Naturally creative?

Ugh, I can't even believe I've neglected my blog for three + weeks. Well people, I'm back full force. Promise. This week's topic: Hair.
I rarely can pass a black girl on the street without asking her if her hair is natural, what her regime entails and if she has any idea how I can get hair down my back (without weave). I'm recently so obsessed with my hair because I'm noticing it's not 'retaining length' (that could be a whole other blog). Also I had a stunning revelation at a networking event the other week.
Picture it (yes I've been watching too much golden girls): two weeks ago yours truly was at an ad agency meeting new people. I was introduced to someone else in the creative department who was stunned that I was a copywriter because ... wait for it... I had straight hair and it was relaxed. Apparently the curl in one's tendrils also harbors creative juices. This person mentioned and I quote "well you know, most people that are black copywriters or art directors are natural and show off their curly hair."
Could it be that as diverse talent we've also become typecast into a natural curly hair-loving silhouette? Does my straight hair say straight-laced? Not crazy enough for creativity?
I find it interesting that before anyone even asks me about my experience I'm handed over for a litmus test to determine when I had my last relaxer.

Guess my faux-beach hair doesn't count either... huh?

Here's my theory -- creative people are judged by their ability to exude organized chaos. This goes hand in hand with the idea that creative people are also bad organizers (guess I'm 0-2). And not just black women -- you're supposed to dress down, sacrifice personal composition to fit in and appear as if you're living for the work - style optional. Odd, isn't? But back to black women and the need to declare natural on their resume, do you know why this amazes me so much? Because, natural hair is the second most calculated appearance altering tactic next to makeup. For those of you who do not know the definition of natural hair is un-relaxed (non-chemically processed) hair. It's the original state of your hair, the one you were born with unscathed and ideally undamaged. Now, to get to this original state of your hair there's a journey you must take, which brings me to the conclusion that this natural look is actually completely contrived. I mean it takes me an hour to watch hair tutorials on YouTube and people speed those up! 
The process takes time and the styles are adorable (on most) and because it's so "different" automatically gives you a check on the creative checklist. So, I'm being typecast for having straight hair (SMH). So I'm thinking about having an anti-journey and maybe starting a group for people like me ... if there are any more out there?

Au naturelle

I've found myself contemplating, planning, making lists and trying to decide on what I should do with my hair, is going natural the answer? Let me pause for a definition: going natural means to stop processing my hair with a relaxer treatment. The relaxer straightens my hair, by breaking down the proteins that give my hair its makeup, but it also strips the hair of priceless protein oils for growth. Ergo, hair is a mess.
I've found myself obsessively thinking about how to go forward with my hair because if you don't know: maintain black hair is a long and arduous process. Why? I don't know, but let me demystify a few common misconceptions or things you just don't know when it comes to black hair.  My hair wet doesn't look the same once it's dried (unless you want to wait 2.5 hours). Washing my hair is an ordeal, it takes time - wash, deep condition, blow dry and flat iron. I'm tending to my hair so much on Sundays, I feel like I have to break have dinner for energy and go back to taming. My hair is thick - it's healthy for the most part (knock on wood), but it's thick. It's hard to maintain with my workout plan - ever notice in the gym, women either have "gone natural" (afros, twists, dreds) some other form of natural styling, but very few are relaxed and breaking a sweat. It's pretty much impossible and becomes an ultimatum it's either nice hair or a fit bod.

To me it's six in one hand half a dozen in another - relaxing your hair, hoping for little to no breakage OR going natural? I'm sorry, but I don't think I can deal with the TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro). Definition: TWA is the beginning of the natural process, when the person going natural makes the big chop, cuts all her hair down to get rid of the relaxed hair, what's left is a teeny weeny afro.

On the other hand I've seen evidence of perpetually relaxing and hair loss that can come of that. Plenty have seen the movie "Good Hair", but you probably only know a small dose of the reality that the documentary reveals. While Chris Rock so eloquently tried to explained to the nation the history and conundrum of black hair, it's not as easy as you think to go through and get rid of your process treatment. When you think about the time invested over years and years to see it do nothing, but make things worse? Makes you wish there was a warning label with the long term effects. Then again, it probably wasn't your decision - I can just see my Dad now, struggling with this massive ball of hair wondering "what can I do to my baby's hair?" and a Just For Me commercial comes on like an answer to his prayers.
Going natural won't save me any time - in fact I'll probably go back to where this journey all started and wonder - what am I going to do with this hair. 

So now that I've talked myself in circles, getting no closer to a decision, and making a confusing situation even nappier, here's my true question what is really going to work? Or maybe another peel off the old onion of life, is letting me know I'm going to need to accept what I have and make it work?
Either way, it's Sunday - so I have some hair maintenance to attend to. Until next time my dear readers!