When I was younger I always found that drawing and painting never truly resonated with me. I felt that I had artistic abilities, but I was not using them in the right way or applying them in the right places. The summer of 2021 changed that when I found that doing Henna suited me most. This is what started a long journey in which I felt more comfortable in my skills.
Henna –commonly referred to as Mehndi– is a temporary dye that stains the hands, most commonly used in South Asian cultures in wedding festivities and other auspicious events. Getting my henna done throughout my childhood was always fun and exciting, but after trying it on myself, it became a completely different experience.
In a perfect world, I would say my first time doing henna absolutely exceeded all expectations, because I drew the most perfect design on myself on the first try and realized that I had a talent in doing henna this entire time. But this isn’t a perfect world, so of course my first attempt at doing henna was a complete mess. I did not understand how to hold my hand, how much pressure to put on the henna cone, or which shapes to do with which techniques. But it took a lot of TikTok and Instagram tutorials, and a handful of Pinterest inspiration to get a hold of those specific tricks to get your henna to come out the right way.
This is what I felt made my journey perfecting henna so important to me. I started it with zero expectations of becoming good at it or doing it often. At the time, it was just something to do over the summer, and with this I gradually started to improve without knowing it.
Now doing henna is one of my favorite hobbies; I love sitting down once or twice a month to do my henna, trying out a new design, and sharing pictures with my friends and family. Much of my family relies on me to do their henna for Indian parties, and my friends for their holidays. It has not only helped me socialize and share parts of my life with other people, but it has also connected me to my own culture. Understanding the significance of traditional henna, and what it means to my religion, culture, and my country. It has also helped me feel more secure in myself, for being able to take something I lacked the skill for initially, to something that I can be proud of and show off.
A large part of this journey is that it offered me opportunity to find something bigger than just a hobby. Instead of trying to blend into the American culture I have grown up in with my peers, henna was an outlet that helped me immerse myself in Indian culture.
