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Some people spend years chasing stability, while others eventually realise that happiness means taking a completely different path.
For 30-year-old Morika, that turning point came after spending five years working in the media industry.
A passion that started when she was young
Morika shared that she has been doing henna and temporary tattoos for about 12 years, a passion that began long before it became her full-time career.
As a child, she enjoyed drawing and was fascinated by tattoos. Naturally, henna became the perfect way for her to explore both interests.
“I used to enjoy drawing a lot, and I was also obsessed with tattoos as a kid.”
Morika often experimented with henna designs on herself and her friends, where she slowly built her skills over time.
Her father also played an important role in shaping her independence early in life. After SPM, he encouraged her to pursue things she enjoyed and start working towards building her own path.
Looking back, Morika says she’s grateful for that encouragement.
“If it wasn’t for him supporting me back then, I wouldn’t have gained all the experience and knowledge I have today.”
From henna to jagua tattoos
When Morika first started her henna journey, she used only traditional red henna, which is made from natural leaves.
However, as her designs became bigger and more detailed, she realised the stain didn’t last very long. Typically, red or black henna stains last about three to five days, which she felt wasn’t ideal for designs that took significant time and effort.
That led Morika to explore other safe alternatives and eventually, she discovered jagua ink, a natural ink derived from the jagua fruit. Unlike henna, jagua produces a bluish-black stain that can last up to two weeks, depending on skin type and care.
This allowed her to offer clients designs that resemble real tattoos but are still temporary in nature.
Left media career after 5 years
Despite having a stable career in media, Morika eventually realised the lifestyle didn’t suit her as she found herself questioning whether it was truly what she wanted in life.
“I realised I didn’t want to spend my days looking at my laptop the whole time.
“Instead, I wanted something more dynamic; a career that allows me to meet people, talk to them, and experience something new every day,” she explained.
That’s when Morika decided to pursue henna art seriously as it allowed her to be outside more, interact with different people, and create new designs daily.
“Every day is a new experience. Nothing is repetitive and no two days are the same,” she shared.
Worth the risk
Choosing a creative career over a stable corporate job wasn’t easy.
Morika admitted that she initially had doubts about whether it was the right decision, especially since it wasn’t a typical or widely recognised career path.
But over time, those doubts faded.
Today, she says leaving her stable job to pursue her passion was one of the best decisions she has ever made.
“I’m much happier than I was before,” she quipped.
Looking back, Morika believes taking that risk allowed her to build a life that feels more exciting and fulfilling.
And while the job does come with its challenges, including plenty of back pain from long hours of drawing, she says she has never seriously thought about giving up.
For Morika, work doesn’t even feel like work. “In fact, it feels more like me hanging out!”
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