Meet Kaytlynn Nochowicz

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

Kaytlynn, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

It has taken me years to figure out what works best for me and keeping the desire to create alive. As a teenager, I would stay up into the early hours of the morning playing with my makeup and hair, so as an adult, I decided to go to cosmetology school. I thought that turning a passion of mine into a career would make going to my job a cake walk, but there is something that happens when you monetize your creative passions. A small bit of that spark can fade and leave you in almost a bit of an identity crisis. I went from wanting to spend hours each day playing with my hair, to never wanting to wash it.

The first few years in my career, I was making a barely livable wage as an apprentice and constantly worrying about how I was going to pay rent. It seemed like there was never time to create and the times when I was free, I just wanted to sleep and rest my feet. I just needed to pick up more shifts, go out with my friends less, and one day I would be financially okay. I was in this cycle that wasn’t benefitting me at all, and I knew this, but had no way how to get out of it.

Then, one day, a girl I apprenticed with taught me how to do some simple crochet and it was like a match had sparked and was showing me that creative piece of me that had been hiding outside of my view for some time. My curious brain loved mastering the loops and knots, watching tutorials for obscure stitches, and gifting people handmade creations. It was such a similar satisfaction that I found with hair, but without the constant stress and imposter syndrome I was still working through as a new stylist.

Since learning to crochet, I’ve become what I call a serial-hobbyist. Something as simple as learning how to create in a different manner with my hands, brought back a stamina for learning that I hadn’t had in years. I eventually attended my first con in 2021 and as soon as I got back home, I bought my first sewing machine. The people at the con were so inspiring to be around. Everyone is dressed up and expressing their self in ways I can’t even put to words. I was truly stunned and amazed by all of the talent around me. I quickly jumped into the cosplay community, and was greeted by so many kind and helpful people that have done nothing but encourage me along as I teach my self how to sew.

Now, I find inspiration for a new craft or project all around me, whether it be people I encounter in public, or the characters of books and video games. It can be chaotic at times, but in a turbulent and energized way, not an oh-my-god-I-hate-this-feeling way. I’ve spent whole afternoons finishing up a garment, only to pick it up off the table and realize I sewed the sleeves on backwards and now have to undo hours of work.

I call it “the humbling art of sewing” for a reason. You will be humbled by yourself, almost daily when you are learning, but I think we could all benefit from some self-humbling every now and then.

Opening this new avenue of creativity has effected so many facets of my life. Sewing and cosplay have begun to inspire many facets of my life, from my personal style to the hair I create. Nowadays, I’m always ready to pick up new hobbies and skills simply because I saw somebody use this one niche craft to create a piece of their outfit, and I think that I could do it too.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a full-time hairstylist of 8 years and educator for the salon I work at. I’ve always had a desire to make others feel good, as well as a ton of creative thoughts in my head. Cosmetology, to me, was the perfect career to combine those two things. Over the years, I have developed close friendships with my clientele and been able to watch so many of them grow into their authentic selves, no matter what that might be. We’ve belted karaoke over cheap beers, cried over loss and joy, shared secrets that nobody else knows, and built trust. I have clients that I see more often than some of my family and friends, and I do genuinely feel honored to have built a relationship with each and every one of them. I have sticker on my work toolbox that says, “Your freedom of expression deserves to be liberated,” and that, to me, is my goal every day. Whether it be a simple shape up, or a full transformation, I want each person in my chair to feel like they are expressing their self the way they want to.

I’m constantly thinking about what’s next for me, but at the same time, I cannot imagine a world where I’m not doing hair in a salon. Somedays are rainbows and sunshine, while other days feel like you cannot keep your head above water. There are so many reasons that a career as a stylist seems to have a lifespan. Standing for hours at a time and repeating small movements with your hands is hard on your body, and you also sacrifice a lot of things that others around you get (like healthcare benefits, sick pay, and PTO) so that you can come to a job you are passionate about. I’ve had to adapt my way of life, outside of my job, to benefit my career. It’s taken many years, and is still a work in progress, but it is always at the forefront of my mind.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three skills I think every hairstylist needs are humility, curiosity, and self awareness.

Whether I am in the salon doing daily services, or at home sewing a cosplay, I am constantly humbling myself. I think something that bonds all hairstylists is that we all experience the same things with our clients, whether we are fresh out of school, or years in. Re-do’s happen, and it’s okay, we are human! It’s so simple to mess up, it means you tried. Sometimes you might just need to rewind, take a step back, and start.

Even on the days when I have felt no desire to be creative at all, I don’t think I’ve ever lost my curiosity. Some days I will sit around and swatch colors during breaks at the salon, and at home, I’m often browsing sewing patterns on line, not even purchasing them, but just breaking down how I think it is made in my head. Curiosity can lead to the most beautiful creations, and almost never leads to a dead end.

I had to think about if self-awareness fell under humility, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that you CAN have one without the other, but should you? Being a hairstylist creates and interaction many creators might not encounter which is, having to give someone a haircut or color that you might not actually like. I know, I know, maybe that’s controversial, but I think that my lack of self awareness and how I was projecting onto my clients, in the beginning, made things a bit more difficult. Know yourself and know what you can do. If you can do it, who are you to say that what somebody else thinks is beautiful is actually not cute at all? I learned the saying, “Don’t yuck my yum,” from a coworker, and I think I say this to myself at least once a day.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I thrive and find so much inspiration when I am working with others. I’ve participated in photoshoots with my salon, and the energy that fills the room of a group of people with a common, creative goal is just magnificent. I’m only a few years into sewing, so I can’t say that I am that helpful when it comes to teaching, but I love planning group cosplays with friends and am always looking for more options to create with others! I also love collaborating with my clients on creative hair colors, so if you’re open to letting me create whatever my little heart desires on with your hair, lets connect, I have so many untapped ideas I’m waiting to let out.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thatkayty – hair @frocksandfantasies – sewing and cosplay

Image Credits

Vickie Dowdy of @retrospectboudoir
Ellen Pelletier of @hivibecreations_
Jesse Lendzion of @jessepaul