*Meet the Traveller is a series on Potli Baba, of conversations with people who have been inspired by travel.*
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Potli Baba’s note: First off, this post has been a year in the making, because I was preoccupied with less important things like life and work. Since my first interview with her, I’ve reconnected with Gina to understand how her year has been so far; from exhibitions at Kala Ghoda and Singapore, to being one of the 25 chosen for the Milestone Makers Programme – a collaboration between Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center and Startup India – she’s had a busy, enriching year.
Dear Gina, thank you for your patience. A year is a long time to wait for a conversation with you to be published!
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The word ‘Stories’, inked just below her wrist, plays hide and seek with the clinking silver bangles as she scribbles her answers in my notebook. Head bent in concentration, she pauses from time to time to tuck her hair behind her ear and think of the various stories she has gathered over the years travelling to different parts of India, working with remote tribal communities to create beautiful pieces of quintessential Indian jewellery. Meet Gina Joseph, Founder and Creator of Zola. Much like the pieces she creates, Gina’s evolution as an entrepreneur challenges convention. From the craft of advertising to the craft of creating stories through beads, metal and fabric, what a journey it’s been.
“It just happened by chance”, she says. Zola started off as a piece for her design project and quickly grew to become a name familiar to women who want to make a statement with simple, elegant accessories. Combining her new-found love for creating magic through fabric, metal, leather and colours with her wanderlust was an unplanned dream come true. There were hurdles along the way – the initial struggle, finding investors and yes, brands plagiarising her designs – but she’s only emerged all the stronger for it. Recently, she got herself inked a second time, inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa created by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai, with a mountain and a red full moon-like dot over it. “When an immovable object meets an insurmountable force… the wave and the mountain. So, however tough life gets and pushes you, you have to stand strong. That’s my learning in my years of existence.”
Travel is how Gina unwinds, recharges and discovers local art forms as well as artisans. She loves planning for trips that she will take one day and wills the universe to make them happen. Here she is, sharing her story.
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Describe yourself in one word. Story-Collector.
Where do you live? Chennai.
Where have you travelled to till date? USA, Kenya, Sweden, Oslo and Singapore. In India, Kashmir, the heartland of Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu for Zola workshops. I’ve travelled most of North India too, but am yet to explore North East and hope to do this at the earliest.
Travel to you is: A form of meditation. I can’t sit still and meditate for long, so travel is my escape that enriches me at every step.
Five things your travel bag will always have: Phone, power bank, medicines, money and Vaseline.
Wanderer or tourist? Wanderer.
Mountains, beaches, deserts, jungles, nature or adventure sports? Beaches, jungles and nature.
Plan your own travel or get someone to do it for you? I plan it all.
What’s your favourite journey to date? Your travel memory? Every journey lets me discover something new about myself, so can’t name just one.
If you were a city/town/country/place, which would you be and why? India. For the vibrant colours, different cultures, history, food and stories.
How has travel inspired you? Travel has been the best teacher and inspiration to me. It’s made me stronger emotionally, mentally and also a lot more open to things in life.
Complete this sentence: If the world could fit into your palm, you would… Well, I wouldn’t want to fit the world in my palm. Just the fact that I am such a small part of this world is exciting and humbling at the same time… so let me explore it one day at a time.
Adventures of Potli Baba 
Refreshing to be hit by Potli Baba first thing on a rainy Monday morning out of the grey.. thanks for (finally) emerging from your hibernation.. ;-)
Gina’s journey and life philosophy will strike a chord with most of us with the wanderlust bug.. it’s brilliant that she has gone ahead and done what most of us just dream of.. her life must surely be the richer for the wondrous images and sounds and encounters and experiences she must have had visiting all those varied places across the world! Would be a pleasure to read her blog if she has one!
Please keep writing Nabila.. you have a flair for conjuring enchanting expressions and magical visuals with your words! Have missed the posts..
Encouraging to see such a response on a Monday too. Thanks a bunch Harish. :)
As for Gina’s journey, yes it will. You should have a chat with her – very chilled out and good fun.
Hope to get back in the groove of things now and continue writing too, Harish. Fingers crossed!
Thank you Harish! It’s been a great journey with Zola and you can see my work on http://www.zolaindia.com. I don’t have my blog up as yet but you can check my instagram ( @zolaindia) for stories on my work, travels and Indian craft history :)