We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alpa Thakkar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alpa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I was always into art and craft ever since I was a kid. Every time we would have the summer break, I would get some paints and do some art work.
I enjoyed every moment of it. It made my creative juices flow and made me happy. Learning to do henna was also a part of my summer time hobby. A cousin of mine and I practiced henna on each other. I was self taught. I did all kinds of paintings like charcoal, oils, This is when I realized art gives me joy and wanted to make a career with it.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I grew up in India. From early childhood I was into art and craft. Every break we had in school I would learn different mediums of painting. I did charcoal, water color and oils. I would also do different types of embroidery and crocheting. ( I also won a grant from the US government for a specific style of embroidery). Doing henna was one of my hobbies, which I learnt on a summer break. When I was just 12 years old. Soon family and friends knew that I was doing henna. I would do it for them on various occasions. I made henna a profession when I came to the US in 1996. I realized there was a need for good artists. I have been doing henna for weddings and parties ever since.
I make my own Henna paste and it is 100% natural and organic. The henna I use is grown in Rajasthan India. ( Best quality henna in India). There is no irritation to the skin.
I love working with the customers.I take time to understand the brides. I talk to them about their likes and interests. Some brides like to incorporate the skylines of the cities where they and the groom are from, their pet, profession motifs, peacocks, bride, groom, elephants etc. I then make a layout of the design before I start working on them.
Events sometimes have to start very early in the morning or late in the evening. I try to accommodate all customer needs and special requests.
I carry all my supplies including a table incase the client can’t provide one. I also bring my own lime juice for dabbing.
When the events are large and need more artists. I bring my team. All the artists in my team are trained by me. It becomes my responsibility that everyone gives their best.
I have been rated the number 1 artist by thumbtack 8 years in a row. I stand by my brand. I thank you for reading my story.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is self expression. All the ideas in a creative mind come alive in the form of art. I consider myself lucky that I am able to express my self through this medium and create beauty.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal and mission is to make everybody happy with my work. Bringing joy to their faces is what I strive for.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hennabyalpathakkar.com
- Instagram: henna_ by_alpa
- Facebook: @hennabyalpathakkar