Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Freeforming Turned Me Into A Creative Being











I decided to stop doing any kind of hair style with my dreads because my scalp doesn't like to be pulled this way and that. And my dreads like to do their own thing. They don't like me putting my hands in them every 5 seconds to straighten them out. They know what they should look like.
They prefer to move ,twist and turn in their own direction.
So since I don't do any fancy hair do's anymore I have had plenty more time for crafting. I guess some may say putting handmade dread beads on your dreads to be fancy but I call them power beads.
They are fun and you get to be even more of a living work of art. I don't wear the beads all of the time but every now and then I like to put a few in depending on my mood.
I also make cloth art doll using recycled fabrics and materials that are also recycled. Since my journey of freeform dreading began I have felt extremely creative . It's like my anntenae are picking up creative sparks from here and there.
Keeping my hands out of my dreads lets them flourish and be how they want to be and helps me to be my authentic self.
I have learned through the years that the less I do to my dreads the better the do. They get thicker,they get longer,and they are very easy to care for. When you love them no matter how long or short they are they feel it and become healthier and healthier with each passing day.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

FreeFormed Dreads Are Free


If you are thinking of going the natural route when it comes to dreadlocks there is no easier way than freeforming.
In my opinion it is the greatest way to give you hair and scalp a permanent rest from all of the manipulation it has been through in the past.
I suggest keeping things simple.
I decided to go back to only using my rosemary,sage,peppermint rinse and forego the any soaps or shampoos or baking soda rinses. Or vinegar rinses.
My dreads just feel better and stronger. If I can harvest some from the river I add horsetail as well.
I have also learned that I don't need oils. I tried olive oil a long time ago and it left a stinky smell on my scalp and hair. I tried the jojoba oil and it left a stinky smell in my dreads. When I don't use oils I have no stinky smell and my dreads feel great without them.
I make sure to let them air dry completely during the summer. So I spend lot of time in the sun. During the long winter months I like to use my big fan to blow them dry.
This works for me but I am not saying it will work for you.
Freeformed dreads are sometimes seperate but I don't seperate mine. I let them congo and marry each other all over my head.
The hairstyle for me was free. I didn't go to a salon to work on it because nature only needs simple things. Air, water,sun,and healthy nutrition.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Freeformer Dreadlocked African American Women


I just wanted to say how happy I am to see more African American women embrassing their natural selves through freeform dreadlocks. I have been wearing mine for 14yrs now and never thought in the beginning of my journey to document it. In a previous post I showed photos of myself before the journey but no month by month or week by week kinda update.
It seems to have also brought awareness to many African American women to take part in a healthier way of living in general I have noticed. I smile everytime I see another freeformer blog because where I live I never see any freeforming women just manicured locs. I am not coming down on the manicured locs it's just not my cup of tea.
I am enjoying the freedom of getting up and not doing anything with my hair accept for washing and go.
I am currently still doing a rosemary/mint/sage rinse on my dreads which I have been doing way back in 2000. I thought of doing it from reading one of my herb books that talk about which herbs are good of the hair. I grow my own herbs to use in my rinse and I collected some fresh horsetail from the river a few days ago to add to my rinse. Horsetail is suppose to be good for strengthen hair and helping with hair growth as well.
I 'll share more on this once my finger heals. I had an incident with my ring finger where it got so swollen I had to have a jeweler cut it off. Anyway happy freeforming all and if anyone has any question for me feel free to ask.
Brightest Blessings
Trina
P.S. The photos is of me at the ocean. About a week ago me and my family went camping at our favorite campsite in Fort Bragg. The ocean air is great for locks!