Sydney Morgan is a digital creator and make-up artist based in Los Angeles, California. In 2018, she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. Sydney became home schooled and bedridden while battling this disease; so, she turned to makeup videos to distract herself. As makeup was something she could do from home, it became the creative outlet and therapy she needed. Sydney took her talent and wisdom to Instagram, and eventually TikTok and Youtube, which has now garnered a large following. Sydney takes advantage of this following by taking every opportunity she gets to bring awareness to Colitis and Crohn’s disease on her platforms. Sydney also is active in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, where she has her own team, Sydney’s Superheroes, for the annual Take Steps event which benefits the foundation. Read on in our interview with Sydney to learn more about Colitis and Crohn’s disease and some future projects she has coming up!

Where are you based?
Los Angeles, California.

You are a make-up sensation on social media. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got interested in doing these creative looks online? Did you always love make-up?
I’ve been drawing and painting my whole life. I started volunteering in my community by face painting on kids at events, and quickly realized that I liked doing creative face paint. I kind of transitioned that into doing it on myself. I also grew up as a competitive cheerleader where I had to wear glam makeup, which I always found to be very fun. I started experimenting with it and began posting my makeup looks on Instagram shortly after I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I started posting on TikTok two years later. I quickly gained success on there and was really enjoying it. YouTube was always the goal for me though. So, I started to transition my followers to that platform, as well with the introduction of YouTube shorts to help push out my content.

How long does it usually take you to put a look together?
The quickest one probably took two hours, while the longest one took me 16 hours.

Where do you find inspiration for your makeup looks?
I pull inspiration from everywhere! Literally anything and everything, whether it’s an emotion, a song, a color, a theme, a plant I see outside.

What is your best makeup tip? Any holy grail products?
A big mistake I see people make when trying to achieve a glamorous fresh look is over powdering. To keep the skin looking fresh and dewy, I only powder certain areas to prevent creasing. Examples include my under eyes and smile lines. I leave the rest of the skin without powder, to keep a natural glow. I’ve also learned that cream products tend to keep the skin looking more fresh than pressed powders do. I’ve switched to cream blushes, contour sticks and highlighters.

As a digital creator, how are you able to continuously create a large amount of content for your viewers? What inspires you?
It’s so important to hold onto the same passion that got me started. Doing makeup transitioned from being a hobby to being a career, so staying motivated and relevant while not burning out from overworking or forcing myself to be creative can be tough. I just try to remember where I came from, and where I am now. I have to work just as hard to stay here, as I worked to get here.

Do you have any advice for aspiring makeup artists or digital creators?
It takes a very motivated person with a strong work ethic to be able to sustain a social media career. The thing with social media is that it never turns off. There are no weekends or business hours. It’s something that you constantly need to stay on top of to maintain relevancy. It gets very overwhelming at times. There is also a lot happening behind the scenes. For example, I am always planning concepts and ideas, finding the perfect lighting set up for my studio, setting up my camera on the best settings, using editing software, and buying props, costumes and backdrops, and much more. So, to sum it all up, it takes a lot of work, but if you are willing to do it then I believe in you.

In 2018, you were diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Can you explain this diagnosis to our readers and your experience with it?
Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. The symptoms can be very isolating. Fatigue and brain fog were some of the most frustrating for me to deal with, along with severe abdominal cramping and frequent trips to the bathroom. I tried to be “normal” the best I could, but behind the scenes I was burning through most of the colitis treatments that I would get my hopes up for. They did not not resolve my symptoms. I didn’t get to go to school, so I was did most of that from home. My doctors were great at working with me for temporary relief during the times where there were important events; I really wanted to go to like school dances etc. While I was sick, I was bedridden most of the time. Watching makeup tutorials and beauty gurus online was something I did a lot to distract me and keep me entertained. Art and makeup were also an activity that I could do by myself from home. It acted as my therapy and my creative outlet during this hard time.

A year later you underwent a final reconnection surgery and are now as close to healed as possible. What has the healing process been like?
It’s been a process just like everything else. I’m still learning and adapting every day.

Is there any advice or wisdom you gained during your diagnosis and healing process that you wish you knew in the beginning?
This pain won’t last forever. You’ll get though it, and it will be okay.

How are you bringing awareness to Crohn’s & Colitis through your platforms?
I take any chance I get to sprinkle in some Crohn’s and colitis awareness into my content. I love finding trends that I can incorporate it into. Reading through and responding to comments on those types of videos are my favorite. I love being able to chat with people who are going through similar situations or who have friends or family going through it. The response is always overwhelmingly positive. I’m glad my comment section can be a safe space for people to ask questions and learn.

What is one fact you wish everybody understood about Crohn’s & Colitis?
What I would like people to know about invisible disabilities like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis is that the people suffering with these conditions may look healthy on the outside, but could be in excruciating pain and dealing with terrible symptoms that you do not see. The most important thing is to BE KIND. Never invalidate their symptoms just because they do not appear sick.

Do you have any advice for someone suffering from Crohn’s and/or Colitis?
It may feel like your world is crumbling. You may feel that all your energy has to go into dealing with this disease, but it will pass. Take everything one day at a time and try to keep a positive mindset as best as you can. You are stronger than you think, and I believe in you. Do not let this stop you from doing things that you want to do.

Jejune loves that you have never let your diagnosis hold you back, and that you are paying it forward by working with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Can you tell us about your work with this foundation?
Since I was diagnosed with UC, I have been active in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in as many ways as I can. I have created videos to raise awareness. They have been shared by the national and my local Western Pennsylvania Crohn’s and Colitis Foundations.

I have my own team, Sydney’s Superheroes, for the annual Take Steps event which benefits the foundation. I will be speaking there this summer as well. I volunteered over the summer at Camp Oasis, an organization for kids with Crohn’s and UC. I have also attended many other fundraising events and donated to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Child Life Department, which gave me so much care and support during my inpatient stays.

You are a creative soul and prior to your diagnosis, were an aspiring college athlete; participating in cheerleading, gymnastics, and track-and-field while in high school. Was it difficult to give these up and will you pursue any athletic opportunities in the future?
Giving up track and field was one of the hardest things I had to do. After putting so much dedication, time, and work into the sport, it was hard to accept that it was over. I was in love with the process for the majority of my life. I'm still very active, and I hope that one day I can get an acting role that requires some sort of sport that I was involved in, like a Bring it On movie where I get to play a cheerleader or something like that.

You have also collaborated with some major brands, like Sephora, Ulta, L’Oreal, and Casetify. Do you have a go to brand?
I love NYX Cosmetics, Colourpop, Ole Henriksen, and Guess.

How are you staying positive during the current wave of the pandemic?
I’m just keeping busy by working from home and trying to enjoy this time and focus on myself. I’ve been reading a lot of books and mediating, as well as, lots of self care and playing with my cat, Boots. It’s been helping a ton.

What does 2022 look like for you? Any cool projects we should look out for?
I am really focused on acting in 2022! I'm doing a ton of auditions and have four feature films that will be coming out this year. I am also going to be starting a podcast with my two best friends! Stay tuned!

What is your motto in life?
There are no big rewards without first taking big risks.

To see more from Sydney Morgan, please follow her via the links below:
Instagram: @sydney.m0rgan
TikTok: @sydney_art
Youtube: Sydney Morgan

The Brave, Honest, Beautiful Sydney Morgan