Art director Yuiko Sugino, Joanne Sorbello, and me.

Art director Yuiko Sugino, Joanne Sorbello, and me.

In October I attended Artist Session, the two-day photoshoot workshop put on by NAILS’ sister magazine Modern Salon, in Manhattan. And I had the even greater privilege of meeting nail tech of 18 years Joanne Sorbello. Joanne is the first nail tech to attend Artist Session. Even though she was doing something for the first time, Joanne taught us photo shoot veterans a few things.

When reflecting back on her experience, Joanne said: “Every situation is a blessing or a lesson. Live, learn, evolve.” Her attitude on set was a blessing and a lesson. She showed up early, came prepared, worked well with the hairstylists, made her models feel comfortable, and thought quickly on her feet. Her nail art concepts were easy to execute, yet enhanced the overall vision of the stylists. Joanne was a miracle worker, doing the nails for six models, all without breaking a sweat.

The nail industry is one that is constantly evolving, and Joanne’s willingness to embrace the unknown is something I give her a lot of credit for. Based on her performance, Joanne was hired by Modern Salon to do the nails for another shoot. She also created some exquisite tips that will be showcased in an upcoming issue. Her time spent in the workshop seemed to inspire her more than ever to evolve as an artist and advance her career.

Everyone can learn from each other in this industry. Whether you sign up for the next Artist Session or not (www.modernsalon.com/artistsession), take a note from Joanne’s playbook and choose to keep learning and evolving. It makes living all the more fun.

A close-up look at the nail art from Artist's Session:

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