We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dice Moreno. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dice below.

Dice, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

I think the traditional banking method of education leaves students at the mercy of the system. By that I mean, a system that values hierarchy over experience. I think we need to empower our students. A more collaborative educational model builds wider networks socially and intellectually.

Addressing our students as individuals, teaching them how to advocate for themselves and think critically, holding them accountable when they stray. This is how we can prevent gun violence and mass shootings. This is how we can bring our young folks back from the dark hole of social media consumption and nihilism. Self soothing, unplugging, deep breathing, active stress release like exercise or dancing, and positive socialization. 
Role modeling difficult emotions, or just naming emotions. Sit with them without judging. Listen actively. Make room for them to exist. These things reconnect us to our bodies and anchor learning at a deeper level.

My passion for knowledge and literature has been a key driver in my life. I ran residence halls in the 2010s, while doing a Master’s in Education. The program was Multicultural Humanistic Education at SUNY New Paltz. I joked that it was a degree in hugs, but in actuality it was an exploration of what makes a human a good learner, and what conditions are required for them to thrive. On a micro and macro scale, what supports have to be in place? On an administrative, cultural and financial level, all the way down to the individual child’s ability to focus their own breath and attention, what can we do to create a safe environment for experimentation?

With that lens I approach my current role as an educator at Paul Mitchell the School, San Diego. I am an alumni and returned as a Learning Leader. As a humanistic educator, I loved the way Paul Mitchell went about education. Everything is experiential, hands-on and multifaceted. The concept of a learning leader, versus an instructor, is that cosmetology/barbering is an ongoing journey. We are constantly learning and making discoveries and we are in this together.

I teach the first 6 weeks of the program. During that time they experience their first cuts, colors, perms, and so on. Two things I find interesting about my role: It is a surprisingly vulnerable time, and the demographics of the class are ever changing. We have students fresh out of high school, and retired Marines in the same room, trying to learn a technical skill. Try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand, and that may give you some semblance of the energy in the room, at times. My job is about teaching hair, but even more so, how to manage their own bodies and minds.

Humanistic education teaches that everyone has plenty to offer, and the teacher is there to make room for learning to happen. What I think Paul Mitchell does well is offer the infrastructure for stylists to transition into talking about hair. I think what their curriculum does well is let people approach learning from a place of curiosity and play, instead of the stress of perfection. They also emphasize a culture of giving, generosity, and being of service. Cosmetology is not just about business. It can be about lifting yourself out of a scarcity mindset. It can be about building yourself into a fearless entrepreneur. It can be about bringing desperately needed services to hard to reach populations. Any classroom can be a place to parse out goals and aspirations, big and small.

What I’m trying to do in my classroom is illuminate and reinforce the building blocks. That starts on the individual molecular level. The diet, mental health, and physical condition of the stylist will directly impact their potential. How does one deal with conflict, stress, anxiety, or anger? How does one build rapport with another human being? For me, this business is about a love match and relationship of mutual benefit. Certainly that’s specific to me, but the beauty of the industry is there is room for everyone. Before you start deciding on the kind of client you want, who do you want and need to be? This is the focus of my work. Anyone can practice a haircut at home. While they’re with me, I want to help them explore some of these philosophical questions.

Dice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We built our business around the idea that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and kindness. We wanted to be able to give back in tangible ways to our community. In the last year that looked like free haircuts for houseless neighbors, donations to local QTPOC and LGBTQ serving organizations, and mentoring and educating youth in cosmetology/film/media.
What I hope people know about us is that we are dedicated to making people feel good in their own skin. That might look like a nice hair service, but it might be the affirmations or the physical contact. Everyone deserves that kind of service and connection.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As a young person I did not have a clear direction. I was drawn to higher education but had no clear career in mind. What I’ve come to know is that regardless of the path you choose, you must be willing to submit to the repetition of the task. It isn’t enough to have completed a task. As an artist, you must be willing to do the same clay pot one hundred times. See if you can perfect it, see if you can speed it up. This is the work. It isn’t about the result. It is about the journey. The experience of working with your body, of challenging your hands, mind and emotions. The experience of being a master of yourself. 
By now, I feel confident in my skills, and I show up to excel in them. I do this for my own growth and my own agreement with god that I will be of service, and put my skills to use.

For anyone starting out: Be humble enough to sit with discomfort. Be honest with yourself always. Be hungry. Say yes. There are no shortcuts to a fine piece of music.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As a child I learned that other people’s comfort was how I could ensure that I was safe. It took a long time to retrain my mind to ask, what am I feeling or thinking? Maybe that’s backward from other people’s experience, but that’s how it went for me. On the one hand, this ability to consider others has helped me excel in my field. On the other hand, it can be distracting, and sometimes misleading.

In the book My Grandmother’s Hands; racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies, Resmaa Menakem says, “The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze, and it endures the trauma inflicted by the ills that plague society.” These words sit with me in my classroom. When a student can’t master a skill and begins to spiral in self doubt. When a student experiences violence on their commute. When a student is exceptionally hard on themselves, because everything is riding on this. Menakem’s work reminds me we have to center ourselves before any practice, any learning, and take the space to heal where we can. Precious seconds to soothe the nerves before asking our minds and bodies to do our bidding. 

As we look upon the next four years, perhaps Menakem would suggest staying in the body. Take your power and harness it. Dance. Make room for healing. The sooner we can all sit with the discomfort of this moment, the sooner we can envision a better one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://geofox.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geofox.studio/

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