How to get hair to stay in place?

Ok please don't take this as me trying to be him. But my hair is really thick and I have been told it resembles Justin Bieber or Cristofer Drew Ingle. I guess its not a bad thing they have cool hair but that is how my hair naturally lies. Its really thick and I want to do new things with it. It is dead straight and I just want curly hair haha is there anything I can do to make my hair sort of wavy? I want to style it up and have less bieber hairstyle but whenever I go outside my hair which looks ok before I leave the house falls down. I try and use hairspray but It never does anything and my hair always resorts to its original shape. I had a haircut to get it shorter, still does it. I just want to know how to make it stay in place, i try and use hair spray but it seems to do nothing any tips would be appreciated :)