I've been wanting a change lately. I started coloring my hair when I was 16 and hadn't ever stopped until just a few years ago. Curious about what my "real" color is now that I am an adult, I stopped coloring it.
(Answer: Brown)
Here's how I spent most of my 20s:
Lovely, yes? My mom and Fredster are both big fans of The Blonde.
However, I am not a fan of roots. Maintaining this color is a major commitment, both in time and money.
But I do like it. It's very similar to the shade of my hair in childhood:
The "Childhood Blonde" -- it is magnificent, non?
(P.S. Thirty years later, I still have that damn cowlick in my bangs)
(P.P.S. Yes, my mom made me a Tom & Jerry cake. HOW RAD IS THAT?)
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What do we say to going blonde again after this seven year exploration of red and brown?
The "Pros"
1. It's pretty.
2. It could put me in a different casting realm in my acting career.
3. I don't have grey hair yet, but when I do - it'll be less noticeable.
The "Cons"
1. It's expensive.
2. I hate it when a girl with highlights pulls her hair back into a ponytail and you can see all an inch or more of dark roots. I just don't like it. It bothers me.
3. I'll have to get new headshots. (...but - honestly - I want new headshots. I can't really count this as a Con except that it's a whole day out of my life and a 1k expense to get "That One Shot" - Oh, getting the new headshot is such an ordeal.)
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I've had a good run at being brunette. I've felt super smart and sometimes edgier than I ever did as a blonde. I started a company as a brunette. Smarty! But now I've passed a lot of the responsibilities of the company off to a new team of people. I'm going back to school and I'm going to be auditioning more in 2012.
I recently had a one-on-one coaching session with Jackson Gay. She says I should definitely be going out for those tightly-wound WASP roles -- like in Reza's "God of Carnage", La Bute's "The Mercy Seat", Lindsay-Abaire's "The Rabbit Hole".
Jackson: "Are you familiar with August: Osage County?"
Me: "Oh my God, that's one of my dream plays! I can't wait to play any of the sister roles. All great parts!"
Jackson: "You should be auditioning for those roles. I just directed that show at the Alley and the actress playing Karen was 32 in real life."
Me: "But in the script, (author) Letts has the youngest daughter at age 40!"
Jaskson: "No offense...? You should start going in for roles in the 35 - 45 range."
Me: "Ouch..."
Jackson: "You are still on the young side, but the 25 - 35 range doesn't fit your vibe."
What she means by that is that I'm not really so much in a place where I am grappling with the questions in my life anymore. I'm more about dealing with the stuff that's already there. It's a gravity shift.
I'm really glad for it, actually.
I'm kind of curious about the kind of woman I could be as a blonde (again) now that I am close to my 40s -- eek. In my 20s, when I was a blonde, I was rather manipulative. In my 30s, with red and brown hair, I grew to be a fairly direct person.
I don't give 100% of the credit in my personality shift to my hair color -- BUT when I was a blonde and people spoke to me like I was a little plaything, my inner response was, "Fine. I'll give you that...just don't be too shocked when you figure out that I'm using you as a stepping stone to my Next Big Thing."
I feel like people have spoken to me more directly and expect me to be more intellectual as a brunette -- has this caused me to respond in a way that is direct and intelligent?
Or is this just the way my life path worked out...? I was selfish and opportunistic in my 20s but then grew to a place in my 30s where I found some solid ground...?
Tricky. Hard to say.
SO --
What do you think. I'm totally up for change.
I WANT SOMETHING BIG FOR MY LIFE.*
Shall I start with the hairs?
(*Calm down. I don't mean a baby.)
