Sponsor Diary of an Aesthete !
Dear All !
Diary of an Aesthete is a travel, spirituality and lifestyle website/blog that I started over 8 years ago. I have always kept it free from advertising and subscription fees, leaving it accessible to ALL people, as was always my intention. Over the years it has developed into a wonderful and inspiring platform where many thousands of people have connected to my story, with each other, and with themselves, through my pictures, stories and little films from around the world.
I have travelled and stayed within local families and communities in developing countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, telling untold stories, sharing diverse ways of life, with an audience who mostly are unable to travel in such a way, highlighting a world of causes and cultures. Over the years I have promoted charities, orphanages, 'slow travel', eco, grassroots travel initiatives and projects, wildlife conservation; but mostly I have sought to inspire people, to uplift and share some of the incredible things I have been blessed to witness in our wonderful world.
And I am writing to ask for your help! I have always been self-funded, have never made any money from the website or my travels, and have always funded it by working as a volunteer around the world. I always need help to update camera gear and equipment, to help with looming administration fees (a website with such a lot of media content is not cheap to run!) and of course sponsors and donations towards upcoming travels are incredibly helpful (to refugee camps, orphanages, wildlife conservation and ecology, and trips into lesser known areas to document tribes and ways of life that are so quickly disappearing in our fast-paced world). If you would like to sponsor a specific trip or have a particular area of interest in mind please let me know :) Currently I am in Tanzania working with Maasai Communities in remote areas and after the new year will be ready to start a new project.
Please help me to continue this dream, to keep it free and accessible to all, and get the project back on the road, reaching as many hearts as possible!
Here are some comments by readers over the years -
"James! thank you, your pictures and writings are so pure, beautiful and Inspiring."
"How fortunate you are to have submerged your being into so many cultural moments. If more people would dip their toes into these moments, (at least have the desire to) I know our global community would evolve into a more strengthened, peaceful place. Thank you for sharing these moments with us."
"Your beautiful photos just made my day. Thank you so much for adding such magical drop of pictures in my jar of motivation."
"Beautiful words, beautiful photographs! Travel on and keep doing what you’re doing; you make a difference."
"...I’m happy that there are wonderful souls like you out there, showing the true colors and spirit of Africa. Wonderful post, James. Inspiring, like the others. Stay safe!"
"Love the way you show us glimpses of unseen parts of the world! Amazing! Thank you!!"
"Your courage to meet and live with these beautiful people in countries some people would not dare to go is truly admirable. I can’t help but stare and look closely to the photos of you having a great time mingling with the native people especially with the children. I guess it’s not just courage that brought you there but a passion. Nothing beats a passion! This travel blog is worth reading!"
"Thank you for sharing another mind changing travelogue James. Your photos are, as usual, stunning and the video is priceless. We Westerners are so inundated with negative stories about Africa that it is wonderful to see something completely opposite of what we imagine."
"I am honoured to meet a person who is not afraid of speaking from his heart. Keep on being yourself. This is a blog I will definitely be keeping up with and I am sure it will calm my soul when I need it to. Thank you."
"I can see you are inspirational to many people out there. Keep enjoying Life! We never know for how long we will be here, but you help others with inspiration, positivity and joy. Helping each other – and everything living – is really the meaning of Life on Earth. We are here together."
"This is a great website!…I love it!…If only every person in the universe could and would read it…"
This is beautiful and inspiring. Your story speaks to a longing, searching in my soul for something I have been unable to articulate. It’s always refreshing to see new possibilities in places, people, and things I was previously ignorant about."
"Oh my gosh you are amazing. Magical beautiful creature. So inspiring. Keep shining your light"
"I am inspired and awestruck by your photos and your life journey."
"Beautiful. Just beautiful. There’s not much more I can come up with. Ty for shining YOUR light."
You nourish my faith in Humanity, — yet these few words do not suffice to express my appreciation of your gifts.
All Love & Light to you and your path…"
"Hello James of the liberated heart <3
Oh how beautifully inspiring you are!!! My soul simply sang as I absorbed your expression of self… thank you for following my blog and serendipitously encouraging me to follow my truth <3
Feel so very LOVED & hugged, BE BLESSED <3"
"I should have seen this blog years ago! Beautiful! Too deep, oh my God I felt like I had just entered a totally different space now!"
"Oh my God, I haven’t smiled this much and this broadly in years!! Your About is breathtaking and so wonderful!! I am so happy to have met you, I too feel a great positive awakening in our world, it is all around and building… so much to look forward too and you express it so beautifully, especially your last paragraph… wow, you are amazing."
"Gosh, this brought me tears and I dunno why. What if I’m a lost human being searching for her soul— looking for a sense of purpose in her life. Thoughts are overflowing in my mind, but my heart is full of excitement also. Prayers for you J, yes, there should me more people like you. Your intentions just so genuine. May God guide every steps you take. Thanks for being such an inspiration to us."
WoW!! Your words so speak to my heart. I am truly astounded. You are describing my life and what I feel is yet to come. At last, someone understands. Thank you."
"I am so incredibly inspired by your soul, brother. This “diary”, this space, is such a true testament to the beauty that not only the world, but that EACH and every individual on this beautiful planet has to offer."
You are a special person in your ability to express your worldview and the way you live. I encourage you to share with the whole world your wonderful experiences and journeys around the world. You shed light in the dark, open a window of opportunity to others, fulfill their dreams, and stop fearing..."
"You are an inspiration I am excited to read more I am glad you popped into my life. I needed you today. Your light shines bright friend"
"James, your photos peer right into the hearts and souls of people.
Thanks for letting us catch a glimpse, too…"
The website is filled with so may more wonderful and inspiring comments!!
PLEASE check out the website link ~ Diary of an Aesthete ~ and see for yourself :)
All my love. Thank you and God bless you!
James Dee Clayton.
Creator and CEO at Diary of an Aesthete
