Today we’d like to introduce you to Kanwal Siddiqui.
Hi Kanwal, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a little girl, in elementary school, I fell in love with Henna, a.k.a Mehndi in the Indian subcontinent where it has been part of our culture for centuries. Mehndi is a must for girls in any event including but not limited to Eid, Holi, birthday parties, and especially all 10 different parties at a wedding. The list goes on to include any excuse to get your Mehndi on, just because…..
I wanted Mehndi on my hands even when there were no events to attend. I will ask my mother to find an artist to fill my hands with henna. It was time-consuming to find someone, travel to their house or place of business, and all of this will cost a pretty penny. It couldn’t be done on a daily basis, as I wanted it all the time.
One day, I believe I was in the 9th grade, I became very upset that an artist couldn’t be arranged while my hands were empty. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to showcase my pretty hands. So, I went and bought a Mehndi cone from a local shop and started scribbling scrabble on my hands.
In a similar fashion to write a message on a cake with an icing cone, it was hard to get mehndi flowing through the cone while attempting to lay out the paste in the desired pattern. The result wasn’t pretty but I had my “Mehndi waaley haath,” [henna-filledo]- hands. I was proud that I can do it, and I have never stopped doing it.
I practice putting Mehndi on almost every day as I enjoy it. I practice on my or my daughters’ hands and feet. I am the defacto Henna artist for our extended family since moving to the USA in 1999. I have been offering my services for religious and family events, especially Bridal Henna for years. I also started to offer my services at local festivals after moving to Austin, Tx.
Henna is for anyone, not just for girls. I have done spit-firing dragons, Medusa’s head, snakes, team logos, sports cars, and any design the boys like. Girls mostly go with unicorns, flowers, moon, sun, hearts, turtles, and similar soft designs. Cancer patience can have a Henna design to beautify their head during chemotherapy.
What is amazing is that, the paste dries in few minutes and leaves behind a color to last on average about 5-7 days. It erases faster if washed often, especially with soap. Now you know the reason – I wanted to avoid having to wash dishes (lol). Also, there is a Hindi/Urdu language idiom, “pairon mein mehndi,” fresh henna on the bottom of foot, offored as a touch of sarcasm for someone attempting to get out of doing chores.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Henna is such fun and in demand that almost everyone wants to do it. Through practice, anyone is able to get to such a level that people start to appreciate their art. One can find an artist in pretty much every extended Indian family, attending to family demand, free of charge, of course.
Professionally, however, it is difficult to find customers on a constant basis, due to the growing competition per the increasing population when it comes to the number of artists, level of an artist, and charges people are willing to pay. It is not a stable income source. However, if one loves and enjoys doing it then one can make it.
I do it for the love of doing it, thus, I found a niche. All local artists were offering services to Indian families and events only. No one was found offering Henna (Temporary) Tattoos at local festivals attended by hundreds of American families. As a result, I am now invited to birthday and dance parties, bridal and baby showers, professional events organized by companies and held locally, etc. to offer the henna tattoos to attendees.
Someone wanting to hire me for their event need only to email me to discuss the details.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a stay-home mother of four – two sons & two daughters. I am constantly organizing and cleaning my house and am known for Henna.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://hennapassion.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hennapassionbykanwal
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036100642018. (search for “Henna Passion by Kanwal”)
