I’m constantly being asked what my story is, how I became so successful. Since I can only share snippets on Instagram, I decided to start a blog to share who Larisa Love is in hopes of inspiring all you lovely readers to be the person you've always dreamed of. The most important characteristic you should know about me is that hair is my art, my passion, and I want nothing more than to make my clients feel beautiful and alive: I love the essence of art behind hair transformations and the feeling my clients have when they see their new look. I absolutely love my career, but I should clarify that this life–being a booked-through 2016 hair artist–was not handed to me on a silver platter; if it was, I probably would not be as successful and appreciative as I am.
I knew at a very young age that I did not want to live a traditional lifestyle. I mean, what seven-year-old kid curls her own hair? I even taught myself how to French braid on a Barbie when I was five, and that is when I knew that styling hair was a natural talent of mine. Hair is an art, and I was born to share my art with the world. However, despite my desire to make a creative living, I grew up in a very traditional household. I moved to America from the Ukraine when I was six years old. (My family won a Diversity Visa Lottery that enabled us to become American citizens and move to the U.S., and if we didn't make the move, my life would be drastically different.) With that said, my dad wanted the best for his children, but in his eyes, “the best” meant that his kids would go to college and land a traditional, "conventional" occupation. I already knew that I wanted to be a hairstylist, but he told me that hair is a hobby, not a career. The words “hair is a hobby, not a career” motivated me to reach my professional goals. So if you really want to understand the root of my drive, you need to know that my dad’s disapproval was ultimately the catalyst for my career as a hair stylist: I was determined to prove that hair stylists can have successful careers. And I made it.
In order to thrive in Los Angeles, I took and continue to take risks (I'll elaborate more on these risks in the next post), and I constructed my own path. The same day I moved out of my parents' house, I quit my college classes and enrolled in beauty school while simultaneously working to pay my bills. I will end on this note: Yes, my dad's negativity gave me the push I needed to never give up on my dreams, but the support I receive from my clients and followers fuels my ability to improve my skill and demonstrate that our only limitations are the ones we give ourselves. Now that you know what initiated my desire to be a successful hair stylist, how can you reflect on your own passions and goals? It may take time, but don't be afraid to let go of whatever is holding you back! Live a life of fulfillment, not regret.
Curling my own hair at seven years old.
“All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you’re not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you’re the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until every no becomes meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES.”