I have all types of clients. Most are strong independent women who just need a little
pick-me-up. Being able to lift them up and make them feel beautiful everyday makes me
feel a sense of accomplishment and joy. The smile on their faces after doing their nails
makes me feel warm inside. But it didn’t always feel so right for me.
When I first started as a nail tech, I went out and bought hundreds of dollars worth of
products. I sat at my living room table every single day and practiced for hours for over
a year. I spent so much time and money on all types of things; tips, polishes, charms,
glitter, brushes. I watched so many Youtube and Tiktok tutorials. “How to get the perfect
french tip?” “How to get a perfect shape?” “How to get the perfect apex?” My entire feed
slowly transformed into one big tutorial. As I judged my work, I was always searching for
perfection, when- to be completely honest- my work was pretty mediocre. I struggled to
see that I was a beginner though. I judged every little part of it. I continued trying &
trying even on days when I wanted to give up. I was looking for what wasn’t all there. I
struggled to believe in myself. Even on days when I doubted myself, I continued to work
on my craft.
My mom would reassure me “Estoy bien orgullosa de ti! Has mejorado tanto!” I’m so
proud of you! You’ve improved so much! Her words echoed in my head as I continued
practicing that day. Her words helped me realize that sometimes I was being too hard
on myself. As I layed in bed that cold winter night, I scrolled through my camera roll. I
looked back at my first set I ever did on myself and laughed. It was a short, clear set
with little holographic butterflies. The shape looked so dull, the polish was all over my
nails, and the butterflies were sticking out. I looked at the nails I did earlier that day. The
shape was crisp, the polish wasn’t on my skin, and the foundation of the nail was
strong. I couldn’t believe they were done by the same person. There was still
improvement to be done but I had come so far.
The definition of perfection is the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as
possible from all flaws or defects.That night I came to the conclusion that perfection isn’t
easy to achieve. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s even possible. But I also realized that
perfection shouldn’t be the end goal. Improvement is.