HU 250 Unit 4 Assignment

I chose to discuss India for this project. The Indian culture is beautiful and elegant. The culture has a lot to choose from in regards to finding a creative form of art that is expressed within their culture; music, food, fashion, and dance. Out of all of the different forms of art to write about, I chose to pick something that I was interested in trying out myself. The form of creative expression I chose was the application of Henna. I have always been fascinated with the application of Henna and curious to know more about the history and the meaning behind it. I’ve seen henna worn by mostly Indian women, however, I’ve started noticing that other nationalities of women were wearing Henna also. I’m sure that some of the ladies adorning their bodies with this form of expressive art are not familiar with the history or its origin, but it is something that I wanted to look into myself.

Although the application of henna has been passed down from generation to generation, it seemed to have never lost its authenticity. One of the things that I find interesting about Henna is that is has medicinal properties. Henna has been proven to heal various skin conditions (Henna, n.d.). Outside of my own curiosity, finding out about these additional medicinal properties intrigue me even more. I search a couple of places here in Georgia locally to find a place to get henna done on my hand. Prior to my appointment, I was advised to exfoliate the area and to not wear any lotion or oil on my hand.

When I arrived at the shop, the atmosphere was very earthy and relaxing. There were not a whole lot of seats and some privacy, but not like the privacy at a tattoo shop. The shop is not just known for getting henna done there, but they also sell a variety of fashionable items. After picking out my design, the technician begins to apply the henna paste. The paste had the consistency of mud and the process was painless. When the paste started to dry, the henna was tingling or had a like a cooling sensation. I was advised to try not to bump up against anything during the drying process. I was shocked at how the quickly the application process took. I was advised that the drying time is basically up to me depending on how long I could stand it. The technician said that the longer the better, but if it got aggravating, then I could remove the henna. The henna could last anywhere from 10-14 days.

As I reflect back over this experience, I am reminded that no matter how long it takes to get the end result, patience is always needed. If I had rushed the drying process, the stain from the henna might not have been given enough time to take to my skin and I would have felt like I wasted my money. Comparing this experience to real life situations, we have to be mindful that no matter what we do, we have to have patience in order to see it through.

References:

Products. (n.d.). Retrieved March 05, 2018, from http://silknstone.com/About-Henna.html

Henna. (n.d.). Retrieved March 05, 2018, from http://www.sinahenna.com/henna/