Let me start this entry off as such:
THANK YOU.
Thank you to everyone that has followed my career through the years. Whether you followed my writing or my colorist-educator life (or both), thank you.
It's been two months since I've refreshed this blog and my video blog and I have much reason for taking the time. I am very notorious for taking "Garbo-esque" hiatus periods to re-group and sometimes re-hash format and material that should and SHOULD NOT be posted online.
For me (and anyone that knows me), I'm not a very censored person. I tend to be a bit more of a verbal exhibitionist and couldn't give two shits if you care or not. Actually, the blog community has always elevated me to seniority status and has garnered me three writing awards through the past three years and notoriety for being quick-witted and sometimes painfully honest about not only my friends and family, but ME.
In writing "Pretty World, Fabulous Life", I wanted to chronicle my journey in opening my own salon, how it affected me, my friendships and lifestyle. I think we've accomplished that! I'm not a novice anymore. I'm not some snot-nosed 22 year-old doing hair anymore. I'm not some lonely bisexual looking for love anymore. I'm not some spiritually-ambiguous human looking for inspiration in yoga and vegetarianism. I'm also not tacky like most of the people I see posting worthless material on the internet full of hate and unnecessary drama.
At 30 years of age, I can tell you the following: I'm an authority at what I do and what I teach, but I am a life-long student. I have learned that love is looking for me, but I keep looking for it in the wrong places. I am also VERY grounded and convicted in my spiritual practices.
All of these aspects of my life are monumental changes from who I was eight years ago when I began blogging and airing out dirty laundry or playing passive-aggressive jujitsu behind my keyboard and iPad. I've grown tired of defending myself and proving myself to others and I've grown tired of the narcissism that plagues this generation of iGeeks and Tumblr-philes and Snapchatters. I want no part of that. I want nothing to do with people that partake in such things.
.......Let's talk abit about Volume 1 of this blog: I was just opening my salon and didn't understand how to separate my personal and professional life. Check. Volume 2: I became notoriously angry on the internet and began referring to myself as #cooleyisthenewgarbo on the internet. It became a success and a cult-label and still is. I also fashioned the term "hiatus" and banished some very nasty friends from my pretty little kingdom. By Volume 3: I expressed my heartbreak and my blogs became more and more spaced because the pain caused in Volume 2 was snowballing into my life. Okay, not so fun, right?
Well, let me tell you: it taught me alot. It taught me that I have thick fucking skin and always have.
I began taking time away from my "personal" blogs and focusing on my HIT blog "Rockstar Slums". "Rockstar Slums" currently has 20,000 visitors a month and my education program Josh Cooley Atelier launches next year as a baby brand for young hairdressers and seasoned beauty pros. You see, I simply do not have time to be the wet blanket in my own life.
I do, however, have time to taught about the things that make me tick like "friendship", "kindness" and many subjects.
Transforming this blog into an advice/well-being blog is a goal of mine. I get asked advice all the time. I want to share with YOU how my brain works. I want to connect more in depth with you than I can on Twitter.
In recent months, I can tell you what let to this "awakening".....
#1. I miss writing essays about life.
#2. I miss the intimate connection my writing brings.
#3. I miss sharing life-lessons.
#4. I dumped a shit-load of friends from my roster at my therapist's advice.
#5. I dumped my therapist.
#6. I fell in love with the wrong person and acted inappropriately.
#7. I fell out of love with that person only to realize it's okay to love someone, but not be "in love" with them.
#8. I missed writing about it and speaking about it.
#9. I missed you all.
My writing has always been very honest. I admire that. I admire honest people. I recently read a blog about me posted on a social media site calling me many things I wasn't. I saw what this person had to say and really evaluated the situation described only to say, "guilty!"
I can raise my hand high knowing I owned my actions. I also apologized and never got acknowledgment back for apologizing. I only got more passive-aggressive behavior and instead of shutting down (which I'm usually accustomed to), I took it like a man. I probably got a little drunk as well (lol), but I stopped and looked at who I am and who this beautiful person was writing these horrible things about me and said, "that's enough!"
So, ladies and gents.... my life begins anew. My writing begins anew. My role as an educator and salon owner begins (you guessed it)... ANEW!
There are no more "pretty" adventures to write about... That was all in my twenties. Time to focus on bigger, better things, not baby boys and baby girls talking shit on the internet.
I've missed you all and miss sharing my opinions. So stay tuned for my new blog-venture and as they say in Hollywood: THAT'S A WRAP.
-Josh "JRy" Cooley
(the pretty boy and the pretty world are now complete)
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