We were lucky to catch up with Sharmaine Sommer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sharmaine, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I hope to be remembered as someone who stuck to and nurtured their natural self, and also encouraged others to do the same. We often change many parts of ourselves in order to fit into the status quo, standard of beauty, etc. For many people, hair is just hair. They can’t imagine having hurdles around something as ‘simple’ as that. When you’re part of the Black community, you understand that it’s not simple. These hurdles can keep you from having a job, suspended from school, being judged more often and harshly. I am not going to fall for the stereotypes and judgement on my hair; how it grows from my scalp is beautiful and good enough as it is.
Sharmaine, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Sharmaine Sommer. I am a Natural Hair content creator on Youtube. My channel name is Joy-el, which is also my middle name. I started out by doing make-up and skincare content, but my channel shifty quite dramatically to natural hair after my husband suggested that I film myself doing a ‘Big Chop’ since I had already planned on cutting my hair. The big chop is the act of cutting off your relaxed or chemically processed hair therefore revealing your true natural hair texture. After uploading that video, my channel started gaining followers at such a fast rate that I decided to continue filming and uploading videos about my natural hair journey. That was five years ago now. I use my platform to helps others learn to love and take care of their afro, kinky, type 4 texture. That is the main motivation behind why I continue to make videos. I used to hate my hair. I felt horribly about what I was born with and hid behind relaxers and texturizers for most of my life. But I chose to battle those insecurities and really love all of me by investing in my hair and giving it a real chance, no matter the societal consequences and pressures.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Being able to see my messages and efforts truly help others. Every day I receive messages and emails about how watching my videos and learning how to care for their hair has helped someone have the confidence to rock their natural afros. They feel inspired and no longer ashamed of how their hair grows from their scalp. The love for my own hair is effectively communicated through my videos and has proven that I can teach others to feel the same way about theirs.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Being my authentic self. I am Biracial (Mother is Black, Father is White). When most people picture a mixed person, they probably don’t think of someone who looks like me. I am very White presenting, but with kinky, afro Black hair. I don’t have the looser, type 3 curl pattern that you picture a mixed person would typically have. Part of learning to love all of me was accepting that although I am mixed, I have a kinkier hair texture and that it is beautiful! I don’t have to fit in a particular box. Never have, never will.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharmainejoyel/
- Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=channel_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkJxUjc2U2Z2eTdDTVZueC1WOE5OalpIanBEUXxBQ3Jtc0tteE9YLVpvOVR2NUhINFY2NjY5OGhVZWpHQmo0Zk44ZzJtajBtOUtVUHJwMjdCcGtTc0VvU0pEMWRRYk9fNktLQ2FWU3U4WGd1ZERGUVBVbUxwUnpRTlg4Y18tLXdKbU1RUkZyYmt0QjU2V0QzWWMxbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSharmaineJoyel%2F
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC12LklzNz7Mr91GqriZ_ciA
Image Credits
Sharmaine Joy-el Sommer