Meet the HENNABANGAH (because I do great henna and we BANG loud in HTOWN)

My name is Dominica Marie Soliz, native Houstonian, proud Brown Business Owner and Artist of DomSol Henna Creations.  

Established as a sole proprietor in 2004 and actively conducting business in Spring Branch, where she is a long time resident of this community.

My love affair with henna began soon after leaving an abusive marriage back in 2002. After going down a few rough roads, I found myself coming into the loving world of the Third Ward subculture. I was living with a friend at the time who had already began doing henna throughout the community. I was introduced to an artform that I could connect with and reintroduce myself “to myself” as my henna works became more therapeutic than I had ever anticipated. 

We were both two separated wives just trying to make ends meet when she decided to leave town and left me with the henna vision, that was 2003.  Through the years of research, reflection and application, I began to reconnect with beauty and the metaphysical energies within each piece.  Coupled with my natural intuition, I found my own distinctive style, cache’ and flow which is a true energy exchange from artist to client. 

After holding many jobs within the corporate structure and even the social industries that Houston offers, henna was always a mainstay for balance in my often-transitioning lives and employment opportunities since that was my ‘side hustle’.  In August 2013, I stepped out on faith, quit my job and started my journey as a full time Henna Artist.  

A few months after this decision I was contacted by a woman via email asking for pricing for a henna crown for her then 11-year-old niece diagnosed with Leukemia and who had lost all her hair in chemo.  I was so moved I posted about this divined message on my Facebook page where I had numerous offers to pay for this young lady’s crown.  I was so excited I didn’t even know what to charge.  After her application, she saw herself in the mirror and began to cry, she loved it so much it built a wonderful friendship with myself and her family.  It was at that moment it was put on my spirit to offer this service free to all Chemo Patients who want to reconnect with beauty and be adorned with henna.  I received a few more inquiries when I was asked to put my story on Fox 26’s Feel Good Friday in Aug 2015. 

Shortly after that TV appearance I branched out into my own workspace so I can give my clients a more intimate experience. From 2015 to this current time, I have gone from NRG area, and from one end of Spring Branch to the other, and one thing I can say… is that my clients HOLD ME DOWN! As with the meaning of a henna mandala, there’s a different experience at each progression, my henna career has definitely been a beautiful journey that will sustain me through it all, for that and for my beautiful hennAddicts, I am thankful!

There are three VERY important things that happen in the month of October for me.  

My shop anniversary, Domestic Violence Awareness and Cancer Awareness.  October 23rd  is now known as #HennaHealsHouston Day in this great native City of mine/ours.  In my view, henna healed me as a woman, my spirit and idea of the beauty and self-worth being a survivor of Domestic Violence.  

Henna gave my life purpose, direction, created a movement, and though I offer free henna crowns year-round, October is the month where I see more women as we share energy.  Henna Crowns for these women help them see their own powerful natural beauty as they “Fight Like a Girl”.  I am honored to be this vessel for these women. 

The most beautiful part is that all this healing and therapy is happening through indigenous artistic expressions.