There is a certain level of pressure in the art world to produce a lot, and to have that work in front of your audience as often as possible. If you don’t manage this kind of pressure, it could easily overwhelm and discourage you. Here I have a few tips on how not to be too hard on yourself.
Dear Newly Natural Me,
Happy wash day! I see you’ve just finished. I see you’ve applied the LCO method. And everyone else can see it too.
In my defense, I had never worn a bun in my life, prior to going natural. Also, me and my baby fro really had no business, at that length, queuing up a bunch of how-to-bun videos on YouTube. But, what appealed to me about NaturalMe4C’s technique was that she didn’t have long wraparound hair at […]
So, I recently discovered my ends covered in product buildup, which is highly unusual. When I identified the issue, it turned out to be a combination of being heavy handed with a new, heavier product and exercising more, which meant my usual wash regimen was not keeping up. Sometimes the problem is that I’m […]
via When to do More or Less with Natural Hair — Pursuit of Natural
Going natural, there’s a lot to learn about our hair. What type of texture do I have, porosity, density, and so on? With so much unfamiliarity it’s easy to misunderstand how our hair is supposed to look and feel. How it’s supposed to work. After years of being used to straight and silky smoothness, any […]
I’ve touched on this in other parts of this series, but I wanted to gather those tips on research in one post. Here, I’ll talk about how to research quickly and efficiently and how to collect, save, and organize your research material.
Dear Newly Natural Me,
So you’ve heard that 4C hair is the tightest, most difficult hair type for a natural to manage. Surprise! That’s what you’ve got. Also–surprise!–most people have a mix of textures, including you.
As a self-taught artist trying to perfect a piece of art, a certain technique, or a different medium sometimes comes from a place of insecurity. When that is the case, it can often lead to getting stuck in a rut and burning out. To develop as an artist, you need to produce more complete works than incomplete ones. That means doing your best, letting the piece stand, and improving on any flaws in the next piece. Here are some tips to help you produce without worrying about being perfect.
Dear Newly Natural Me,
Don’t shave your head bald. I know it hurts for family to be so constantly disparaging of your choice to go natural, but your hair is not the problem. Getting rid of it will solve nothing. Deep down, you know that. You know it because you’ve read the testimonies of other naturals, the history, the basic psychology behind this kneejerk repulsion to your kinks and coils. And I know it is an entirely different thing to read about it than to face it.
Personal projects are a great, organized way to develop and deploy my skills. They helped to build up a portfolio I could later present for work opportunities, as well as demonstrate style and subject matter that define me as an artist. Here are a few tips on how to create a personal project and follow through.
