I cut my hair this week.
It was an easy decision for me. After weeks of cutting my hair shorter and shorter, I informed my hairdresser, Stephanie, it was time. I sat down in her chair, took out my hair-tie and said, “Yup.”
“I want a pixie.”
I can’t really explain my urge to get the cut. I was scared, but I felt an insatiable pull to do it. For weeks, I’d text Stephanie and ask her to cut my hair again.
Each time, it got shorter. From shoulder to right under chin. I got braver.
From even, without layers, to a buzz underneath. From blonde to brunette.
After I did all of that, I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted the pixie cut, and I had all along. As I sat, and Stephanie meticulously cut and trimmed, I overheard a mother talking to her young daughter.
The little girl was getting her hair cut. She had long, tangled blonde hair with pink tips. Grinning, she ecstatically explained how short she wanted it to be.
“Do whatever makes your heart happy,” her mother said.
It seemed to resonate with both Stephanie and myself.
“That’s cute,” Steph murmured.
I thought about that for the next couple of days. What a simple concept – do what makes your heart happy. It reminded me of the feeling I’ve been getting lately whilst painting.
I’m desperately trying to put together a few pieces for a show in December. I’ve always wanted to show a creative side outside of just writing, and I jumped at the opportunity. Hence the array of paint brushes, magazines, and scraps my roommates are forced to step over.
But it wasn’t just the appeal of a show. In high school, I wrote all the time of course, but drawing/painting was a welcomed escape that I poured myself into. I spent hours with fine tipped ink pens, watercolors, and pencils, listening to music.
I disappeared for awhile.
Lately, art has brought me so much joy, I’m pushed to do something else. I want to incorporate my art (and others) into my blog. While this will always be a destination to talk about travel, adventure, and love, I also want it to be a place to share my work.
It makes my heart happy.