We recently connected with Sarah Harris and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
In my eyes, finding your purpose is looking into yourself and realizing what you want from this world. We all have a purpose; we are all meant to add something that reflects who we are into our surroundings, careers, relationships, or anything that has meaning to us or that we are passionate about. I’ve always felt that life is meant to be explored, and I have always unintentionally followed my own path. I found my purpose by following my intuition and listening to it until I realized what I wanted to share with the world as an artist and as a person. I found my purpose when I started living a life that was genuine to me.
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?
My journey started behind the chair, but I genuinely found myself as an artist once I got behind a camera and fell in love with the competitive sector of the hair industry. After 16 years of being a hairstylist, I am now a multi-nominated editorial hair artist/photographer and the salon owner of Avani Salon in the Woodlands, TX.
Hair has developed as not only a career of mine but has turned into my medium as an artist. It has become a large portion of how I express myself and is a place where my creativity is constantly fueled by the want and need to create what is true to me and challenge my abilities. I have become known over the years for my artistic flair, innovative cutting techniques, and edgy style. I’m always working towards pushing the boundaries of my creations and hopefully inspiring others to do the same along the way.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
If I had to narrow down the main fundamentals of what impacted my career the most while also giving advice to anyone wanting to change their life for the better, I would choose these three things.
Challenge yourself. Building a resilience to failing and allowing yourself to fail repeatedly. It never gets less challenging, but moving forward gets easier every time, and with this, I have learned more about myself and what I want from life and my career. In the end, resilience is just the ability to keep going no matter what life throws at us. To embrace challenges and see them as opportunities for growth, to try to find the positive in every situation, and to realize we are capable of more than we give ourselves credit for.
Practicing Self Care. Self-care is a pathway to a stronger mind, a softer heart, and a motivated body. It is as essential as the air we breathe. In such an ever-going and busy world, I fall victim to overstimulation, which stunts my creativity and drives my need for isolation. So, for me, self-care is slowing down. It’s taking time in nature. It’s allowing myself to be okay with stagnancy and realizing it doesn’t make you unproductive. Doing so keeps me moving forward in my personal life and career and provides a healthier space to create and pursue my future goals.
Create for you. It’s so easy to get lost in the popularity of creating your own version of what’s trending, and I support every type of expression, even the art of recreation. But I’ve realized over the years that our inner creativity is meant to express who WE are as an artist, and making things that light a spark in our souls will always drive us forward.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking to collaborate with fellow creatives in my industry. Collaborating is an opportunity for growth, and combining creative styles can create literal magic in a photoshoot. Some of my favorite shoots have been collaborative collections with other hair artists. So yes, absolutely reach out to me on IG: @prettypinked if you want to create with me or need a photographer to make your vision come to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: Avanithewoodlands.com
- Instagram: Prettypinked
Image Credits
Sarah Harris Cameron Reed
