Jurni Rayne - An Honest Talent

Photo:  Jurni's Facebook Page

I was introduced to this sultry goodness by a "friend" of mine that said she was the sister of a friend of a friend of hers.... You know how that goes... any way she told me that she was pretty dope and that I needed to take a look at her work. Always looking for something new, I did. At first glance I did a double take and was like, "Ok, I see you Ms. Jurni" - naturalista in the house!! With her tapered cut, colored to perfection, there was an instant swooning effect taking place; and immediately I had an all out hair crush on Ms. Jurni.

When someone suggests an artist I dont just listen to the music that they perform, I also read up on them. Show reviews, YouTube videos, personal and professional social media accounts and their website are all good sources of information about the type of artist that I'm getting to know.

The first thing that I did after my friend figured out the the spelling of Jurni's name was hit youtube. I watched about 2 videos before I ran into "Genderfuck" and inspiring song for those that are in the middle of the walls that are-- gender. This song is basically for the masculine identifying female or the feminine identifying male. This song was written by Jurni and was touching because it spoke truth to a realistic situation for those that don't fit into the "boxes" society wants to place them into.

Photo: Jurni's Facebook Page

From Texas, Jurni has a strong appreciation for the classic R&B ballad. Her crisp sound and eclectic presentation give her enough boho style to appease the neosoul lovers, as well as, the R&B enthusiasts. Jurni Rayne is an amazingly humble talent that is truly in this game for the love of music and her talent reflects hard work and dedication to honing her craft. It would be hard to sleep on such honest talent.

This bilingual musician, singer and songwriter with an appreciation for the ladies and all things Queer Awareness, will definitely be joining my playlist September 9, 2014 when her album Finding My Way, hits the airwaves. You can sample her upcoming album now on SoundCloud, YouTube or at JurniRayne.com

Photo: Jurni's Facebook Page

For booking info or to follow this lovely artist...

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PROTECTIVE STYLE CHALLENGE 6 MONTH UPDATE

It's July, and I have just completed month six of my 1 year protective style challenge. Each month, since January 2014, I have created a different protective style and maintained that style for approximately one month. I decided to embark on this challenge because this is my 3rd year with natural hair (click here for my Natural Hair Journey), and though there has been significant growth and overall improvement to my hair, I feel like the growth has hit it's plateau.

I am on a journey to stronger, longer and healthier hair and I know that protective styling, if done correctly, can be beneficial for the hair and scalp.  So here's what I've done thus far. 

In January 2014 I was wearing a sew in. The sew-in was installed by a local stylist but I cut and styled it myself. In the past I loved sew-in's but I like to have constant access to my hair and scalp.

February 2014 I decided to braid my hair into waist-length box braids. I love this style. It is a time consuming process, but this style allows for optimal moisturizing.

March 2014 I decided to upgrade the box braids I had from February. So, I washed, deep conditioned and cut the box braids, then I wrapped the braids with marley hair creating faux locs. Very cute style, lots of compliments, however

The Truth Behind The Kinks-My Natural Hair Journey

My freshman year of college I decided to cut off all of my hair into a Teenie Weenie Afro (TWA) and bleach my hair in order to achieve a bright cherry red. After a failed attempt and rocking a bubble gum pink mini fro for a while, I was over the notion of being natural, and dyeing my hair for that matter.  YouTube was not around and thankfully neither were camera phones! Yikes!  Fast forward to 2008, I decided to give it another try.  I was lost in the newness of being natural, something that I had not experienced since the age of 10; I wasn't hip to the YouTube natural hair community that was slowly building, so I did what I do best... I dyed, fried and laid that hair to the side.... I thought I was cute... Until my hair began to break off.

- Nov. 2008










At this point I got frustrated I decided to venture back into the realm of the "Creamy Crack". I cut and relaxed my hair. This worked for a while but I experienced the chemical burn that changed my life.... I swore off relaxers and began to buddy up with the local weave man!  After a few years I was not happy with my growth or the health of my hair under the weaves, so I cut it off and began anew... Here's a visual of my journey!

- My Last "Creamy Crack" Indulgence 2009

- Weave 2009...

- Weave 2010-ish...

- And... More Weave. This was my last weave in 2011

- I was not happy with the length retention or the condition of my hair after transitioning, so, I cut it all off! My Big Chop was March 10, 2011 at Textures by Nefertiti Salon in Detroit, Mi

- There were plenty of people that were less than impressed by my decision to cut it all off. Many (family included) thought I'd experienced a "mental vacation". No matter what others thought, I felt good... (After the initial shock wore off of course)

- July 2011. Four months post big chop and I was feeling myself... 

- I must thank all of the YouTube guru's that helped me during this time because everyday is not a good hair day

BlackOnyx77

MissToniDaley

Naptural85

Toliahli

and there are plenty more... 

- Aug 2011. My 1st length check

- October 2011.  I was so excited I began styling my 1st mini-hawk for my 2nd Natural Hair meet up with Naturally FLYY Detroit

- By December 2011 I was able to achieve my 1st puff!

 -

- March 10, 2012 

- My 1 year length check!

At this point I was okay with my growth and overall health of my hair. 

- Alomst one year later and my puff is much bigger...

-Feb. 2013. Almost 2 years Natural

- March 11, 2013

- Decided to Straighten my hair for my 2 year Natural-anniverssary!

- And then California borrowed some humidity from somewhere and this is what I was left with after 3 days. 

Lets Recap:

Pic 1: Big Chop 2011

Pic 2: 1st Length Check @ 5months

Pic 3: 2nd Length Check  @ 1yr

Pic 4: 3rd Length Check @ 2yr

2013 was a good hair STYLE year for the most part...

- I developed a favorite "in a hurry" protective style...

-My hair was longer so I was able to try new styles and loved them...

- Even tried some new "trendy" styles like the Side Cut. 

Though 2013 was definitely my STYLE year, my growth however, came to a hault. By the end of 2013 I had only retained/grown 1 inch of hair and most of that had to be trimmed due to breakage. That brings me to 2014... I decided to embark on a challenge, a 1 year DIY Protective Style Challenge. The goal is to see how much length I can retain by maintaining a low manipulation protective regimen. This challenge began January 2014 and I am now in month 6... Update will be posted soon!

3 Tips to Making a Career Move

We've all done it, walked into a ultra cool and swanky atmosphere, saw all the employees with looks of happiness and success on their faces then thought to ourselves, "how did he/she get in a place like this and why am I not here?” This is Career Envy. It happens to us all, that is especially true when we realize that we are stuck in a rut our current place of employment. For me it was walking into the local newspapers offices and seeing all the reporters and editors busy looking alive with the "time is of the essence but I love my fast paced job" look on their faces. This feeling made me wonder to myself "did I make the right move"? What can I do to make it here now? How didn’t I think of this earlier and is it too late?  There are 3 things to consider before deciding to make a major career move, especially into the arts.

1.     How financially beneficial would this move be?- we all want to work in the field of our dreams. Making big bucks and living the lavish lifestyle, but the reality of it all is that, bills are reoccurring fixtures in our lives and unless you have a wealth of cash flow (which most of us average folk don’t) we need a job that will bring in some type of income.  The concept of making your hobbies into means of income is exciting, but not always the most profitable options.

2.     Do your research- trading in your boring 9-5 for a lavish vocation has to be done with calculated intention. As tempting as it may be, you can’t just drop everything and walk into the place you want to be and expect everything to just magically fall into place. Check into what the growth potential is in your desired field. Where are the best jobs located and what sort of educational resources are available to you in this particular field?  Also another great way to get where you want to go is to simply ask some one that is already there. Walk back into that swanky office and ask questions from the people that can tell you exactly how to get the desk/office/spot next to them.

3.     Be ready for the change. Sometimes the downfall in doing what it is we feel were destined to do, is that we have to sacrifice for the things we want most. This may require downsizing and cutbacks. Granted even with all the education needed to get the job done effectively there still may be a lack of experience-, which in some cases means more to an employer that any degree or classroom taught knowledge. Get ready to begin proving yourself with more than educational credentials and remember this can take time and sometimes even a financial investment.

As a final note I want to encourage all of you photographers, freelance writers, chefs, makeup artists, jewelry makers etc. that no matter what has to be done in order to land your dream job, remember that a bit of sacrifice, some discipline and a slice of humble pie may go a long way.... Good Luck on your Dream Job Hunt!

For more info on turning your hobbies into careers or making career moves check out these websites:

Forbes Tips To Turn Your Hobbies into Careers

Making a Career Move

That Is All!