As an artist, there are many ways to express your talents beyond what graces your chair in the salon each day. Pushing yourself, challenging your techniques, taking inspiration and vision to reality… it’s all critical to the artist spirit. What better way to push yourself, and see what you are really made of as an artist, than competition work?
Your clients are amazing. They keep you employed. They fuel your business. They are the heart of what you do. But, do they fuel your creative soul? And let’s be honest… is that really their job? We don’t think so. It’s YOUR job to seek it out. Much like education. You are the only one who can prevent yourself from falling into the “bored stylist rut” or better yet… prevent it!
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have a massive budget to shoot a collection and enter competitions. Take Palma Anshilevitch for example. This NAHA and Contessa winning artist created her first Avant Garde collection using cheap extension hair weaving it through a trash can from the Dollar Store! You also don’t have to break the bank when it comes to the photographer. If you can afford one of the greats, amazing! If you can’t… it doesn’t exclude you from entering or even winning. What does is not trying! Vision and skill will take the win every single time, not budget. I can tell you first hand as a competition judge, I have no idea what was spent on a collection when judging the imagery. I can only tell you if their heart was in it, you can tell when passion and love for their art is literally beaming through the image. I can tell you from experience… we judges can spot that a mile away.
I urge you, I even beg you…. embrace your creative spirit. It’s what makes you special. Don’t loose that passion that led you to pursue this industry in the first place. Take that artistic fire deep in your soul and feed it! Wherever you are around the globe, look into the world of competitions. Why not try? You’ll never know if you don’t!
Entries are now open for the 2017 North American Hairstyling Awards and Beacon, a renowned program designed to encourage and inspire beauty industry students. Please be sure to check out the Pro Beauty Association website for all the details and regulations for entering and as the official sponsor of the NAHA After Party, we hope to toast you there!
