Cosmetology School – Don't Just Dream, Chase Your Dreams Until You Catch Them!

Posted by Christy Espino on September 11, 2018

I’ve always been a dreamer with an artistic soul. Unfortunately, however, dreaming doesn't pay bills, and neither does being an artist (for the most part). So, after I got my bachelor's degree in screenwriting, I spent the longest time flailing about from one unfulfilling (and none screenwriting-related) job to the next. I had gone from this über ambitious aspiring writer to just another statistic–someone who succeeded to graduate from college but who failed to land a job in their chosen field. At that time, I had never felt more defeated in my life. "Where would I go from here," I constantly wondered.

Journey to Cosmetology School: How It All Started

A few years later, I was working as a teacher's aide at a high school – a job that I really had no desire to do, but I did anyway because I needed the paycheck. I had never been good with kids, but I was pretty proficient in English, which helped me land the job. At the end of the day, it was better than nothing. I tried to take as much pride in it as I could until I just couldn't fake it anymore. I applied for new jobs left-and-right until I got hired at a permanent makeup salon. This first job gave me my first taste of what I wanted to do with my future. Aside from writing, I have always had a passion for beauty. So I was super excited to be working at a salon. I didn't even know what permanent makeup was, and no one really knew about "microblading," but these would be things that would ultimately be an influential part of my career. In time, I went from being the front desk receptionist to a permanent makeup artist. I had done it! I was finally the artist I had always dreamed of being! As elated as I was to finally land such an amazing opportunity, in the back of my mind I always felt that it was too good to be true – and it really was. After four years, I eventually left this "dream job" of mine. I had gone from being enthusiastic about waking up in the morning for work, to feeling dissatisfied once again. My work was consuming my life and my managers were getting way more involved in my personal life than necessary. (There's more that went into my decision to leave, but that's not important right now.) As sad as I was to have my dream life crumble before my eyes, I knew I had to move on and finally pursue the career I've always wanted, which –as it turns out – had very little to do with screenwriting.

Following My Dream to Beauty School

I realized working in permanent makeup really awakened my love for cosmetology. So, I decided to enroll in beauty school. Going back to school wasn't easy. I had been out of a classroom for about six years so I basically had to learn to be a student again. I also had to cut back on my work hours, which also meant a huge pay cut. I worried about paying my bills and questioned my decision to go back to school. "Who am I kidding? I probably won't even get to State Board. I should probably just quit while I'm ahead," were all thoughts that consumed my mind during my first few weeks. Heck, even now as I've achieved my first 300 hours, I still have those worries. However, I'm learning how to drown out those voices of self-doubt. One day I had a moment where I asked myself, "what if?"--WHAT IF I just ignored all the voices in my head saying what can go wrong? WHAT IF for the first time in my life, I actually finish what I set out to do? I know if I quit now, I'll live with regret for the rest of my life, because at the end of the day, being in cosmetology school really makes me happy. I enjoy being there every day and learning something new, and that excitement is something that I haven't felt in a very long time. The best part of everything is that I don't have to abandon my passion for writing. I consider this time in my life as a re-invention of myself – and this time I’m calling the shots by doing all the things that set my soul on fire.

It's Worth The Sacrifice If You Really Want It

Things worth having won't come easy; sometimes they require great sacrifices but it's all a test to see how badly you want it. Giving up isn't an option at all, especially when you know that you're working toward goals that will actually benefit you in your future. It's important to take life one-day-at-a-time, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do now. I hope to have many more beauty school adventures to share with readers soon, and at the end, I know that it'll all be worth it. If you want to read about how other artists started out and how they followed their own dreams, you will find more inspiration on the Glad Lash blog!