IN CONVERSATION WITH SAYALI GOYAL

An advocate of experiential learning and the importance of travel, Sayali Goyal of Cocoa & Jasmine sat down with us to talk about the merit in print, the power of good storytelling and the appeal of slow living.

Originally from a textile design background, the start of Cocoa & Jasmine felt almost like fate to her. Having landed a job where travel and independent magazines were a part of her everyday routine, the idea of self-expression through the medium of print seemed so perfect and yet rather unexplored in the Indian market. When asked about how she'd introduce Cocoa & Jasmine to a first-time reader she said that it's a cultural agency with a publication. The content of the publication is timeless and operates in a space that lies between a coffee table book and magazine. The idea was always to create something that was eternally meaningful, something that could be picked up every few years and re-read.

While the entire world is undergoing a digital transformation, print still holds value - for some more than others. Sayali believes that while we might think print is dying, there is a large community of people who still prefer it. For her, especially as a creative person, when reading something she likes to pause and take it in, and it makes a difference in terms of what she learns and retains. Print is meditative in that sense - if something is well written, she pledges to remember it. With digital content on the other hand, her idea is to look for easy content to consume and within 5 minutes, to forget what she's read.

Cocoa & Jasmine is truly a labour of love for Sayali - whether it is the opportunity to travel across the globe to document cultures and traditions or the actual curation of the product, it's the little things that make it all so worthwhile. She travels to all these places herself in order to be able to curate these stories, unlike the process in larger publications where the stories come from different parts of the world without the primary research and experiential learning. For her, there are so many things that add to the love of making a magazine like Cocoa & Jasmine.

In terms of some of her personal favourites, she enjoys Cereal Magazine and has been lucky enough to work closely with them on the India issue. She also enjoys Cabana Magazine from the UK, a publication that covers interiors and textiles beautifully while owning maximalism despite everyone else moving towards minimalism.

Tea and magazines go hand-in-hand and Sayali is a big believer of that too! She's been loving the Jaipur Blend every day and night. It pairs so beautifully with Cocoa & Jasmine and she's happy to have discovered it! Whether it is a cup of tea, a good read or the art of journaling, there is something so beautiful about taking your time with it and enjoying it wholly, living slowly and to the fullest, every moment that you can.

No. 3 Clive Road has collaborated with Cocoa & Jasmine in the past, over their beautiful third issue, check it out here!