RE: Gen X and Henna

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Posted by Anne Beltestad on April 19, 2001 at 14:43:46:

In reply to: can't seem to post a followup?!? posted by Anne Beltestad on April 19, 2001 at 14:23:45:

OK, here goes...

As a 28-year-old who wears henna and is a professional henna artist, I
thought I'd try to respond to your questions.
I became interested in henna as a kid. I was an avid reader even then
and I'd draw on my hands in class, because I'd seen pictures of middle
-eastern women with these designs on their hands.
I didn't hear or see anything about henna until a couple of years ago.
Then I tried with hair henna and no luck. I went to a local "henna
artist" but she was rude and offputting and no help whatsoever, and I
would have just blundered along until I met Kree on this forum, who
is awesome and taught me tons.
It wasn't that I decided "to get a henna tattoo" (I really don't like
using the "t-word" to describe henna. Henna is NOT a tattoo. I have
two tattoos. They hurt, and are permanent. Henna is not. To call it
a tattoo misleads people, sometimes with negative effects, like the
so-called "black henna") It was that I thought henna was neat and
decided to practice.
I've never been a huge fan of whatever is trendy. Usually the things
I'm into are obscure and unusual. However, I like that my fascination
with small filigreed decorative patterns is able to be translated into
drawing on people for a little extra money. I think 20-somethings are
under a lot of pressure to be trendy. Henna is currently trendy. But
you have to understand the role the media and corporations play too.
Young people are seen as the pinnacle of beauty and fashion and
sexiness. That sells. If a pierced, hennaed, flat-stomached,
big-eyed submissive-looking young woman is shown in a magazine, people
want to buy the product. My mom would never be in a photo selling
anything, because even though I henna her (making her "trendy") and
even though she's beautiful, she doesn't fit society's ideas of how
women are supposed to want to look - or, more importantly, what we're
supposed to *buy* to make us look that way.
So when you're seeing "gen-xers" with henna you are seeing an entire
array of socio-political factors. The fact is, I don't only do henna
on 20- or 30-somethings. I do a lot of henna on pre-adolescent girls,
middle-aged and older women, men of all ages, kids...it's just that
our (corporate-owned) media shows what sells. Youth sells. People of
our age are expected to be freaky, edgy, always sporting something
new. On a 50-year-old, that's usually considered weird in a bad way.
So- i hope I've helped, feel free to email me, and, if you're ever in
Seattle, stop by the Gilded Lilies Henna Arts booth at all the
upcoming major festivals this summer! Good luck with your research,

Anne

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: OK, here goes... : : As a 28-year-old who wears henna and is a professional henna artist, I : thought I'd try to respond to your questions. : I became interested in henna as a kid. I was an avid reader even then : and I'd draw on my hands in class, because I'd seen pictures of middle : -eastern women with these designs on their hands. : I didn't hear or see anything about henna until a couple of years ago. : Then I tried with hair henna and no luck. I went to a local "henna : artist" but she was rude and offputting and no help whatsoever, and I : would have just blundered along until I met Kree on this forum, who : is awesome and taught me tons. : It wasn't that I decided "to get a henna tattoo" (I really don't like : using the "t-word" to describe henna. Henna is NOT a tattoo. I have : two tattoos. They hurt, and are permanent. Henna is not. To call it : a tattoo misleads people, sometimes with negative effects, like the : so-called "black henna") It was that I thought henna was neat and : decided to practice. : I've never been a huge fan of whatever is trendy. Usually the things : I'm into are obscure and unusual. However, I like that my fascination : with small filigreed decorative patterns is able to be translated into : drawing on people for a little extra money. I think 20-somethings are : under a lot of pressure to be trendy. Henna is currently trendy. But : you have to understand the role the media and corporations play too. : Young people are seen as the pinnacle of beauty and fashion and : sexiness. That sells. If a pierced, hennaed, flat-stomached, : big-eyed submissive-looking young woman is shown in a magazine, people : want to buy the product. My mom would never be in a photo selling : anything, because even though I henna her (making her "trendy") and : even though she's beautiful, she doesn't fit society's ideas of how : women are supposed to want to look - or, more importantly, what we're : supposed to buy to make us look that way. : So when you're seeing "gen-xers" with henna you are seeing an entire : array of socio-political factors. The fact is, I don't only do henna : on 20- or 30-somethings. I do a lot of henna on pre-adolescent girls, : middle-aged and older women, men of all ages, kids...it's just that : our (corporate-owned) media shows what sells. Youth sells. People of : our age are expected to be freaky, edgy, always sporting something : new. On a 50-year-old, that's usually considered weird in a bad way. : So- i hope I've helped, feel free to email me, and, if you're ever in : Seattle, stop by the Gilded Lilies Henna Arts booth at all the : upcoming major festivals this summer! Good luck with your research, : : Anne
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