Student Artist Spotlight: Erin Hutchinson
Erin Hutchinson is a current sophomore at Bridgewater State, majoring in elementary education and sociology. She is originally from North Attleborough and spends her free time participating in various art forms. However, one of her personal favorites is nail art!
Erin was one of the first friends I ever made at Bridgewater State, and I was at first so drawn to her because of her creative expression! One of the ways Erin loves expressing herself and her art is through her nails, which can take hours at a time to complete.
Many understand the economic struggle of going to get your nails done, especially if you want to add a fun design or make them entirely unique. Especially for college students, these luxuries can be difficult to afford and often hard to schedule appointments amidst our busy schedules. However, Erin believes that it is so important to feel both confident and comfortable in your own skin. So, she purchased her own machines, tools, colors, and acrylics to do her nails at home for a much cheaper price.
“Self-expression is crucial,” she says, “and it’s incredibly important to feel confident and comfortable in your skin. I’ve been doing my own nails for a few years now, and it’s been such a fun process learning how to make designs and explore what styles I enjoy.”
Although Erin has been designing nails for years, she says that it is relatively simple for anyone to create their own nail sets at home as well. “It definitely is an investment at the beginning, but once you get the hang of the basics, you can create so many unique styles!”
Erin’s favorite sets tend to be very colorful and full of fun imagery—glitter, sparkles, gems, patterns, swirls, and more! Her favorite colors are often teals and other shades of blue, adding an aquatic-vibe to many of her sets. She is also very inspired by Y2K fashion, which is prominent in pretty much everything she styles.
“Learning to do my own nails has been a stressful but rewarding journey,” she says. “Whatever design I want, whether it is simple or complicated, I now feel confident to explore myself rather than having to ask someone at a salon.”
Feeling beautiful shouldn’t force us to break the bank. Doing these beauty rituals at home is often very cost-effective, builds confidence, and allows us to explore new skills and art forms!
