RALEIGH, N.C. — Kiki Taylor isn't like anyone else. She calls herself a unicorn.

"There's only one me and I aspire to be me. Every room I walk in, I walk in confidently as my beautiful, energetic unicorn self," Taylor said.

What You Need To Know

  • The Dreamville Music Festival is back, with 40,000 people expected at this weekend's event

  • North Carolina native and music artist J. Cole is headlining the concert

  • The festival features more than 25 artists and 40 vendors

  • A Durham nail artist has been welcoming clients to the salon this week for some Dreamville-specific designs

It's no wonder the artist is celebrating Dreamville. Like the festival, her salon is full of magic and whimsy.

A shrine in her salon is full of colorful gifts and memorabilia. They are daily reminders of why Taylor was drawn to this career.

"In high school, I would go get my nails done and I would tell my nail tech, 'hey, can you do something on my nails that hasn't been done before?' And I would go to school and someone else would come up to me and say, 'hey, oh my gosh, look, we're twins,'" she said.

Now, Taylor vows only to create, not replicate. And it's exactly why clients like Sasha Mcmannus come here.

"Who wants to be like everybody else? I mean you don't see people in the Oscars or the Grammys having the same dress. It's unheard of," Mcmannus said.

Mcmannus isn't the only one trying to nail the look for this weekend's Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh. One of Taylor's designs took 3 1/2 hours.

"I get more reactions that I drew it with my hands and didn't put a sticker up there," Taylor said.

Taylor's thankful for the opportunities to let her creativity shine.

"Let's be trend-setters, let's not be bandwagoners. And I go based off my client's energy, their personality," she said.

Because there's no greater feeling than making their dreams a reality.

"I love my clients who message me after they leave and say how many compliments they've gotten, how significant others are recognizing their nails, and they've never done that before. That my work is recognized and known and loved," Taylor said.