A few moments with artisanal design expert Marcella Echavarria, on her travel must-haves, favorite hotels, and dream destinations.

Writer and photographer Marcella Echavarria has worked tirelessly to connect the work of artisans located around the world with global marketplaces, championing their efforts and sharing their stories with her fans around the world. We spoke with the Colombia-born, on-the-move design expert about her life of beautiful design.

 My motto is: “Everything is possible.”

The piece of advice I give most frequently is: Just listen to your inner voice.

The best thing I can make: A good story, a comforting soup

My favorite photographer: Mary Ellen Mark, always

The last great book I read was: “The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert

My favorite hotel is: Hotel B in Lima; Villa Condesa in Mexico City; Playa Koralia in Magdalena, Colombia; Dar Alham in Morocco

I’d describe my home as: Warm, lived-in, cozy, textured

My favorite city is: Mexico City

I collect: Memories, images, textiles

I’m dreaming of traveling to: Morocco in 2014, Israel and Japan in 2015

I never travel without: My Kahina argan oil hand balm and my Norlha hand-spun oversized scarf, in the natural color of the albino yak

The one album I’d bring on a road trip is: “Jai Utal,” Krishna Das

The best meal I ever had was: Sharing the potato harvest with the Amaru community in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru

A free evening is best spent: Imagining and writing … in silence

My favorite meal to make at home: Colorful fall rices with intricate textures and extreme accents—for example, red rice steamed in coconut milk and cinnamon, topped with blue cheese and pomegranate

The artisan I most want to collaborate with is: The snail dyers from the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, who extract this precious natural dye once a year and with it, achieve the most special pink on earth

My favorite mentor is: My mother, jewelry designer Clara Saldarriaga