Today we’d like to introduce you to Aisha Anwer.
Hi Aisha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Whether there were wedding festivities or Eid celebrations (Muslim holiday), Mehndi, also known as henna, has always had a significant role in my community traditions. As Eid had passed in 2020, the year of the global pandemic began, and I had a lot of time to ponder what I could do to aid in passing time. In that moment I found a henna cone lying around my home. Using this newfound cone, and the excessive amount of time I found myself with, I began to learn the art of Mehndi. As time progressed on, I was able to try new and intricate designs with any moment of free time I had available. I grew so fond of this newfound skill that what was initially an attempt to cure boredom eventually turned into MehndiibyAisha.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although I love being a part of the Mehndi community and everything that it has to offer, it hasn’t always been an easy path. One of the toughest parts of being a Mehndi artist for me when starting out was to know what kind of cones work best for me. At first, I didn’t even know about the variety of cones, but after a lot of trial and error, I found what works best for me, and I’ve been going with it ever since. Another tough part of this path had been keeping an eye on all of the most minute details that many people gloss over. I want to be able to do my best and provide my best to every design that I do. At the end of the day, Mehndi is my passion. Any sort of difficulty that I face is worth it due to my appreciation for what it is.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in henna art, and I also partake in paintings that requires a similar skill to henna art. I do these Mehndi designs on customers, and it is traditionally done on your arms, hands, legs, and feet. Depending on what kind of style you prefer, I can change my work to adapt to what is required of me. That includes modern, traditional, or even a mix of both. I also provide my services for little kids, which is something I enjoy because it’s really nice to see the future partaking in such longstanding traditions. Something I am really proud of is just being able to give back to the community that I grew up in through a skill that many people appreciate and love to partake in.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
While the Covid-19 crisis was ongoing, I was able to fulfill so many dreams that I had. From take the initiative to learn a new hobby that would later turn into a passion that I adore so much. The pandemic taught me to pursue my goals, however large or small they may be, because you never know what this life has in store for you. I had henna art in store for me, and although Covid-19 was a difficult time for us all, it taught me adversity, and that adversity is what I believe has brought me to the place I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/mehndibyaisha/portfolio?authuser=4
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mehndiibyaisha?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@mehndiibyaisha
