Alisana

It’s a special moment for me when I discover a compilation of imagery that shows India through another’s eyes… Having spent so much time there now, I envy those who are discovering it for the first time, reminiscing about my own maiden voyage to India; eyes wide open, anxious, awe-inspired, shocked, pensive, humbled, connected and overwhelmed.

I recently came across a lovely interview with Chloe Dunlop from She Made Me on my fave wanderlust guide The Vista and could immediately connect with her experiences. This led me to check out her website and gorgeous range, captured so inspiringly in India.

It made me realise just how much this country has given and continues to give to my own life and other creative souls. My first journey to India led me to forego my 9-5 job as a stylist and start Sage and Clare. It was a life-changing moment and one that put me on a very different and more fulfilling path than I was on. Since that time, I’ve spent 2 – 3 months a year there… Each trip bringing unbridled inspiration and perspective with equal amounts of challenge, personal growth and the odd meltdown. When I’m in India, I often miss the comforts of home and when I’m home, I miss the chaos and challenge that the Subcontinent serves up on a daily basis. It’s a place that changes me, more so than all the other places I’ve travelled to.

It has become the heartland of Sage and Clare, a place that has enabled me to design and offer artisanal home wares – a rarity in this day and age. Every time I visit my production team, suppliers and artisans, I am encouraged by their willingness to try new things for me… It’s a place where everything seems possible and, if it’s not, every avenue will be pursued before it’s a ‘no’. How refreshing when I live in a place that definitely favours no over yes as the norm.

As I reflect on another year, this imagery seems a rather fitting ode to the place that’s made it all possible. I’m a little unsure when I’ll be back due to some prevailing health issues and I’ve really missed how a trip to India ‘resets’ me. I’m hopeful that 2016 holds another journey there for me…

Thanks for your golden light India, both literally and metaphorically. Xx