Be Bold and Creative in Beauty School
I recently opened a fortune cookie that read “Only those who dare truly live.” Like many fortunes, it ended up stuck on my fridge to be noticed any time I walk by. There’s something about this one in particular that I enjoyed. I believe it can be widely applicable to nearly any situation and today I’m going to make it relevant for you. When I first meet future stylists in my office they always tell me about what they hope to learn or try while they are here. The ones with big dreams and open minds will try everything with a sense of excitement whether it is cutting, coloring, nails, facials; it doesn’t matter. Others will tell me what they are nervous to learn; usually it’s cutting hair. In the end, they all start school with a flood of anxious excitement that is my favorite part of every class start.
While you are in school, you will be encouraged to try things outside of your comfort zone. Especially on the salon floor, you have the ability to create something new and, previously in your mind, impossible to achieve. It pays to be a bit bold, to exit your comfort zone and try something edgy and completely unlike you if only to prove to yourself that you can do it. For some this may be as simple as a perfect set of acrylics. For others, perhaps it will be an asymmetrical cut and bold color. No matter the outcome, try something you think you’re bad at doing. School is a time to be imperfect and learn how to get better. If you only ever do what you are comfortable with you will limit yourself from your full potential.
Competitions are a great time to get bold. We recently had one themed around Disney for Halloween and I was absolutely floored by what some of our students put together (click here to see pictures we posted on Facebook). Head to toe, they created such an elaborate sense of whimsy that I watched and took pictures with a goofy smile on my face the whole time their models were parading through our salon floor. I could not have been more impressed by their creativity and skill. They took this chance to do something incredible and different and went into it wholeheartedly. I don’t think any one of us has had a harder time judging a top three nor have we ever had scores
Remember to get a bit daring. Unless you get into hair competitions after graduation, school is the perfect time to get a bit daring and see where your creativity can take you. You have a captive audience in your school’s staff that are supportive and excited to see what you can do.