My art is better than yours!!!!!

Hey everyone!!! Art ideas and techniques come and NEVER go and then come back again.....confused? What you think is new HAS indeed been done before and is not something you can claim as yours. Some art ideas work best or only with certain types of products, but MOST techniques can be used with multiple products. AS a nail technician that works for both a Manufacturer and a Distributor I know how it is from ALL angles, so here are a few things to remember on this topic.

Myth #1 “Art classes are so advanced now!!!”
Well….. no. There are a lot of techniques that I learned 10 years ago that I can use now, that is for sure!!! What HAS changed is the product viscosity and cure times. This will change the technique sometimes, but rest assured that the classes I took by Susan Schafer-Sajim, Olga Palylyk, Ines Schaller and MANY more from 2003-2011 showed many of the “new” techniques that are being used today. What I love about continuing education is that at every class you can learn something new and also use what you already know to create some pretty great art!!!!

Myth #2 “I created this design, so I deserve the credit!!!”
Again……..no. NOW…..If you designed a class and wrote out the steps and formulated the outline and someone takes your class specifically and uses it 100% the way you did and makes money off of it….YES, that is stealing!!! If you designed some nails and post it on social media and someone uses it…..take it as a compliment and let it go!!! Art has been created and recreated SO many times that it is ALL stolen!!! Truly, as a nail tech, you have to know that your creation can not be recreated because art is personal and the design will always have your personal touch on it….. I am serious here….when I teach an art class everyone in that class does the same design and they ALL look different.

Myth #3 “I am better, my product and techniques are better and ALL other products and techniques are NO GOOD”
A BIG NO!!!!! There are a lot of great products and techniques being formulated in our wonderful industry that have benefits for different techs. What works for me may not work for you…both with product and technique…..as long as the finished product is healthy, beautiful, and structurally sound nails it does NOT matter if you used a kolinsky brush from one line or the other….it does NOT matter if you learned a great art technique from this line and used that same technique with a different line. However!!!!!! Keep in mind this VERY important fact!!! The Manufacturer will always suggest that you use their entire system entirely for one main reason…..so that they can troubleshoot PROPERLY with you….their Educators are trained with their system and you MUST understand that if you ask about another line they are not able to troubleshoot properly and thoroughly unless they have Educated and/or have been trained with it. Make sense??? ALSO….the tools that you use to create art will be the deciding factor(at times) on how it looks. You can NOT create a fine line with a frayed brush!!!!!

Myth #4 “Education is not necessary in the art world”
Well…..for some of the blessed tech’s out there that can look at something and just KNOW how to do it? Then yes, you are correct…..but I do not know anyone like that. Every nail tech that evolves over their entire career keeps learning from anyone they can possibly learn from. I am not just talking about taking classes, but truly LEARNING. I know many techs that have taken classes just to have a certificate and do NOT truly learn anything. When you have the ability to learn, then TRULY learn!!!!
I LOVE this industry for all the talent and drive that I am able to witness. From the Beginners to the Veterans!! If I can give one bit of advice to you all, from a 15 year nail tech, it would be this…….Love what you do, critique yourself with EVERY set that you do, learn something from every nail tech that you come across. Be kind, be grateful, be STRONG!!!
With love and respect, ALWAYS
Lisa Leibel