18 years wiser.

there is no greater feeling in the world than being recognized for your talents.

i realize how conceited that sounds, but let me explain.

i had a client in my chair on wednesday who asked me if i enjoyed doing hair. of course, i said yes. and then she said *so incredibly sincerely, might i add*, "i know you do, i can see it in your eyes." now, i could take this to an uber conceited place and exclaim I AM OOZING WITH TALENT. I AM A SUPERSTAR. but that isn't the truth. i just mean that it is so incredibly and overwhelmingly gratifying when new clients that you have just met, strangers really, are telling you that they can see how passionate you are about your craft. that they can sense it, even in the first ten minutes of meeting you. it's quite possibly the best feeling.

and now let me relate this to the me of only a year ago, trying to figure out if i wanted to pursue what i wanted to do, or if i wanted to pursue what everyone was telling me i should be doing. i didn't want to go to college. i loved hair, i wanted to do hair. and everyone was telling me (family, friends, teachers) that i needed to go to college in order to be anything more than a worthless good for nothing loser living in my parents basement for the rest of my life. *a bit of an exaggeration* well. i fought with the college idea for months. i went back and forth for months, yes i'd go, no i don't want to. and then i eventually realized that I DON'T LIKE SCHOOL AND I AM NOT GOING TO COLLEGE. and that was final. the salon receptionist job had opened my eyes to a world i was more than interested in, and that was what i was doing.

i was so easily intimidated by people. and that is what i have discovered about myself during the six months i've been at hair school. i've never been terribly outspoken. yes, i'm opinionated, but not very vocal about it to those who i'm not close to. but hair school has started to change that. i have found my talent, i am more than thrilled to keep learning and exploring and even make some learning mistakes. but i have stopped letting other people's opinion shape my ideas. if you have a talent, do something with it. yes, criticism is good. even bad criticism. but don't just accept one or the other. you know when you mess up, and you know when you rock something out.

i realize this is sounding like a "find your own destiny" hippie style plea, but i promise it isn't. it's more of the do what you love, love what you do style plea.

decide what to be, and go be it. -avett brothers.
that's my latest mantra. you're welcome.

this is what i have been up to lately in the hair world. 

so there you have it kids. 

get out there and just do it. 

with love, and a soapbox to stand on.

-lys