Henna artists turn their hobby into a career

When Madam Fauzella Sahabdin was waiting to switch roles in the civil service in 2014, she ended up switching careers instead.

- Fatimah Mujibah

Then 28, she was a new mother and looking to secure another means of income while waiting to start a new government posting.

She decided to post photos of her henna paintings – an activity she picked up at 14 – on Facebook, prompting interest from followers.

She soon received about seven to eight requests each month for henna painting, mostly for occasions such as weddings. She started doing it twice a week, charging upwards of $350 for a full-arm bridal design. Each month, she earned the equivalent of her previous monthly salary.

When the advantages of her new gig – the convenience of working from home, greater earnings and more time with her family – became clear, she decided to become a full-time henna artist.

The mother of three boys said: "After making this my full-time job, I have more time with my family and more work-life balance."

This is a similar refrain of 15 other henna artists The Sunday Times spoke to – more than half of whom left previous day jobs to do henna painting full-time.

Madam Fauzella, who also conducts classes on henna painting, had around four to five students a year at first when she started teaching in 2015. That number has since grown to over 40 a year, and most of them go on to do henna painting for a living.