Very Inspired Nails

Today was one of the first sunny and warm-ish days we’ve had in a long while in Chicago, so naturally, all the kids begged to hang on the playground after school. I stood in the sunshine with a group of moms who immediately noticed my nails.

“You don’t strike me as a nails person, you’re looking fancy,” Holly said. “Yeah, tell us about your nails,” Ashley added.

Several weeks ago I treated myself to a glorious treat. Holly was right; I’m not a ‘nails person,’ and hadn’t gotten my nails done since 2014 when I went to the very same special spot to get equally fancy nails. Last time, Persian rugs. I was on my way to Dubai to visit my family, then, and thought my Bahraini cousins would find them fascinating.

This time when I went to Astro Wifey, I toted one of my favorite authors’ books with me: Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents. Octavia’s work is an inspiration to me. Her vision and wisdom felt far beyond her years, and she died so young. When I read Kindred, I was disturbed and at the same time proud of her direct and uncomplicated handling of truth. Octavia, to me, is a powerful figure whose blazing, bold writing serves as a blueprint for how we might function in the face of human-created devastation and destruction.

It took three hours. Ashley Crowe is a real artist. I waited months to snag an appointment. She hand paints custom colors, mixed herself, free-form designing nails based on whatever inspiration clients bring (fabric, pictures, homage ideas or otherwise). The result is always special. I asked Ashley, too, if it bothers her that her art disappears, when inevitably nails grow, chip, need to be changed. Her response was so simply beautiful:

“The final art is not nearly as important to me as the process of getting there.”