I had the pleasure of having a fellow nail tech spend the past weekend with me and most of our time was spent working on our entries for 3-D and Fantasy Nail Art. It was a great way to get motivated and I think we both made a lot of progress. It was also great to have a friend to laugh and chat with while we were working. I just don’t understand why my husband isn’t the least bit interested in my projects  ;)

I have to give him credit for being a good sport about it though.

I am excited about some of the categories and then there are a couple that are a stretch for me to even want to focus on. No one promised I would always like every theme so I try to look at ones I consider less favorable as a creative challenge.

OK, who am I trying to fool — I force myself to research those “undesirable” themes. It is a challenge but I enjoy trying to figure out how to make something work for the goal I have in mind.

I hope those of you who are on the fence about giving one of the art categories a try, go ahead and jump feet first. You just might be pleasantly surprised to discover talents you never knew you had. Also be sure to find a mentor to help you with any questions you might have. They can certainly help you avoid a lot of frustration and offer support and encouragement. Of course, even before that you need to be sure to read the rules for each category you plan to enter and direct any questions about anything you are unsure of to the competition staff.

I look forward to seeing both familiar and new faces in the competition area this June.

— Tammi Merritt