VIP Seienstyle loctician Training - Worth It?

This is a blog text that my student Nef from Sacred Knots in the Uk have written and she has given me the permission to post here!

If you’re anything like me, maybe you’ve considered taking a Seienstyle training course for a while, but it’s felt a little challenging to commit to because of the course price. It can be exceptionally difficult to allow ourselves to invest in our futures and our happiness sometimes, right? Maybe you feel as though it’s selfish to even consider spending that much of your hard-earned money on your dream of becoming a professional loctician or perhaps you wonder if it's really worth the money when you see so many self-taught locticians around. I wanted to share a little on my blog today about what it’s like attending VIP training at the Seienstyle salon in Stockholm, Sweden. I was lucky enough to experience two days of one-to-one training with Ann-Marie in her salon in June and found it to be a highly valuable and rewarding experience.

Something I have noticed is that investment in your passions, such as investing in hands-on training can be extremely satisfying and rewarding. By financially investing you are sending a strong message to yourself that you value and honour your dreams and desires for life. It sets an intention, a promise, and that can mean that you feel more driven to succeed in whatever it is that sets your heart on fire.

For me, the quest to hone my skills and abilities as a dreadlock maker and to train with the most talented and creative artists around the world began several years ago. There was a longing in my heart for change and a desire for a new career that honoured my creativity. I have been lucky enough to have already completed training in person with another company who offer training for dreadlock creation, but like a floodgate opening, this one-day hands on training allowed me to realise how much more knowledge there was to be found within the leaders of the dreadlock industry. This led me to sign up for Seienstyle’s professional loctican course in February 2019, which I had worked on alongside completing the final year of my degree. I won't lie - it was tough to manage both large commitments at the same time, but it felt like the right time to be investing in myself.

I’d arrived into Stockholm the day before my training and cautiously navigated my way around the city using the surprisingly efficient metro system, ending up at a quiet little hotel in Bromma, marvelling at the lightness of the evening sky. It was apparent that in summertime, the Swedish sky hardly slept, save for only a few precious hours in the early hours of the morning. As it turned out, the same could be said for me – sleep evaded me for much of my time in Sweden, with the late evening sunshine invigorating and allowing me more time to focus on the work I wanted to do. As though a new energy rushed through me, I worked long into the night before sinking into a deep, blissful sleep.

The day began in the tranquil suburbs of Stockholm, awakening to the gentle sounds of rain. In my quest to learn from one of the leading dreadlock makers in the world, I had apparently managed to bring the Welsh weather with me. After a hearty breakfast, I wandered through the sleepy streets towards the Seienstyle salon, excited, nervous and a little bit apprehensive about what the day would bring.

I was greeted by Ann-Marie warmly and invited into the magical space that she works from. You may already be familiar with the Seienstyle salon, but it was a joy to explore in person, filled with beautiful artefacts brought back from Ann-Marie’s travels, a riot of plants and textures all combining into a beautiful healing space. It was a strange moment for me, to finally be standing inside the salon that I’d spent so long seeing through her videos on YouTube and also her online professional loctician training course. A sense of calm enveloped me and we spent the next two hours discussing my intentions for the training sessions, the areas that I wanted assistance in and also to talk more broadly about our experiences in life that had led us to sitting on a little hand-carved wooden sofa in Stockholm together. I was struck by how open and easy our conversation was; it was as though we had already met before, with all ego discarded and left outside of that magical space. I truly believe that encounters such as this are rare and special, shared only when there is authenticity and both people communicate in an open and honest way.

Once my client arrived, I went down to greet her and instantly connected with the lovely woman Ann-Marie had picked to be my model. We were to work on remaking her beloved dreadlocks after she had removed them in previous months. As we began to work together on her hair, I watched the gentle, intentional movements Ann-Marie used to create her art and I was reminded of how very young I am in this journey. There’s a beauty in the youth of my craft, an openness and an eagerness to follow the path that lies before me. I have no idea where I will go, or where life will take me, but this is a craft that speaks loudly and clearly to my soul and I can tell there are many years of work that I will continue to do as I hone and develop my craft and continue to learn from the best within the industry.

 

 

My client had flown from Denmark to be with us for the day and I felt extremely grateful that such a beautiful soul could have such faith in both Ann-Marie’s instruction and my own ability. As we worked on her hair, I felt uplifted and inspired, buoyed by the magic of being where I had previously dreamed of being. Back in 2017, when Ann-Marie began to teach students, I had watched videos and read accounts of studying with her and felt a sense of wonder that people could spend so much money and travel so far for their passion for dreadlock making. But I’m a firm believer that when the time is right, those decisions are not so difficult to make yourself, so long as you listen to your own intuition. I had made the decision to seek training in August whilst travelling and wanting to think about creating a new way of living for myself. But it took until February 2019 before I was able to really commit to the Seienstyle course. I found myself in a familiar situation, with my heart saying “take the leap! Do the course!” and my head still lagging behind a little and worrying about the financial side of things. But I try whenever I can to trust in my intuition and in this instance, I knew that I needed to make that leap of faith and place the money where my intention lay. I am whole-heartedly grateful that I took that leap and once I’d made the decision to commit, the money came swiftly and easily to ensure that I could pay for the course and even invest further in VIP training at a later date.

 

 

I attended my VIP training days expecting to gain a great handle on the skills and techniques taught by Ann-Marie as part of her course, but was I wasn’t expecting was how much of an impact the experience would have upon my self-belief and ability to manifest my dreams. Whether it was magic or universal intervention, something marvellous began to happen to my life during the week I spent in Stockholm. My following on Instagram began to grow with genuine, beautiful people connecting with my work and I started to feel as though I could help make a positive impact on their lives in a small way. I also became aware of a growing sense of momentum. It began as a flickering, dancing sensation within my body, but it quickly began to build. I could liken it to a heavy stone finally beginning to move, slowly at first, but the power and speed with which it moved began to increase. I began to believe in myself, in my abilities and skills. The anxieties and doubts I felt about my work started to melt away, and I focussed not on the ways in which my work differed from others but instead began to celebrate the uniqueness of this truly special handcraft. I strongly believe that the dreadlocks a person makes will vary as much as their handwriting and perhaps you have noticed this too. After the completion of the beautiful Emma’s hair on Wednesday evening, I was filled with gratitude for what I have been able to do. Emma’s energy was entirely transformed along with her hair. Her shoulders were straighter, her smile wider. She had begun to feel closer to her authentic self and it was an absolute honour to be trusted to be part of that process. I hope that Emma and I will cross paths again, when she moves to England for work later in the year.

My second VIP day involved initially going over some of the specific techniques that I wanted to master, before assisting a lady with her dreadlocks that required repair and extension work. I really enjoyed working on her hair and sensing that my confidence had increased from the previous day. She seemed extremely happy with the results of her hair and I really enjoyed talking with her and helping her finally get the hair she had been working towards for a few months with Ann-Marie’s help. After the exhaustion I had felt at the end of day one, I knew that I had a lot of learning to process. After some sleep, my brain had processed the alterations to my technique and the second day I felt I moved with a little more ease as I worked. I also noticed a desire within me to connect with others making waves within the industry, and then with the greatest of timing, Alin Leslie, founder and owner of Dollylocks arrived on my second VIP day, allowing me the opportunity to ask questions and take advantage of the great many years of experience she has both in the salon attending to clients as well as her business expertise. It was truly an honour to work alongside her and Ann-Marie and I am extremely grateful for the kindness and patience she showed me as I asked so many questions!

 

The magic of my trip continued into the weekend, with a two-day workshop attended by other Seienstyle affiliates and students. This meant that I suddenly found myself part of a tangible, real community of like-minded people. I found myself filled with gratitude at how wonderful it was to deeply connect with others who share the same passions as me. I cannot wait to visit other salons and studios around the world that belong to the members of the Seienstyle network. In joining this group of professional locticians I have found my friends, my brothers & sisters within the group of colleagues I stand with. We are united and strong. We believe in our work and the value it has. We raise each other up rather than tear each other down. Regardless of where we might be, the success of one is the success of all. I am so happy and grateful I feel as though I might burst!

 

“In joining this group of professional locticians I have found my friends, my brothers & sisters within the group of colleagues I stand with. We are united and strong. We believe in our work and the value it has. We raise each other up rather than tear each other down. Regardless of where we might be, the success of one is the success of all.”

 

My inbox began to fill with requests for my work and I found myself slightly overwhelmed with how many people had contacted me that day wanting work. Of course, the beautiful magic of being in a situation where demand is causing minor stress is a delightful one, and so I laughed and cried with joy, expressing my gratitude for the situation I found myself in. But the magic didn’t stop there, because I suddenly found that the remaining hair models that I’d been struggling to find were reaching out to me. The barriers I had placed in front of myself unwittingly had begun to move away. And the view from up there in that place of deep gratitude and thankfulness?

 

Well it looks pretty amazing to me, and I am excited for what will happen next!

 

 

 

Practicing skills during the workshop.

 

Above all, I wanted to share with you in an open and honest way what this training has done for me. Ann-Marie has been a fantastic facilitator of the change I have experienced, and of course her expertise has been invaluable and I’m deeply appreciative of how present and committed she was towards my training and development. I’ve developed in my craft rapidly in the time I spent with her, but the greatest change has come from within. The hard work, the confronting my unresolved fears, that’s been all my own hard work.

 

If you’re considering joining the Seienstyle network, I want you to know that this is not an easy path. There will be difficulties you face. You might want to call it a day and not finish the course. You will be forced to confront your fears. But trust in your intuition that led you to this place. Trust in the faith that Ann-Marie has in your potential. And trust that you have a network of passionate, loving individuals standing beside you, who have been in your shoes and know some of the feelings you are experiencing. Together we are stronger. Together we are Seienstyle.

 

 

 

 

Seienstyle Stockholm Workshop. June 2019