This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive. In my local area, henna is cultural linked to the Desi community. As a British -born Chinese woman, I am a complete anomaly, so I thought it may be fun to blog my journey in brief…
Hi, I’m Connie – wife and mother of two, and MAJOR henna fanatic. I spent most of my life as a non-Creative (or a creative-in-denial as my husband would put it) despite many signs and landmarks in my life that indicated otherwise. After having my children, my life as I knew it rocked and triggered changes. The way I had always planned to live my life was not in line with how I was choosing to live life on a daily basis. There was a misalignment. It triggered a journey of self discovery and learning.
A few years ago a very good friend of mine took me to a gallery exhibition in our hometown of Scarborough. Whilst there, somebody asked me if I was one of the exhibiting artists. Flattered, I replied “No, not me! I don’t have an artistic bone in my body!” And awkwardly shuffled away. Seconds later my dear friend revealed she had heard the conversation and swiftly reprimanded me for lying . That moment set off the beginnings of the thought process that brought me to where I am today.
I picked up my first henna cone in August 2013 after having mehndi at a local Chand Raat, and I felt my first “Where have you been all my life??” moment. While it can be said that my journey with henna art began long before that moment, it was sealed at the very moment I started laying henna.
Since then it’s been a roller coaster of a ride – fuelled by a passionate and obsessive hunger to always learn more. I make my own henna cones, have my own preference for a particular recipe through experience and love creating my own designs. In October 2014, I fulfilled my henna dream of attending Henna Con in California (an amazing experience I would recommend to ANY henna enthusiast). I met many of my henna idols and made some great new friends in the henna community. I’m now building even more of them locally, here in Bradford with a Monthly Mehndi Meet where local henna artists meet to practice designs outside of their comfort zones – something we wouldn’t normally have chance to do with our clients.
I *love* henna. Working with it feeds me in ways I never knew I needed. Now that I have found it, it will remain a large part of my life and I hope (and I plan) for it to be long and flourishing.
Thank you for reading. Belief and support from loved ones really make the difference ♡
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.