We were lucky to catch up with Jackii Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jackii, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Ever since I was a child, I would cut my doll’s hair with arts and crafts scissors and use my markers to color their hair. My dad would take me to his haircut appointments with his barber,
and would have me clean up his back hairline between his appointments. After almost six years of being the only child, my sister was born and I finally had someone to practice on. As a kid and preteen, I got grounded a lot for cutting and dying her hair (this was the 90s- before YouTube and the internet, so I didn’t have any type of training or guidance- so it was not very good haha) but my parents saw that I was so passionate about hair and beauty and they helped me find a Cosmetology program that I could attend while I was still in high school. I have been very fortunate to always have such supportive people behind me. Even when I had no idea what I was doing, my family, friends, and friends’ family would let me cut and dye their hair. I always knew I wanted to do hair, but seeing how good people felt after getting their hair done made it a no-brainer for me.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi! I’m Jackii, and I am a hairstylist born and raised in Los Angeles. I specialize in cuts, blonding, and creative color. Making people look and feel good is something that came naturally to me at a very young age. Art and beauty have always been two things I have been the most passionate about and it led me here. Being a hairstylist allows me to create, but it also allows me to spend time with my clients and have very meaningful connections with them. I have shared many milestones, laughs and cries with my clients. I’ve seen them lose a loved one, learn how to drive, fall in love, go through a divorce, start their own business, etc, and they have seen me go through many different moments as well. We have a very tight bond and friendship. I get to do your hair and hear about your dating life for four hours? I hit the career jackpot! Being a small business owner definitely comes with its challenges, but working for myself and having my own space for my clients is something that I do not take for granted and I appreciate so much.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Support your small and local businesses and artists! Want some new art framed in your home? Find a local artist who’s work you love and order a print from them directly. They need and will appreciate your support more than a big corporation.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
This may be a hot take, but god, I really wish I got on Tik Tok sooner. The amount of support and community on that app is insane. There are so many hairstylists on there sharing tips, formulas, education and support for one another.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jackiigarciahair.com
- Instagram: jackiigarcia
