ADHD NZ - From engineering to painting baby bumps

October is ADHD awareness month. This year ADHD New Zealand wants to share the stories of New Zealanders with ADHD, who have found careers and passions that work for them. It’s not an easy road when your neurons spark in a different way and we hope these stories can inspire those with ADHD, and show others the amazing things we can do.

ADHD New Zealand recieves no government funding for our operations - we exist thanks to the support of our incredible community. If you are able, please consider donating to help us continue our mahi (work.)

An audio version of this piece is available here: From engineering to painting baby bumps audio, and through the button below

Finding a career you enjoy that holds your interest is the dream for many. For those of us with ADHD, it’s the holy grail. Christina Segetin's path took her from mechanical engineering to painting pregnant bellies. She now runs her own business, Fabulous Faces Entertainment, and couldn’t be happier.

The Wellington body artist and entertainer has bounced between jobs and hobbies for most of her life, without anything really sticking. But learning to understand her own brain, combined with a chance encounter at her son’s Kindy, changed everything.

It wasn't just me being broken

About two years ago, Christina was diagnosed with ADHD, and suddenly her life made sense. “My sister-in-law got diagnosed and talked to me all about it and I found myself ticking all the boxes. So, I went down the rabbit hole and started the diagnosis process.”

Christina struggled to focus at school and eventually stopped going. “I left school as soon as I could. I don’t think I even did it officially - I just stopped going back.”

Learning this was due to a neurological difference, and not because she wasn’t trying hard enough, did a lot for her self-confidence. “It was really reassuring. It wasn’t just me being broken.”

Engineering is pretty cool

After leaving school, Christina got a job at her father’s work cleaning, with a bit of vehicle dismantling thrown in. “Basically, just to fill in time, because Mum and Dad wouldn’t let me stay home and do nothing," she said.

It didn't take long for boredom to set in. “Dad got sick of seeing me just sitting around and reading and asked a friend of his, who owned an engineering business, if I could go and work for him.”

She started off doing odd jobs, then learned to use the welding tools and, at one point, helped put a roll cage on a lawnmower. “That’s when I started to think ‘engineering is pretty cool.’”

Study, safety, and pregnancy

That job inspired Christina to enrol at WelTec to study mechanical engineering. She struggled with concentrating, but still made it to second year, and landed a placement at a local engineering firm.

During that time she became pregnant. This was when she discovered the organisation's health and safety policies had been developed with only men in mind. Christina didn't know what mpact the chemicals she was working with, particularly the coolant she used while machining, could have on her and the baby.

"They knew the impact it could have on testicular cancer, but not pregnant people. I talked with my doctor and we decided ‘let’s not do that’, so I stopped engineering early on in my pregnancy," she said.

Finding her thing

Like many people with ADHD, Christina has left a trail of abandoned hobbies in her wake. “I jumped from hobby to hobby. I was constantly trying new things out, getting the gear, and then moving on. I tried crocheting briefly. I have two violins, a piano and a harp.”

Three years after leaving the engineering field, Christina found her ‘thing.’ “I was taking my son to Kindy, and they were doing face painting with $2 shop paints. I thought it looked really fun, went home and ordered a starter kit, and it went from there.

"It’s the only thing that’s actually held my interest. If I’m not instantly good at something I lose interest – luckily I was good at this,” she said.

Colossal squid and armoured Pikachu

Christina began painting herself, her children, and her friends' children. “I shared pictures on Facebook, and people commented that I shouldn’t be doing it for free.”

She started with set options for children to pick from, but quickly moved into letting them decide for themselves. “I had about eight different options, but that got a bit boring, so I started to ask them what they wanted, and they came up with the best ideas," she said.

Some of these ideas could be very specific, like Pikachu wearing bunny ears and armour while eating an Easter egg, and some unintentionally hilarious. “One boy asked me for a colossal squid (which I learned is different from a giant squid - I learned a lot about squid that day). The, ah, ‘shape’ of it, and the fact it was bright red, had me a bit worried about how it was going to look for a while, (if you know what I mean), but I was really proud of how it turned out in the end.”

You're making us look bad

Christina connected with other face paint artists, including her friend Jemma (JFAB - Jemmas Facepainting and babysitting), who told her she needed to up her prices. "Jemma was the first person who told me I was worth more than I was charging," she said.

“They said ‘you’re making the rest of us look bad’, so I started thinking ‘I might not be bad at this’ and that maybe I could become a professional face painter.”

Keeping busy during lockdown

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Christina honed her craft on her house windows. “You know how people put teddy bears in their windows for people walking past? I painted stuff on ours."

Even the windscreen of her partner’s truck didn’t escape unscathed. “I figured he wouldn’t be driving it any time soon,” she said.

I’m at the same party as Zappo! I’m a professional!

After lockdown, business picked up for Christina. “There were lots of parents trying to make up for kids’ missed birthday parties, and when you’ve had face painters and entertainers once, that’s it really.”

It was at one of those post-lockdown parties she finally accepted she was a pro, thanks to local entertainer Zappo the Magician. “I did a kids’ party where they’d also hired Zappo the Magician. I thought ‘I’m at the same party as Zappo! I’m a professional!’ I was so excited.”

One of Christina’s specialties is painting pregnant bellies. She got hooked during a stint working for children’s party entertainment organisation Making Faces NZ, which she still contracts for.

Her boss was going to be interviewed by Wellington's The Post, and had planned to paint a baby bump as part of it. However, Christina and Jemma, who was also working there at the time, had (many) other ideas. "Jemma is all through my painty history," Christina said.

"We really latched on and got a bit carried away. Tina (Making Faces Boss Lady) gave in to our enthusiasm and suggested one of us do the actual painting. Luckily for me Jemma bowed out and let me do it!"

After that, painting baby bumps became one of Christina’s favourite things to do. “I once did baby Hulk bursting out of his mother’s stomach. I would love to do that one again, I think I could do it better now.”

Not only do painted bellies look cool, the process also gives the parent a much-needed opportunity to stop. “I love painting pregnant people. It forces them to sit down and relax for an hour. I like being able to say ‘sit down, have a cup of tea. I’m doing something just for you.”

It’s so much fun when the adults get into it

Christina quickly discovered face painting was not just for kids, and found herself doing more adult events. “I did a party for someone’s 30^th who never had birthday parties as a kid. They did everything you would at a kids’ party, face painting, fairy bread and bubbles.”

She also does hen’s nights. “It’s so much fun when adults get into it.”

Christina really enjoys painting adults and has been asked to create some interesting images, including an anatomically correct Gingerbread Man.

One of her favourites was a couple who each picked what would be painted on the other, without them knowing what it would be. “She got me to paint McDonalds fries on him, and he asked me to paint a toilet on her. They were both going out somewhere afterwards! She kept asking me how bad it was, and I told her I was trying to make it as pretty as I possibly could.”

Just add bubbles

Never one to stop at just one thing, Christina added something new to her repertoire - and her business name. Christina added bubbles, and Fabulous Faces became Fabulous Faces Entertainment.

Once again it was Jemma, who had begun adding bubbles as part of her babysitting service, who encouraged her. “I had a play and then ended up going down another rabbit hole. It’s not just blowing bubbles. You can make bubble walls, smoke bubbles, UV bubbles, even fire bubbles.”

The rabbit hole also led to her learning how to do bubble poi, after seeing a video of someone doing it in the UK. Christina now does face painting and bubble shows for birthday parties, private functions, festivals and holiday programmes.

Making the most of masking

Another performance opportunity gave Christina the chance to make the most of the neurodivergent trait of masking. Masking is when a person covers their neurodivergent traits by learning to act in a way lets them be accepted and fit in.

“I saw an ad on TradeMe Jobs for scare actors for a haunted house. I’d never done anything like that before, and I wasn’t sure how I’d go at it. I did my own face paint, and I was the first person people saw. I got up in people’s faces and made a couple of people pee themselves. It got me thinking about ADHD and masking. I realised I was good at the acting, because I had the paint on. I was literally wearing a mask. I would love to do more of that type of work if the opportunity came up.”

This is the right space for me and how my brain works

Christina believes the fact she is still doing this mahi (work) and enjoying it, is a sign she’s doing the right thing. She can’t see herself going back to a regular nine-to-five job any time soon. “It’s verified this is the right space for me and for how my brain works,” she said.

Connecting with Christina

If you are interested in Christina’s services, you can find Fabulous Faces Entertainment on Facebook at

Fabulous Faces Entertainment or email her at fabulousfaces@outlook.co.nz

She is also planning to set up her own website next year.

Supporting ADHD New Zealand

ADHD New Zealand is a non-profit organisation, committed to supporting those living with ADHD and their whānau, through practical information and support. We are made up of, and are here because of, members of the neurodivergent community. Every course, every support group, and every piece of advocacy is made possible by the generosity of our donors, and we are so grateful.

If you would like to contribute to our ADHD Awareness Month appeal (or on any month of the year) visit our donation page.

From engineering to painting baby bumps