I’ve been doing nails for about four years now. In that time, I’ve been focused on furthering my education and working hard to improve my technique and artistic style. It was because of the encouragement and instruction of a few mentors that I was able to gather the courage to try out for Next Top Nail Artist in 2014. From there, the NTNA competition challenged those skills and helped me improve beyond imagination.

I think I’m better technically and artistically than I’ve ever been, but know that I have so much more room to improve. The sky is really the limit. Between seasons, I’ve come to fully embrace the quirky style, the irreverent sense of humor, and love for fun that I developed during NTNA last year, and have inserted those qualities into nearly every aspect of my life, including my art. So when NTNA 2015 came along, I jumped at the chance to do it.

Am I still scared? Totally. Are there remnants of my self-conscious and uncertainty lingering in the shadows? You bet! But that’s what’s going to make this whole thing worth watching. Last year, everyone watched while I slowly got over my fear of being in front of a camera. This year, people watched me open my audition video by recreating a classic Bond villain introduction with a cat that was not amused! I would never have done that in my first video last season. I was too shy, and uncomfortable in my own skin. NTNA fixed that.

I’m looking forward to setting my own personal bar higher, and making my little corner of NTNA more fun than a barrel full of glitter! If people want to vote for me, that’s amazing, and I would truly appreciate it. Is it a priority for me? No. I want us all to have a blast doing this, and I’m cheering for everyone!