Henna Design in DSM: It Was All A Dream

Hi everyone, my name is Maggie. Just to warn you before we start off on this blog post, I’m not much of a writer. I own a small business called Henna by Maggie. For those unfamiliar with henna, let me explain it a bit. Henna is a type of body art seen throughout a lot of different cultures. It is a paste made from the henna plant, water, sugar and essential oil. Each henna artist has a different method of what works best for them. My method involves rolling individual cones, filling them with the henna paste and then creating freehand designs. A general misconception with henna is that the only design is flowers, which is not true. Traditionally yes, flowers and feminine elements play a big part in henna designs. But it doesn’t have to be limited to that. The paste acts as a vessel for almost any design you can think of.

Getting Started in Henna

“How did you start doing henna?” That’s the question I hear most often since I started my henna journey. I had henna done once while in Seattle and fell in love. Originally from a small town in Nebraska, henna was something I had never seen before. The fact that I could have this amazing body art for only a few weeks — no commitment — blew my mind. I wanted to have it all the time, but didn’t know where I could get it done. So, I decided to do it myself. Not long after I decided I was going to become a top-notch henna artist, I moved to Greater Des Moines (DSM).

Settling in DSM

DSM was a whole new world for me. A Target? Grocery stores that are open past six o’clock? Total utopia in my eyes. I felt like there were so many opportunities for my henna business to grow. In my mind, a farmers’ market was the perfect place to start. I filled out the application form for the Historic Valley Junction Farmers’ Market and hoped they would see potential. To be honest, I really thought they would say no. I had zero experience. The extent of my henna business at this time was doing it on my left hand. But I guess dreams really do come true. They said yes. And that was just the start.

The Power of Face-to-Face Marketing

I never in a million years thought I would be a henna artist, nor did I think I would have a community behind me of people who love and support my work. Instagram and Facebook are good tools, but there is nothing that tops face-to-face interaction. There is something so refreshing about seeing a business owner in person who has passion for their product. Someone who not only markets themselves online but can come to an event and be the same if not better than what you saw online.

This might sound dramatic but being a part of dozens of markets, festivals and parties, has opened up my world. DSM is such an incredible city for someone with a dream. Each event I attend shows me something new. The opportunities in DSM are endless. Not that a lot of people ask me for advice, but for people starting out, go for it. You have an idea and want to make something of it. Do it! Sign up for markets, go to events and put yourself out there. Things will happen for you. Everything starts from a seed of an idea and can grow into something you probably didn’t ever think could happen.

Are you interested in moving to Greater Des Moines (DSM)? Relocation Packets offer information on everything from neighborhoods and shopping to parks and local attractions. Or, kick start your career by checking out the DSM USA Career Center. It has over 10,000 jobs listed!

Des Moines has given me such a great platform to showcase my art. For this photo I teamed up with local photographer Sophie Rae Photo to create a henna photoshoot to show how diverse henna & the people who get henna can be. (photo by Sophie Rae Photo)

Not a lot of people know this but henna stains all different skin tones! With proper care almost everyone can get a beautiful, rich, henna stain. (photo by Sophie Rae Photo)