and everything is very much focused on technology based.
Olives positivity Is very catching and Colin Fahy (singer, song writer), who read her blog mycoffaith,
Loved it and wrote a song with lyrics from her blog- which he launched at her 2nd book launch- Miracles and Milestones on my cancer journey.
When I asked Olive when she decided on writing a second book, she told me that she had being giving a talk in a church when the priest said it was the second best book ever written – next to the Bible.
Olive regularly gives her time to give talks in schools and believes that having a faith and always having her 3 ps, Positivity- Prayer- People are her staples in life.
Olive is now going to start giving makeup classes to women going through chemotherapy in the school of makeup artistry and I cant imagine a better woman for the job. We are so delighted to be a small part in Olives journey and look forward to many more happy times in the future.
What keeps olive busy
Checkout
www.cancerconnection.ie -aims to serve as a catalys for healing growth personal empowerment all while creating friendships. A place where you can feel supported, loved and gain strength to accept the situation and get a balance of life again. (Please register)
www.mycoffailth.wordpress.com - my blog (please subscribe)
you tube : olive Shaughnessy, my cancer journey : my vlog (please subscribe)
facebook: look up - cute as a button jewellery and crafts by olive shaughnessy