Dajana does wonderful work, she writes, takes photos and finds ways how to keep all memories in one place and make them even more beautiful. Dajana's lovely products manage to entertain not only children but us adults as well. When I saw the Traveler's Journal, I just thought: How did she know that I needed something just like this?
The journal format, its design and most importantly the intent blew me away immediately. Not only do I look forward to every journey, I can see myself writing down my thoughts at some great coffee place, scrapbooking my memories and returning to them over and over again without a smile ever leaving my face - all thanks to Dajana's Waved.
Why was it important for you to create the Traveler's Journal? What inspired you?
The inspiration for making the Traveler's Journal came from my trips. I like travelling and learning about new places, but I also love collecting knick-knacks such as tickets, shells, postcards, city maps and anything you can fit in your pocket. On top of this, I often experience feelings and thoughts associated with the city or country I'm visiting at the time; ideas or entire sentences occur to me and I spend days rearranging them in my head, which frequently results in stories for my blog. So it was a challenge for me to file all of them away in one place that would be nice, contemporary and original at the same time. Since I like working with my hands and avoid buying what I can make myself, I decided to make a journal with pages that would be empty, but with filled pockets on its covers. In that way I created space that does not hold imagination back; on the contrary, it caters to a traveler who likes putting down their thoughts that will one day mature into memories.
“A traveler can avail themselves of unlimited space for creative expression. ”
What kind of person should in your opinion own this journal? What would they like, what type would they be, what would they enjoy?
A person who loves life, yearns to discover new things, who is somewhat of an artistic soul, emotional and positive. A person who likes to express themselves in words, drawings or photography. A person who looks forward to every opportunity to go on a trip and never misses one. A person who sees travelling as an investment into themselves and not as spending. A person who is able to perceive that different cities inspire different emotions in us. A person who wishes to get to know themselves and not just scroll away on their gadget.
A person who can mix and match the joys of digital world with the smell of paper and ink. A person who is able to slow down the hectic humdrum of everyday life to smell and taste coffee and not just gulp it down and rush off. A person who finds happiness in little things and is grateful for what they have. I think I have just described myself, but such a person would definitely enjoy keeping this journal. It is targeted at people who truly enjoy travelling, those who set their thoughts down on paper, travel bloggers and lovers of what is handmade and unique.
What do we need to keep in every Journal?
The Journal gives absolute freedom to a traveler; it is entirely up to them what they will decide to keep, write down or draw. Although journals seem to be identical, each one stands out precisely because it tells its own story. A traveler can avail themselves of unlimited space for creative expression.
Do you have your own journal? What mementos from your travels do you keep?
I have recently made a journal for myself that I started filling in during my latest trip to Portugal. We visited several places that had a huge emotional impact on me, especially those on the Atlantic Ocean. Those who follow what I do, know that I have a great love for the sea that always inspires me and informs my work. The pages from that journey contain more drawings, thoughts and scents than material trinkets. I capture what touches me in a certain moment: clouds, waves, a sense of freedom and abandon, a sense of belonging although I am not home...
“These days, when we spend more time typing than writing, the Traveler’s Journey provides a link between past and present.”
What makes you smile every time you see it in your journal?
Anecdotes can always make me smile and there are plenty of those when you are travelling as a family with children. I also enjoy perusing sentences that have welled up while I was sitting in a car, on a plane, smack in the middle of some city or on a beach. For me those thoughts are special because they have been born out of unlettered moments and living in the present.
How did the Journal come about?
The Traveler`s Journal is made exclusively of natural and eco-friendly materials. The Journal is bound in washable paper. This type of paper is water- and tearproof; it is completely natural and safe, and when it dries, it looks like wrinkled leather. The inside consists of two separate parts (notebooks) and the covers contain pockets with accessories for the Journal's decoration: mini envelopes and stickers, a bookmarker, a luggage tag as well as maps of Europe and world to mark the places visited. An eco-leather ribbon is used to bind the Journal and close it, which infuses the overall esthetics with a touch of luxury. Since the Journal is made by hand, it takes many hours of love, patience and precision for the volume to go through all the phases of preparation and composition and become a product that someone will hold in their hands.
Even when it is finished, it is not really complete. Its journey continues in some new place, in some new home. My vision was to offer a traveler a treasure chest of memories and a visually attractive opportunity to actively collect their memories that they can revisit at some later date. By writing down the thoughts, sounds and scents, we discover the beauty around us and become aware of the present moment. And once we are conscious of that, we can rejoice in small things that lift our spirits. That is something that we keep forgetting today. These days, when we spend more time typing than writing, the Traveler's Journey provides a link between past and present. Although in spirit it belongs to times gone by, the Journal's appearance and the way it is meant to be filled in corresponds with contemporary life.
GIVEAWAY
Dajana/Waved and I will reward one of you with the Traveler's Journal. All you need to do is start following Waved on Instagram and Project: We Travel and in your comment tag the person you think would enjoy this award. You can tag several people or share it in the story if you want to.
The contest ends on 9th July when I will announce the lucky winner on my birthday :) The competition is international.
Best of luck <3
