Meet Priyanka W

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Sed ut perspiciatis unde.

We were lucky to catch up with Priyanka W recently and have shared our conversation below.

Priyanka, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Being born and raised in India, I had always been fascinated towards Henna Art. I grew up seeing the henna application process as a part of Indian culture. During my teenage years , I happened to pursue henna as a hobby. I had taken numerous short span Henna art hobby classes back home through a local henna artist, with a simple desire to apply henna designs for myself and for girls and women in the family, on special occasions like family weddings and festivities. Back then, being a henna artist could not be thought of as a full time profession. Thus, for many years my henna art training was only limited to fulfill my desire of learning the basics of Henna Art form. As I grew up, my entire focus was shifted on academics and I lost touch with henna. However, my love for henna had always remained the same. After moving to the United States, I found out that Henna art is not only part of Indian culture but many others, who believe Henna application as a significant activity during auspicious occasions. I also learned that I am located in such a part of the United States where henna art is gaining popularity due to its very nature of being organic, pleasant, temporary and beautiful. Apart from the cultural significance, the fragrance and beauty aspect of henna designs attracts women and girls of all ages and origins. I started offering henna service at local places on social gatherings like Diwali Mela and farmer’s market by having small henna booths. Soon my henna designs started getting popular and I gained a good customer base in the DMV area. This is when I realized that if I improve my henna art skills by learning advanced techniques and intricate patterns, I can possibly pursue this as a full time profession. I took the first step to learn advanced and improved techniques of Henna art. I invested 6 months of time in learning “Traditional and contemporary Indian Bridal Henna Designs” in India from a Henna Master. During this time, I not only learnt the advancement of the Henna art application process, but also cultivated the patience and endurance needed to sit in one place for long hours, without losing focus to deliver high quality henna designs. After becoming a certified henna artist, I created my own website to offer Henna service in the Washington DC metro area, for events like Weddings, Bridal Showers, Birthday Parties, Corporate events, Baby showers and so on. Due to slow, steady and timely steps taken during my Henna journey, I soon became a popular Henna Artist in the DMV area and landed myself in a position where I could only work on weekends and earn as much as a full time job.

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

I come from an educated– family background where most of the family members work In the corporate sector. I too was a part of the same trend for a while. However, after moving to the states, I had no family support while raising my child. My initial purpose of getting into henna business was only limited to keep myself engaged in a productive activity while taking care of my toddler. I did not want to have a full time job that would keep me away from my child for 8 hours a day and 5 days a week, during his precious growing phase. However I was also willing to engage myself in a productive way. Only way to achieve this goal was to do something that I truly love doing and can be done on days where my child is taken care of by none other than his dad. This is when providing “Henna Service ” to DMV people came to my mind. While that being said, I was also determined on the quality and professionalism I was supposed to deliver to my clients. Be it answering the initial enquiry call or delivering actual artwork, creating websites or managing accounts, I had to do it single handedly with high quality. As mentioned earlier, before taking a big leap into the business I received advanced henna art training, brushed up my marketing and management skills, cultivated a habit of sitting in one place for long hours without losing patience, and learned to drive fearlessly irrespective of the distances between the places. This helped me offer highly demanded Intricate Bridal henna patterns to my clients, not only in the DMV area but also in around states like DE and PA. Making my own organic Henna blend and being transparent with my clients about the ingredients used in my product, helps me gain trust and develop a recurrent client base. I am proud to introduce the henna art form to those who are uninformed or have questions about henna art and its purpose of application. I like to share the cultural significance and medicinal values of henna with them. I want them to know that organic henna never causes allergic reactions to any skin type and It is safe for all age groups.

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?

Creative people are sometimes treated as one, out of the pack for their lack of interest in traditional ways of earning living through the means of 9-5 jobs. Creative people refrain from monotonous routine, as their mind is always in a need of do something that would weigh/reward them more on the productivity aspect than monetary aspect. Creative people turn into a more successful human being in all aspects of life, when they run themselves based on the intensity of their passion and not on the basis of boundaries created by the society.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I get to meet people from different origins and cultures and be a part of their happy moments. My work place is always a party place. I can visit so many different places and enrich my life experiences, which would not have been possible otherwise.

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Meet Priyanka W

Meet Priyanka W

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

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?

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

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