Ginny, The Founder
Ongoing Support
Dreadlock artists can be a flighty bunch. Many do it for a season and then move on to other things. Some stay at it but move from state to state or country to country. Since opening my practice in 2013 I have always remained in the Sydney basin and plan on continuing to do so.
A number of clients I’ve seen have had the experience of going to contact the loctician who put their dreads in after they’ve gone awry only to find they’ve moved away or left the trade. One of the rewards of my work is being able to maintain a connection with clients, following their dreadlock journey and sharing where our adventures have taken us since last meeting up. I look forward to exchanging our stories and accompanying you on your dreadlock journey. ~ GinnyOrigins of Dreadlocks Sydney
Before founding Dreadlocks Sydney in 2013, I devoted my career to hair care. Working as a hair stylist after leaving school, the first 15 years of my career provided opportunities to travel, work in salons all over the world and launch my own.
Having experienced many cultures, I found my greatest sense of kinship came from the dreadlock community who I began spending more time with in 2009 when I offered dreadlocking as part of my salon services.
As a stylist, I noticed clients left feeling happier about their external appearance. But when I began working with dreadlock clients, I noticed there was a sense of contentment when they arrived, because they liked who they were internally. While they were all unique, they tended to value similar things such as open-mindedness, independent thinking, mutual respect, appreciation, simplicity and community.
Having become drawn to the authenticity of dreadlock enthusiasts, I left styling for good when I started up Dreadlocks Sydney and I have spent the last 6 years focusing solely on dreadlocking. Having been inspired about how service-focused many of my clients were, I undertook social work studies and now split my time between dreadlocking and working as a counsellor.
As a loctician I find there is nothing like the satisfaction of doing work that connects you with progressive, upbeat people. My social work aspect balances things out through being able to enrich the community and help people. I think Bob Marley was spot on when he said, “Live for yourself and you will live in vain; live for others, and you will live again.”
Becoming a Loc Doctor
The 10,000 Hour Rule is a principle which holds that 10 000 hours of deliberate practice is needed to become world-class in any field. This works to roughly 3 hours a day for 10 years.
In Japan, a flower arranger is no longer considered an amateur until they have devoted 15 years to the craft, while the term artisan is often used in Europe to describe someone with 20 years experience or more.
Having had to repair countless hatchet jobs over the years (or waited for clients to regrow their hair after shaving off badly done dreads) it’s a shame that many people don’t inquire about the experience of their loctician. If you’re paying bargain basement rates or go in knowing that the only credentials of the person doing your hair are watching youtube clips or a weekend workshop in dreadlocks that’s fair enough.
With lower overheads due to working from home and offering a mobile service, I offer a professional service at a much lower rate than a salon while having a greater wealth of experience. And like everyone devoted to their craft, I regard the learning process as something that never stops.
As Barbara Streisand once said, “I think it takes obsession, takes searching for the details for any artist to be good.”
Dedication, passion and yes, even a little obsession are all qualities I bring to creating the best dreads possible for you.