Ruth Roche, Artistic Ambassador for Pureology Serious Colour Care, is a big advocate of practicing. It may sound simple enough, but how many stylists actually practice on a regular basis to master their craft? It’s best to have a plan, so follow these tips from Roche to get started.
1. Find someone who is better than you at what you want to practice and learn from them.
2. Make the time – schedule it in your calendar on a regular basis, it should be just as important as scheduling in vacation or a vital meeting.
3. Ask for constructive criticism from others so you know what to work on – sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know!!
4. Never be afraid to ask for help (I’ve been doing hair for 30 years and still haven’t mastered cornrows, sure I can do them, but I want to do them perfectly, so I continue to practice).
5. Have the right tools, don’t use what you have simply because you have it – find out what tools will make a task easier and results better. If working with someone who has other tools, ask them why.
6. Take pictures of your work so you can critique it correctly, a picture shows what work actually looks like without a personal filter.
So how much practice is enough? Malcolm Gladwell claims it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field, that’s under dispute, but there is no denying that “Experts aren’t people with freakish natural abilities in a particular domain. Experts are experts at maintaining high-levels of practice and improving performance.” Interested in becoming an expert? Start practicing!!