“There is a compelling tendency among novices developing any skill or art, whether learning to play the violin, write poetry, or compete in gymnastics, to quickly move past the fundamentals and on to more elaborate, more sophisticated movements, skills, or techniques. This compulsion is the novice’s curse—the rush to originality and risk. The novice’s curse is manifested as excessive adornment, silly creativity, weak fundamentals and, ultimately, a marked lack of virtuosity and delayed mastery. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to be taught by the very best in any field you’ve likely been surprised at how simple, how fundamental, how basic the instruction was. The novice’s curse afflicts learner and teacher alike. Physical training is no different.” – Greg Glassman This is a video I shot during a hair cutting fundamentals class with my students. I believe it is important to master the foundations of hair cutting before moving onto more complex skills and techniques. They've helped me greatly in my work both behind the chair and in the classroom. If you want to see an improvement in your work start by taking pride in mastering the basics. Remember that practice doesn't make perfect, it creates habit. So make sure you're practicing the right ones.