We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kaeley Chapel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kaeley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was in my late teens the first time I seriously considered a non-traditional career. As a young child, I always wanted to be a famous singer and I remember making that my birthday wish every year, but since I didn’t magically get discovered at age 12, I started thinking maybe I needed a back-up plan. Around high school age, I started to get more interested in body modification and alternative fashion. There wasn’t a defining moment for me, but I had a (very privileged) habit of turning down jobs or just not applying if it meant I’d have to take out piercings or have a natural hair color. At the time, this probably read as me just not being interested in working, and while I didn’t have the words to express the concept yet, the real reason was that I didn’t want to have to become a different person to be worthy of an income. I wanted to express myself fully, and still have a successful career. After a few years of working random food service and retail jobs, I decided to go to hair school. Hair school crushed my spirit a bit, because I was told that I’d have to dress professionally, do my hair and makeup every day, and basically do all the things that I was trying to avoid having to do by going into the hair industry in the first place. Salon world was disappointing, so Is shifted to barbering, which was where I first found professionals that were heavily tattooed and dressed however they wanted. I wanted to be like them.

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?

Dreadlocks have a long and storied history, but we’ll stick with modern times for now. They are often perceived as dirty, unclean, moldy, smelly. And the people who wear them are perceived similarly. Rather, they are an eschewing of societal beauty standards. In some cultures, locking one’s hair is a way to get closer to a higher power, by becoming less concerned with the body that inhabits this world. For me, I see dreadlocks as a form of body modification; a way to explore the power we have to control how we feel in our bodies, and people’s perception of us. Most forms of body modification are looked down on at least a little bit; we’re perceived as weird, unprofessional, laze, and, usually, unemployed; because who would hire someone who looks so weird? My goal is to help people find themselves through their dreadlock journey, learn patience, trust the process, and feel more confident and beautiful in the end. I provide dreadlock services for the whole journey, from beginning to end (if there is an end), and all the stages in between. My favorite services to do are big major repairs on locs that have been neglected, and bright, colorful locs. While many people prefer to leave their hair all natural, it’s always a blast to add some pops of blue, red, purple, green, or even rainbows. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I am committed to helping people express themselves in the way that is most authentic to them, and dreadlocks along with a gender-affirming haircut is a powerful combination. Whatever helps someone feel their most beautiful, however weird and off-beat it is, I’m down. I love being an instrument for self-discovery and self-expression.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started in the industry, there were very few people doing dreadlocks as a career. In fact, I didn’t even know that was an option; nor did I consider it a possibility for me. After I graduated, I quickly became frustrated with a traditional salon environment, and I didn’t enjoy providing traditional hair services. I had something of a knack for clipper cuts and fades, so I pivoted to barbering. Barbering will always have a little piece of my heart, but it’s extremely difficult on one’s body to do 40 haircuts a day. I started feeling like I was doing the same thing every day and got bored. It was around this time that I started exploring temporary dreadlocks for myself, and became known for wearing them. Shortly after, I had people who were asking me to do dreadlocks on their natural hair. As soon as I picked up a hook, I knew this was what I wanted to do long-term, and I took off. Several years of practice, classes, and mentoring later, I now do dreadlocks full-time. It was a long circuitous path to get here, but it was oh so worth it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think society puts a lot of pressure on education and being “useful”. The current educational system doesn’t support creativity; it’s more just preparation for the workforce. Creative careers aren’t viewed as important, or a “real job”. Generally, children are allowed to be children up to a certain point, and then they have to focus on their future and leave behind the things that were their solace growing up. I remember this feeling like an almost immediate switch for me. The focus was suddenly not on fun and exploring, but being responsible, picking an avenue and sticking with it. As adults, we spend a lot of time trying to get back to innocence of childhood, and being the person that we needed when we were children. We as a society need to provide more support for children, and stay connected to our own inner child. This issue is far too nuanced to discuss in depth in this medium, but a balance needs to be established. The pandemic caused a huge collective shift in what people value, and many suddenly realized that the things they thought were important weren’t, and discovered new passions in their wake. We need time to explore as adults, like children do. This will help create a supportive environment for artists and creatives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eldritchlocs.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/eldritchlocs
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/eldritchlocs
• Other: www.tiktok.com/eldritchlocs

Image Credits
Rachel Barnack Gustavo Kolndorfer Kenzie McCoy