Dry Bones
Collaborative Outreach

Dr. Gwendolyn Braswell Searls, affectionately known as Gwendolyn the Spiritual Makeup Artist, is a ministering evangelist, author, and community leader whose life is a living testimony of grace after great pain. Born in Albany, Georgia, she graduated from Westover High School in 1992. After surviving 15 years of hardship—including molestation, abuse, and domestic violence—she relocated to Atlanta to begin again.

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In Atlanta, Gwendolyn faced homelessness. But what could have broken her instead birthed a divine assignment. Alongside her late husband, Arthur Burks, she began feeding the homeless and serving those in need. After Arthur's passing in 2015, Gwendolyn entered a sacred season of transformation. It was then she heard the voice of God say: “You are no longer Dinah—you are now Deborah.” That identity shift ignited a deeper purpose. Soon after, God confirmed a second divine identity: “You are Gwendolyn—the Spiritual Makeup Artist.” This affirmation marked the beginning of a prophetic journey—one where beauty tools became spiritual metaphors, and broken women would discover healing in the “Powder Room” of prayer.

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She is the founder of Make Up Your Mind™, a faith-based ministry where lipstick, lashes, concealer, and foundation are transformed into metaphors of healing, identity, and spiritual renewal. Through Lipstick Prayers, Eyelash Prayers, and Concealer Prayers, women learn to see themselves through the eyes of Christ.

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She is the author of Unique Boutique: The Grand Opening; Turn Up Tommy Turns Up the Volume; The Mint That Was Meant for Good; Make Up Your Mind™ in the Powder Room; The Regimen; and PAT on the MAC: A Spiritual Makeup Regimen. Her books are tools for both personal growth and professional development, especially in underserved communities.

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Through We Are Lit™ (Literacy Illuminated Through Technology), Gwendolyn has brought creative writing and digital tools to children in low-income areas. She has served over 900 families through educational outreach and compassionate leadership training in apartment communities like Allen Temple and Ashley Cascade.

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She is the visionary behind TurnUp Tommy™, a youth leadership character, and founder of the annual Dinah to Deborah™ Experience, which honors women who complete the Make Up Your Mind™ program.

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In 2021, she married Teddy Searls. Together they lead Dry Bones Collaborative Outreach, founded in 2009—a ministry that revives the forgotten and breathes life into communities.

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Honors include: an Honorary Doctorate in Christian Studies (2020), the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (2023), and recognition alongside Jewel Tankard of The Jewel Tankard Show.

She continues to speak, write, and lead with grace, using her voice, creativity, and spiritual makeup artistry to help women discover the beauty of their God-given identity.