I have never spent a lot of time thinking about my hair. I comb it once in the morning if I’m leaving the house. And if I’m not leaving the house, I run my fingers through it a couple of times before tying it back. I wash it every couple of days, and if I’m going out I’ll blow dry it. But that is the extent of my hair maintenance routine. And it’s only recently that I’ve come to realize what a privilege that is. That I can do the barest of minimums when it comes to hair maintenance and society will still deem the result acceptable. Professional. Not worthy of comment except when I get a haircut. A haircut that was easy to book, by the way, because every salon in my neighbourhood knows how to work with my kind of hair.
However, thanks to some very patient friends, short films, John Oliver, and a variety of other sources, I’ve come to realize just how lucky I am that hair maintenance is not one of the things I have to worry about every day. It’s also why I (hopefully) now better understand the importance behind the words of songs like “Love My Hair” by Mickey Guyton. A song that made me both happy and sad. Happy because it’s a beautiful and inspiring song. Sad because the journey to love your hair should never be this difficult. I know I’ve wished at one point or another that my hair looked different. But those desires were always fuelled by vanity. Not because society was telling me that my natural hair didn’t fit in. No one should ever be told that. No matter how many beautiful songs it inspires.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
