What Ghana taught me

This May, I was lucky enough to travel to Ghana –  something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Inspiring conversations over the years with friends who had returned, like John from Ivo’s and with designers like Chrissa Amuah & fellow printer Monique had always made it my number one travel destination but it wasn’t until my lovely cousin Shash offered to meet me anywhere in the world – that I was able to book our flights and start planning our trip.

Now, I’m back – I really want to hold onto the many wonderful things that I learned and I thought by sharing some of them here I could help the love travel a bit further. 

So here goes:

1. Everyone is a Maker

Making & creativity is everywhere – from the beautiful school dresses being sewn on every street corner, grass mats being woven, fabric being printed, food being cooked and incredible cooking bowls being carved and patterned from calabashes… making is everywhere!

In Ghana, making is an everyday activity that brings creativity and beauty into daily life. Making is not fetishised, it’s just something you do everyday to make things that you use and enjoy. Creativity brings the streets alive with wonderful sights and sounds – like the sound of the knife grinder and the sewing machine. It made me realise how empty and dead are streets are in comparison, how little we make ourselves and how de-skilled we have become.

2. Pattern & Beauty is Everywhere

I really felt like people relished creating pattern and beauty through everyday things – arranging a pile of fruits for sale, matching a dress fabric with a bow, a young girl wearing a design of young shoots…and taking joy from these simple, everyday acts. It was a big reminder to me to live in the everyday and appreciate the beauty of all the everyday things I have around me.

3. Respect for the Spirit world 

While we were staying in Accra we noticed how little music there was and our neighbours told us this was because it was the Homowo festival, when the Ga people around Accra, show respect for the gods by refraining from playing music in preparation for the planting of the crops in May and the beginning of the rainy season when they hope their gardens will grow and be blessed with fertility. How wonderful to still be in sync with the fertile year – even in a city!

Ghana seemed like a very moral society with no visible drinking or drug taking on the street – this made it feel incredibly safe.

Adinkra symbols are woven into everyday life, for example the 5 interlocking circles of ‘Kuntin Kantan’ symbolising humility and the ‘Oneness of humanity inspite of Difference.’

And cars and trucks are painted with brilliant slogans. These are some of my favourite: 

Give and Take

God’s Time is the Best Time

This Far by Grace

Thank you Shash for a wonderful holiday and for all the families and artisans who hosted us and shared their knowledge, skill and passion.