Sweet Street Artistry & Skill Academy

My Start Student, Miranda…she moved on to try other enrichment second semester but she popped in, whenever she could, to help my other students.

I made her a cute little bag with all the essentials for braiding hair. All the items matched. She kept me updated on the hair work she was doing at home.

She and I had A LOT in common. When she talked about her life, I made sure to not only listen, but to HEAR her. I’m glad she felt seen and HEARD by me.
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If you’ve followed our program over the years, there’s always one student who sticks it out the whole time.

This year, it was Keyiona… Not only did she stick it out and stay, she came in with no skill plus fear.

She gained confidence in herself.
She replaced, “I can’t” with “I can try”.
She became a leader by stepping up.
And she broke through her fear of “speaking”.

She gave me a keychain to thank me for helping her. It’s on the wall in my shop. She made me smile a lot.
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September 2023- May 2024

Omega Community Development Corporation-CDC blessed me with the opportunity to share my time, talent, and treasures with the Scholars of Hope AfterSchool Program…Natural Hair Braiding…💜

As a Natural Hair Culturist, to be able to share my gift with a multicultural and multi gendered group of children was amazing. Set my whole soul on fire.❤️‍🔥

I’ll be sharing moments from our year, as I prepare to share the community work I’ve been doing this Summer. I’ve missed ya’ll. Content coming soon.
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Practice doesn’t make perfect, it brings increase. Your skills have to be practiced in order to grow.

I’m looking forward to showing my students their progress. Overhanded braiding is very different from underhanded. It’s the difference between making a French or “inverted” braid and making a cornrow.

Understanding the split of the hands and fingers.
My current students are trying to grasp this concept.

Dexterity plays huge role in your ability to execute any hair wrapping technique as well as your hand placement in the application of your technique. Fundamentals are needed. Many can make a pretty style but pursuing pretty is robbing you of your natural beauty. The basics are the building blocks of style. “Holding fingers and moving fingers”…you must first learn how to hold the strands in order to wrap them. #Hair #NaturalHair #KeedoTwists #ButterLove #Moisture #Educating #Speaking #CultureOfCare #Braiding #InTheGardenOfKeedo #BlackGirlBeautyNaturals

The “Fishtail” is also an invisible, inverted braid.

The Fishtail Braid….

There are more than a dozen different techniques we can use to wrap the hair into the form of a braid. This was a favorite from a different era, the fishtail. It takes dexterity to be able to execute any braid.

I plan to start my teachings with the braiding basics. It takes time and commitment for me to continuously build on your skill and your newfound dexterity that comes through practice or rather participation. “Don’t say Can’t!” You could one day do anything you want to hair.

I believe in you. I already know you can.

Just don’t say can’t…you can. You got it.

Just give me time and patience.

Join us In The Garden of Keedo…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/171376471766307/

Overhanded, inverted, invisible, or “French” braids.
(However, the last picture is actually a Fishtail braid.)

My after school enrichment students have been going through this change…learning underhanded braiding when you’re an overhander. The techniques create two completely opposite braids. Underhanded makes Cornrow braids, overhanded makes “French” braids. I’m so proud of the progress thus far.

When you learn fundamentals, they give you a base to grow from, a reference point. These ladies started teaching themselves after I taught them the basic principles of attachment. Inversion was an easy concept to understand after that. #Hair #NaturalHair #KeedoTwists #ButterLove #Moisture #Educating #Speaking #CultureOfCare #InTheGardenOfKeedo #BlackGirlBeautyNaturals

My Sweeties are coming along beautifully. An overhanded braider creates French Braids, to create the Cornrow, you need to have underhanded braid capabilities or you will tear your wrists, arms, and shoulders up long term. They couldn’t do this two or three classes ago. We talk about practice and progress. Practice doesn’t make perfect, it bring progress…increase in skill. Their practice boards go home with them and come back to class every week.

The next step is to isolate their finger work to bring the braid down, closer to the scalp. The practice boards were helpful for practicing the switch to using their underhanded skill, however, next week, we’ll be back on our manikin heads to make this adjustment.

I love the moment when I see them “get it”…

…when I see them apply it, my heart skips a beat.
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Since accessing my students, I’ve been helping them convert to underhanded braiding. The girls have been taking home their braiding practice boards. We touched on moving fingers and holding fingers in our last class and it was exciting as they caught on. We’ll finish out the month applying what we’ve learned.

In November, we move on to Sectioning 101 as the girls continue to practice their Cornrowing skill.
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