We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vee (Vidhi) Heiland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Vee (Vidhi), 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?
Yes, I have been making a full-time living from my creative work since 2021, but it definitely wasn’t like that from day one. I actually picked up my first henna cone 12 years ago, back in high school. I had asked my mom to do some henna on me, but she was busy and told me I should give it a go myself. She had done my henna since I was little, and it had honestly never occurred to me to try it! I remember grabbing a cone, running to my room, and sitting there for what felt like hours, looking up inspiration online to create my very first design. When I finished, I proudly showed my mom like a five-year-old showing off her art. Her response was, “Good, but you need to focus on making clean lines.” Challenge accepted! Because she encouraged me to try, I can confidently say I do a pretty darn good job today.
Once I started doing henna for friends and family, I realized it could be a great side-gig. I started small, but I needed a HUGE push because I lacked confidence in the beginning. Before I could really turn it into a business, my dad, who is always very cautious, gave me some vital advice: I needed to research first. Even though henna is a deep part of my culture, I didn’t truly know the science behind it. My dad warned me about the risks of bad skin reactions and stressed that taking shortcuts would ruin my reputation as an artist before I even got started.
That sparked my deep dive into the chemistry and business of henna. I learned how to make my own paste from scratch. Over the years, I realized buying from smaller artists was too expensive in the long run, so I dug deeper and connected directly with henna farms in India. I learned how to differentiate quality, which top-tier ingredients to mix, and how body temperatures and aftercare affect the final stain. This research was a massive milestone. It allowed me to build a reputable business that people could completely trust.
If I could have sped up the process knowing what I know now, I would have pushed past my initial imposter syndrome much faster. I also would have researched direct, international suppliers right away instead of spending years buying from more expensive, smaller suppliers.
But overall, I am so glad I started this journey in 2014. By 2021, I was ready to quit my part-time job to do henna full-time. Today, that means booking out every weekend from April through October, traveling to private parties, and bringing on my artist friends to help me tackle large corporate events. I absolutely love what I do, and I wouldn’t trade it for a traditional 9-to-5 job for anything.
Vee (Vidhi), before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Vee (Vidhi)! I am a professional henna artist with over 12 years of experience, specializing in intricate, traditional henna designs. My journey into this beautiful craft actually started as a search for belonging. When I was eight years old, my family moved halfway across the world from India to Topeka, Kansas. Third grade was incredibly tough, between the language barrier and the culture shock, I felt completely lost. Searching for a piece of home, I asked my mom to do my henna. When I walked into school with those intricate, reddish-brown stains on my palms, it sparked conversations and helped me make my first real friends in America. It taught me at a young age that my culture could be a powerful bridge to connect with others.
As I grew up henna faded into the background until high school, when a presentation about India reignited my passion. I started practicing on friends and family, and by college, it had become a part-time job. But it also became something much deeper: my medicine. During my darkest struggles with depression and anxiety, the meditative process of creating those patterns grounded me and helped me heal.
Today, I do this full-time. Since taking the leap in 2021, I provide henna services for a wide variety of occasions:
Private Appointments & Parties
Corporate Events & Retreats
Large-Scale Festivals
I also donate henna crowns to anyone who has lost their hair to chemotheraphy. That is something that I completely offer for free. In addition to juust henna , I also offer jagua which is similar to henna but it stains dark blue because its derieved from a berry. On my down time I also create faux pumpkins and hand etch designs on glass coasters!
What truly sets me apart is my absolute refusal to compromise on the quality and safety of my materials. There are many so-called “henna” products on the market that contain dangerous chemicals, which can cause severe reactions. I solve that problem by providing a 100% safe, all-natural luxury experience. I spent years, and thousands of dollars, finding the perfect supplier in India. Now, I exclusively use freshly harvested, five-times sifted, body-art quality powder to make my artisanal paste entirely from scratch.
There is actually a lot of science involved before the art even begins! I have to constantly adjust my recipe based on the weather; if it’s highly humid, I reduce the sugar so it retains less moisture, and if it’s dry, I add extra sugar so the paste doesn’t flake off.
Alongside the resilience it took to build a sustainable, full-time career, which I never could have done without the incredible push and support from my husband, I am most proud of my volunteer work. In 2017, a woman asked if I would do a henna crown on her head once she started losing her hair to cancer. She never reached back out, which broke my heart, but it gave me a profound new purpose. Since then, I have been providing completely free, intricate henna crowns to anyone who has lost their hair to chemotherapy. It helps them reclaim their confidence and feel beautiful during an incredibly difficult chapter. It even went viral across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, allowing me to reach and help people all over Kansas!
The main thing I want my clients to know is that henna is a collaborative process. I treat it not just as a quick service, but as a meaningful connection. A beautiful, dark stain depends heavily on our teamwork: how long you let the paste sit, your natural body warmth, and your aftercare. From an eight-year-old trying to make friends in a new country to a full-time artist giving back to my community, henna has always been my greatest tool for connecting with people, and I am so honored to share that art with my clients.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Art has been the heartbeat of humanity since our ancestors first etched drawings onto cave walls. It is how we tell our stories, remember our history, and honor our pasts. Over thousands of years, art has evolved to be so much more than just pencil on paper or paint on a canvas. Making movies, writing books, throwing ceramics, designing jewelry, crafting furniture, and yes, even piping henna are all incredible art forms that require immense talent and dedication. Life as we know it would not be colorful, creative, or full of masterpieces without art, which is why it is so important for society to actively support creatives today.
First and foremost, we need to support artists while they are still alive, rather than waiting for their work to become famous after they are gone. With the internet and social media, it has never been easier to champion creators and keep their art thriving.
Supporting an artist also doesn’t mean you have to drop $1,000 on a massive painting. If a smaller piece or service fits your budget and speaks to your heart, invest in it. But even if you have no budget at all, you can still make a huge impact. Small, completely free gestures, like liking, commenting, and sharing a social media post when an artist’s work speaks to you, go an incredibly long way in showing your support and helping them reach new audiences. Every single contribution, whether financial or simply hitting that “share” button, helps sustain the creative ecosystem.
This is especially critical right now with the rapid rise of AI. As artificial intelligence begins to generate images, books, and media, we are at real risk of losing the profound, human element of art that we have carried with us for millennia. To best support a thriving creative ecosystem, society needs to actively choose human connection, invest in authentic craftsmanship, and celebrate the real people behind the art before that deeply human tradition fades away.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I went full time in 2021, I truly did not know what I was getting myself into. The reality is that my income has never been stable. One weekend I might make $100, and the next I could make $9,000. It was always a massive risk. I believe that unpredictability was the ultimate test to see if I truly had what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
I have been to many events where I did not even make my vending fee back, or where I spent a significant amount of money on gas and lodging when I was traveling away from home. There were definitely times when my expenses outweighed my profits, but I never let those financial setbacks dictate my path or take away from what I genuinely love doing.
Navigating that instability taught me true resilience. It forced me to learn how to weather the slow seasons, market myself more effectively, and appreciate the highs even more. It also reminded me exactly why I started. At the end of the day, sitting across from someone, sharing stories, and creating beautiful, meaningful art is what fuels me.
The financial ups and downs are simply part of the entrepreneurial journey. I keep showing up, mixing my paste, and putting in the long hours because this craft is my absolute passion. No matter how challenging or unstable the road gets, the joy of connecting with my clients makes it all worth it, and I wouldn’t trade the freedom of doing what I love full time for anything in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.essentialhenna.com
- Instagram: www.instagran.com/essentialhenna
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essentialhenan
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/essentialhenna
