A fellow polish friend got me thinking about the motivations around my affinity for polish and my recent trend towards longer nails. Maybe that a majority of the pretty pictures we see of polish are on longer well cared for nails may influence my desire to attain that perfection. Also, my love of nail art makes me want to have a better canvass to work with. This has led to me trying different lengths of nails. Real long is fun for painting but has the draw back of being hard to do things and further influences what people think of you. If you stick with short nails painted black or other dark colors, people think you are a musician, goth or just edgy. Once you start trying a wider range of colors, people think you are gay; combine the longer nails and brighter colors and they think you are a gay crossdresser and want to be a women. In my case, it is the desire to fulfill my long term interest in polish and to explore my artistic side. My father was an artist and so is my oldest sister. My dad had longer nails for a guy and used to slice open packing tape with them to open boxes. I have never explored my artist side before. Although, when I used to be a programmer and design circuits someone said there is an art to that. Nail polish and nail art are my first attempts at visual arts. My ex-wife still can't seem to fathom my love of polish. She doesn't understand that I don't care what people may think. I am considering studying to be a nail tech part time. The best thing about that is that if I tell them I am a nail tech, the will be more willing to accept my wearing polish. It really shouldn't matter, but people want to fit you into neat little categories. Bellow is a picture of a mani I did with two China Glaze greens. I thought it was pretty, but it just isn't me. I took it off and put OPI Lincoln Park After Dark on and the world was good again!
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| Pardon the dirty hands, I was working outside. |
Hi Jim
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say I love your blog. My six year old son loves his polish too.My husband wasn't to happy because he thought our son would get teased. Only one person has made a comment about boys not wearing polish and my son looked at him and said it's a boy color (blue).I was very proud. Now my son is in school and happily wears his polish along with another boy in his class.
PS Hubby got over it. ~ Holly ~
That is so cool! I recently had a man (after noticing my nails were painted) tell me his 6 year old grandson paints his nails all the time! and he usually paints them 2 different colors at once! I told the gentleman to tell his grandson to "keep the color flowing". We need more men and boys to start coming out with their polish and get over being afraid!
DeleteI think every one, man, woman, boy, and girl sould have painted fingernails and toenails all the time! It make for a more beautiful, colorful, and happier world!
That is awesome! I think the younger generation is a lot more accepting of fashion freedom. My daughters friends are all fine with my nails painted. I think it is a good sign. How many wars have there been because people were not accepting of differences. Your son had the perfect response. I smile just visualizing the conversation!
ReplyDeleteYour ex needs to get a life. As long as people aren't hurting anyone, who cares what others think? Maybe if she quit worrying about OP so much and started doing things that make herself happy, she wouldn't be such a PITA.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. I am much happier now that I am doing what I like.
DeleteYou diffinitly hit it on the nail head Jim! I too have an artistic side, runs in the family! I am an amature knife maker, wood craftmen and have done some jewelry pieces! My mother is a very good painter and very art and crafty person! I have an uncle that does arts and crafts and goes to the rondevous reenactments of the great trappers of the early 19th century! He make a beautifle flintlock rifle (but pretty expensive)! And yes, my wife still has a problem with me painting my nails! But it so makes me happy!
ReplyDeleteHey, keep the color flowing, lyle
I feel like my world has gone from black and white to suddenly seeing color for the first time. I enjoy having color in my life and on my nails.
DeleteJim, you and I are so much alike! painted nails make me so happy and feel so good about myself! The more color in the world the better! I've got my new "Alphanail" metalic grey on today, not as smooth as regular womens polish but it's not a bad color!
DeleteWell, I support that! :) And let me tell you, you have your nails more beautiful than some girls! :P But honestly, I agree with you, explore that artistic side of yours and lets see how it turns out, maybe it does run in the family ;) And yes, why shouldn't we all show the colours of the world on out finger tips? The world would be happier and prettier.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that we constantly have to worry about what others think. Just know that there are others out there who are willing to support you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kitty, I think people are a lot more open to personal self expression than when I was younger.
DeleteWearing polish is about happiness for the wearer that gets shared with all who see it. If they don't get it, forget'em, they aren't worth getting upset over.
ReplyDeleteBe the person YOU want to be cuz living down to other's expectations get tedious. Life is too short to let it be dull & boring. <3
You are so right. That is why I have worn so many different colors lately. A lot of them are not conservative darker colors. The colors may seem out of place to others, but they make me happy when I look at them.
DeleteIf it makes you happy then you're doing it right! <3
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