Artistic talent isn't limited to my eye but my hand as well.
It all started at a local Carnival Fair. When I was coming into Highschool, it was "the coolest thing" to have henna. If you're unfamiliar with it, henna is a dye paste from a plant from a Henna Tree, also known as "Hina". The paste from the leaves are put into a tube and directed onto the skin. If it is on the skin for several hours, the dye would stain the skin, lasting or two- three weeks if taken well care of. Along with friends and cousins, I would then pay for a someone to draw several Henna designs on me. One day when I was getting one drawn on, I saw the booth was selling one henna tube for only $10, a quarter of the price I might add. Henna isn't only popular for people wanting fun designs; it is also popular for clients who wanted to see their tattoo semi-permamently before actually getting it.
I decided for a much cheaper price, I could draw on myself and when I became good enough, begun drawing on friends and family. In 2015, I went to a college in California where I realized that I had a skill that could get me some extra money. Not only could I get coffee money, I could get to know girls around the college that I was at! Thus, I created a poster on my laptop and put up posters around that said, "$5 Henna Tattoos" along with an instagram account that featured all my recent creations. Not long after, I was drawing henna on girls across the campus, along with their family members and a few of mine. I loved my little college job, henna got me money when i needed it and friends who I wouldn't have known otherwise!
People loved my work and one day, I will do Henna again.
Comments