We recently connected with Christine Nakra and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

In case it’s not obvious, I’m obsessed with henna art. I was first introduced to henna from my husband’s culture. Learning the art of henna started out as a mysterious curiosity that led to obsession. I fell in love the way it looked, the way it smelled and full-on how it made me feel from the inside out.

I began watching YouTube videos of henna artists creating beautiful designs. I loved this because watching it felt meditative at first then somewhat doable. The internet algorithm began sending me ads for henna conferences that were held all over the country. I thought “Wow, is this really a thing?”. I took a leap and registered for my first henna conference held in CA in 2017. The conference was marketed toward beginners so it seemed that I’d feel right at home.
When I got there. I realized that some of the most well-known henna artists in the country were there. I felt extremely intimidated, but I decided that all beginners had to start somewhere. Nobody is born being naturally good at this particular art medium.

I went home from that conference and decided that I was going to reach at least an intermediate level and really work on my skill set. Since then I’ve never put it down. Henna is a practice and that has to be worked on daily to maintain your skill level. There are no shortcuts or “hacks”.
From there I learned to handcraft my own henna paste which is the mark of a legit henna artist.
The most important thing that a beginner artist can do is commit to a daily practice and find an experienced mentor in both the art and business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Christine Nakra, a former Pediatric Speech Pathologist turned Professional Henna Artist. I’m also a firm believer in that it’s never too late to begin something new no matter your age or where you are in life if you’re brave enough to step out of your comfort zone and believe that you can actually do it. I love serving women through henna parties, private sessions and classes. Each service is so different and serves women in uniquely different ways. I’m brought in for large celebrations of all kinds and also for the low key ladies/friends night in or slumber party. Women are always looking for a reason to connect with their inner circle of friends and henna opens the doors to serve as a reconnective catalyst. Henna truly solves the “How do I make my party a fun but different experience for my guests?” problem. Private sessions are more self connective and allow women to feel into their bodies and reconnect with their inner and outer beauty. And classes are in the line-up for those that love to play with art, explore and learn what henna actually is and how it works on the skin (along with history and cultural aspects of the art).

The uniqueness of my business lies heavily in serving people that are newer-ish to henna. At least 95% of my clients have never had henna before and I get to be their first experience and that’s exciting to me! I make and use only my own organic, handcrafted henna paste on all of my clients. The paste-making process is slow and takes time but it’s well worth it. The paste is the essence of the art. There aren’t any “ quick fixes” to speed up the process to make natural henna paste. I’m proud that I’ve been able to learn this artisan skill for skin safety purposes and for the authenticity and respect of the art itself. I love talking about the process of making henna, and it’s been a true labor of love. Most people don’t realize that before I sit down to apply henna to party guests or private sessions, that there’s already been a lengthy, process of handcrafted natural henna made 24-48 hours before the design is strategically layed out of their hand. People, in general, are very curious about henna and love to ask me questions about what it is, how I make it, how long the temporary design lasts, and what they should do after the paste dries.

I love educating people on why natural henna is the only safe kind of henna for the skin and why store bought is toxic/harmful to the skin. I often cover topics such as this in my blog here: https://www.mindbodyhenna.com/blog because it’s easy to grab the info here rather than spend hours reading and researching different sites that could lead to more confusion. I focus on providing simple education and information that is easy to digest and understand.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’d say I have 2 missions:
#1: Skin safety through education is my mission. You may be thinking-”Isn’t all henna safe?” No, it’s not. I educate as many people through social media, blog posts and my website to understand that safe, natural henna can’t be bought in a store. Henna is a perishable product that must be made fresh and used within days of its preparation. I don’t sugar coat it, and let people know that if they choose to buy store bought henna (local or online) the harsh chemicals that keep it shelf-stable are: gasoline, kerosene, benzene, and/or paint thinners. They may also unknowingly be putting the harsh chemical that’s in black hair dye (PPD) in the form of “black henna” directly onto their skin. This could result in chemical skin burns, an immediate allergic reaction or a delayed allergic reaction. The damage can be permanent and not worth the risk.

#2: My other mission is that I want to continue to spread the awareness that henna doesn’t fit into just one box. While it’s very much tied to many cultures in eastern regions, it also can be worn and enjoyed by everyone around the world. It’s celebratory as well as a novel beauty treatment for self care. Women especially find it irresistible and nurturing while having henna applied to them in an intimate group setting such as a ladies gathering, spiritual retreats, team building or a ladies night in. I love being the one to bring that experience to other women so that they can reconnect with themselves and each other in space dedicated all to themselves. Some of the words that women have used to describe how henna make them feel are: confident, gorgeous, strong, relaxed, badass, deserving, loved, nurtured, soothed. Who wouldn’t want to feel all that?

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Yes! There definitely is and it’s this- there’s no talent behind what I do. Talent is presumptive and learning a new skill takes time, hard work and nonnegotiable consistency. It’s more about daily practice and not a natural skill set that has gotten me to where I am. Once I set my mind that I was going to learn this art skill set, I never put it down.

I may be considered a late bloomer in my industry while many henna artists start in their 20s or 30s or even younger, I wouldn’t change this part of my path. I’m a firm believer that when the time is right, whether you feel ready or not, you’ll know when to begin something new. I’m also a firm believer that everyone is an artist at something. We were all born to create. Finding our own creative genius happens in it’s own time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mindbodyhenna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindbodyhenna
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindbodyhenna

Image Credits
Photo Credit to: Felicia Reed Photography Annie Quick Photo Michelle Holloway Photo