Between class, sports, clubs, activities and, for many, a job, it can be hard for teenagers to find time to do anything else. Having a way to integrate a hobby and creativity into life both reduces stress and raises happiness. Still, many students at Westside High School are still able to find hobbies outside of school. Junior Aubree Mckee has had a hobby that allows her to express herself in small ways (literally).
Mckee has been doing nails and nail art for a relatively short amount of time, and like all people she had to start somewhere. She started to pick up this hobby around a year ago as a way to express herself.
“I got into gel nail art at the beginning of last year. I made my first set after getting a nail kit for Christmas,” Mckee said.
Mckee has been doing nails specifically for over a year now, but what really made her interested in the beginning were past hobbies that made her interested in the artistic factor of it. Her interest in it also built from experiences from friends that really influenced her.
“I really never did my nails in the first place but some of my friends were getting their nails done professionally so I wanted to see if I could just do it myself,” Mckee said. “So, I thought asking for a beginners nail kit would be a good idea for a new hobby and be able to save a lot of money for myself and friends. I am also already interested in art so I thought it wouldn’t be a struggle.”
While Mckee had hopes for how well she would take to this hobby, everything has its trials and errors. For McKee, she experienced a good amount of error as she learned how to apply her creativity in such a small scale and new way. She soon realized after her first set that it wasn’t going to be an easy thing to catch onto at first.
“My first nail set attempt was for new years, and it was a red French tip design,” Mckee said. “It was pretty bad because the base color did not match my skin tone at all and the artificial nails were glued on crooked. It also took me forever for how simple they were, but I enjoyed how calm it was for me”.
Finding a sense of relaxation in a hobby is central to the benefits hobbies can offer. The point is to enjoy the process. Even though she faced some hard challenges with her first couple attempts, Mckee still saw the good in the craft. She noticed the beauty and positives in what she created, which helped her keep trying to improve in the hobby.
“My favorite thing about my hobby is how I can make the nail sets on my own, rather than someone else doing them and not getting exactly what I wanted,” Mckee said. “I also like how creative I can get, and try new things. I have seen a big improvement to my nails, and It also helps my other art and craft skills with small designs.”
No matter how much you enjoy a hobby, there will almost always be a cost to it. Supplies and materials, especially when starting a new hobby, can be an investment. Spending money on nail art for Mckee is no different.
“I have no clue on how much exactly I’ve spent, but it definitely has been a lot,” Mckee said. “I think it overall benefits me though, since I can buy packs of nail stuff rather than spending a lot of money on one set of nails that will only last a couple weeks. Buying my own materials gives me months and a whole bunch of different nail sets”.
Nails and nail art are a popular trend today, and some students who work with nails have even turned their work into a business. McKee prefers to continue to do it as a hobby. Nail art has similarities to other hobbies but there are also some traits that make it unique or different.
“I think my hobby has gained some attention in the past year, but still is unique from other art-based hobbies like painting because it’s way smaller designs and a different type of design,” Mckee said. “It also works as a piece of art but also as an accessory piece, relating to fashion. I also think that it is unique because it not only entertains me, but it can also entertain anyone who I am giving nail sets to”.
While anyone can benefit from having a hobby, those like nail art may be easier to get into for some people more than others. For Mckee, she thinks there are certain traits that can help with getting into it and also sticking with the craft.
“Some traits that might help with getting into making nails are creativity and patience,” Mckee said. “Patience is very important because some sets may not turn out how you like, and you might have to fix some of the problems. It also can take a very long time, but in the end you will have a better result if you are not rushing. And if you don’t have any creativity traits it may be boring, and not what you want to do in your free time”.
Mckee has settled into her hobby and finds nail art to be both fun and helpful. She believes that, for other people, it could also be a really good hobby to catch onto. The benefits and is easy to get started, if you have the time and desire.
“I would recommend this hobby to others because it really does not require a ton of skill if you are looking for a cheaper, more easy way of getting your nails done,” Mckee said. “It also can be fun for some people, if you are willing to give a couple hours of your day to it.”
