The definition of the word 'nonsense' is 'spoken or written words that have no meaning or make no sense'. Although often used in a negative context, this word gave an extremely creative woman from Mapusa the perfect description of life, as she perceives it - nonsensical.
With positivity being her very essence, she took this negatively perceived word and made it a part of the headline of her empowering business venture, Nonsense Curry.
THE WOMAN HERSELF
Jolynn Carneiro is someone whose qualifications entail a Bachelor of Fine Art (commercial art with a major in photography).
She, however, professionally introduces herself as a lifestyle designer, who not only has her very own lifestyle brand called Nonsense Curry, but also a store called Carneiro Frontier in Mapusa.
“I follow a vocation that fills up my day, right from cartooning to designing power-loom products, and advocating sustainability, slow living, frugality and engaging in therapeutic activities like propagation or spitting some tunes on my ukulele. I also spot-decorate spaces using recycled items and am a slow-fashion stylist and a visual artist, to name a few (phew!). To simplify it all, I have you visualise through my narration how I take on this beautiful thing called Life,” said Jolynn.
ABOUT NONSENSE CURRY
Nonsense Curry is an umbrella term that houses a bunch of services such as Curry Creatives, which is a personalisation and customisation of a special grade of power loom products by mounting stylised artwork on it.
Curry house 101 teaches one how to spot decorate using quirky or broken items.
Skin Curry inculcates the ideology of wearing your own skin aura and persona through story-telling and touches upon topics like mental health, body positivity and others.
And lastly, there is Curry Tunes that includes film and music, which play a big role in inspiring the owner herself. She produces song covers and also collaborates with other slow-living brands by endorsing their pieces through her videos.
The dynamic young woman started following her passion straight out of college in 2013. Initially having started by experimenting with different products such as recycled bottle art, lamp shades, neck pieces and more.
Filled with nostalgia, she recalls, “I remember my first pillow that was sold for ₹350/- to a customer that bought it for her squirrel. The pillow read ‘Sneaky li’l speck of fly fart’.”
THE START
As Jolynn says, “It is only with time and expertise that you can unfold and evolve into something bigger,”. In 2016, she proudly introduced to Goa Nonsense Curry by Jolynn Carneiro.
Initially, the fear of failure was present, but eventually it dissipated somewhere along the bumpy ride, which had a couple of major hurdles like the demonetisation panic and the pandemic, to name a few. Nonetheless, the turbulent journey ended, and Nonsense Curry is now travelling on a well-worn road on Jolynn’s watch.
KHADI & BRINJAL
A business inspired by fabric, Carneiro shared, “Khadi! This cloth is something that I always wanted to work closely with. Not forgetting my love for cartooning. My first product was an aubergine pillow with the quote ‘You’re such a brinjal’ with an animated baingan on it. It continues to remain one of our best sellers!”
Cartoons, tailoring, craft and moreIn addition, they also sell items such as pillows, cushion covers, pillowcases, wall hangings, mobile pop sockets and phone cases, calendars, granny purses, fanny packs and more, which can be purchased either at their store in Mapusa or through their social media and official website.
As for the quirky name, she laughed, “The word ‘nonsense’ is how I perceive life, in a ludicrous manner. And ‘curry’ suggests everything that I know that stems from my Goan roots. My family are my close-knit bunch of ‘brinjals’.”
PERSONAL TOUCH
About her creative process, Jolynn is adamant that her work has got to have some aspect of storytelling and link to her life, which will help people to relate.
“All our products are made in-house. When it comes to personalisation, it’s about gifting and making someone else happy. To evoke that joy in others is our responsibility and the recipe behind every project. We have our tailors that craft our products, but now and then I love getting busy on the machine and being a part of every aspect of our brand. You will always have my personal touch to it with love." she assured.
It is no doubt that acquired skills go a long way, but an inborn talent that comes from someplace within shines effortlessly. As for Jolynn, and team Nonsense Curry – well their work speaks for itself.
WHERE: Carneiro Frontier in Mapusa /Facebook/Instagram/Website
BESTSELLERS: Sprout granny purse, Groovy baby terracotta lamp, brinjal throw pillow
PRICE RANGE: ₹700 to ₹4000