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

Hi Melody, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

One top question I always get asked is… If I always wanted to be a hairstylist?

Actually it was my second choice, I wanted to be a chef 👩‍🍳 first.
As the new generation has Pinterest, Instagram, youtube, ect at 15yrs old I had the good old cooking network channel. I first watched chefs make simple meals on tv, I took the city bus to my nearest heb and tried my best to duplicate those exact dishes. At age 16, I signed up at my high school and took a culinary arts program for one semester. That semester was probably enough for me. I didn’t realize that the chefs on tv had assistants, and had all the ingredients prepped for the show lol 😂 they made it look so easy 😜 So that leads me to becoming a hairstylist, there are some similarities to both
•There both a form of art👩‍🎨
•The right ingredients have to be mixed 🥣
•Satisfying clients
•Presentation is key 🔑

I replaced a cooking apron for a hairstylist apron, and zero regrets
If I could give any advice to the new generation try new things even if it scares you a little, completely normal bc with that comes excitement. Next, it’s ok to change your direction in your career or even in life decisions. Lastly, enjoy what you do it makes waking up and having something enjoyable to look forward to
Not every day will be 🌈 rainbows and butterflies 🦋 🦋 but you don’t give up on the things you love 💕

Melody, 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?

First things first, figure out what your unique niche might be. Keep in mind, you don’t need to do just one thing—we’re just trying to avoid you trying to do all the things.

As an hairstylist I wanted to do it all. Then it clicked! I realized that I loved bringing back depth and shadows back in to my clients hair color that may have seemed too solid. I wanted to create movement with color.

For any artist still trying to find your calling try asking yourself –
• What kind of work inspires me?
• What do people say that I’m the best at?
• What’s my favorite thing to do within my industry?

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. “I’ve had to learn as I’ve gotten older that if you want to succeed, you need to experience failure. You must understand the feeling of all the pressure on yourself and use it as a motivation to continue to conquer the peak of your glory. Once we embark on something, if there is a failure, we should try to turn it into a success, no matter if we have to start again. I also failed many times in life and work. For the sake of my family and for the future, I have to try again from zero. I don’t see failure as a negative anymore. It’s part of my motivation!”

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

If you have a passion for what you do, as I do, it won’t feel like work. Don’t get me wrong, some days your feet will hurt, some days will be more trying than others. It is an industry where education is key. On a daily basis, stylists deal with the science of hair and the chemistry of hair color, how to manage their clientele, their budget, their time, their retail, all the while looking fabulous without a hair out of place. As a artist, you should always be proud of what you do and always remember how much you have learned, retained and applied. but at the end of the day, when you are living your dream and following your passion, it won’t feel like work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: beautybymelodyg
• Facebook: Beautybymelodyg

Image Credits
Kelly Power Photography