BLOG SPOT. "CREATIVITY" By Fraser Forsey

I wanted to spend this issue talking about something that I think is really important and something that I’ve learnt along the way on my journey as an Educator & Barber in this industry.

I think for the consistent barber/stylist out there that are working jobs, also business owners & apprentices we can get carried away at times just doing our job which is cutting hair grinding away one customer after another.

It is a repetitive grind.

We do lose sight at times of something that is so important and is really the foundation of everything that we’re doing as a hairstylist/artist in this industry and that that is “Creativity”. I don’t mean that we aren’t being creative when we are creating day to day beauties with our customers.

We have been lucky enough to spend some time in the USA at one of the biggest Barber Expos in the world and from a very well-known successful educator Barber Josh OP in his education session over here he mentioned allowing time to CREATE and be creative and push the boundaries and step outside the box of your general day-to-day work and cutting hair on customers.

So how can we push the limits?

It can be as simple as purchasing a mannequin and a tripod and putting aside some time for you to create and really push your skill set. It could be as simple as also organising a few of your friends or customers at home or in your studio or in your shop after hours when you don’t have the concentration on business and customer service where you can allow yourself to create different styles or perfect the styles that you’re currently doing.

Also utilise that time too grow your social content or produce a photo shoot to utilise new styling techniques with new products you’ve never used before or don’t stock in your business. Maybe even try new tools that you’ve never used before and you’re too nervous to try on your customers out of a lack of confidence.

Practice and implement new services or adjust your steps in the way you do a haircut and achieve your goals in cutting. One thing that I’ve found is if I’m practising a new process it’s good to practise on models/ mannequins instead of your clients, when doing this you’re able to give 100% of your creativity instead of being worried about my customer service and the focus on your customer.

I’ve also always taught and said to myself and others around me that you need to love yourself wholely and completely before you can give anyone the best version of yourself. Which means love yourself contently before others, when you master this everyone you encounter in life will get the best version of you. That is the true trick to motivating and inspiring others around you.

Another amazing quote by a fellow educator is “If you’re putting other people first then you’re not going to be able to deliver the best service or the best version of a cut”.

Essentially the meaning of this is that you need to put all your effort, time, and love into yourself, into your skills, into your tools, your products, your business before you can deliver the best version of your creativity and the line it’s you can reach.

To enable the potential within to grow in this industry put all your energy and your training into YOU and maximise your creativity because at the end of the day the beautiful thing about this industry is there is no limits, there is no rules, there is no certain way of creating, there is no wrong or right answer. We can push the limits as much as we possibly can and you can do that by adding your personality, your flavour into everything that you’re doing.

Pushing these boundaries in creativity will also help you to grow naturally and allow your customers the best version of your inner artist, because at the end of the day a good haircut will make them look good, but a good Barber will make them feel good.

@barbereducationbyfraser