Before you ask -- no, I don't use nail stickers, I don't wear fake nails and I don't have some sort of permanent nail art tattoo on my fingernails (would you really be surprised if this became a new thing, though?) From the time I was 12 and bought my first nail art kit -- complete with nail art glue, rhinestones, base coat, top coat and that little stick thing that helps you apply rhinestones -- my creativity and curiosity has melded together to help me come up with fun ways to express my thoughts, appreciation for the holidays, and just fun things I like.

I also definitely owe it to whatever ambidexterity I might have because I can paint both hands equally well, and sometimes I even do nail art better with my non-dominant hand. No matter where I go, I always receive compliments on my nails, usually followed by questions such as, "Did you do them yourself? How long did it take you? Are these your real nails? Can you do mine, too?" Not that I'm complaining; compliments are always nice.

I've heard people say that they can't "paint their nails to save their lives," or that they could never have half the patience that I have to do their own nails, so I literally feel like I have a gift. Yes, it would seem that painting your nails pretty designs is in fact a gift. It doesn't give you the ability to read minds or predict the future; it doesn't help you come up with your own genius mathematical formulas and equations, but it is a gift of creativity, patience, and really good conversation starters for when things get awkward.

My nail art is another trait my peers have come to attribute to my personality. Like, I am literally not me if my nails don't have a different design on them every week. How a full-time student, editor-in-chief, blogger, and avid fan of "Grey's Anatomy" has enough time to do her nails every single week is a story for another time. But in any case, my nail art adds to my personality and style because it's a quirky element that can accompany me anywhere I go and with anything I wear. Yes, even during a job interview. It definitely makes you realize how often people actually look at your hands!

It might be small, but it's actually a huge part of my identity; besides, sometimes really awesome, quirky, unique things come in small packages! Don't always be so quick to pass off your tiny details -- each individual nut and bolt -- as something normal or irrelevant. Oh, and by the way, no one really has seen me with unpolished nails since the seventh grade!