When Volume 1 of Sage Journal landed on our shelves, it quickly became a favourite for quiet moments with a cup of tea. Part book, part journal, it’s a gorgeous print publication dedicated to gardens, nature, and the creative people inspired by them. You can read our initial conversation here. 

Now, founder and editor Emma is back with Volume 2: Our Creative Nature. We recently caught up with her to chat about making the second book, juggling family and creative work, and why tangible print matters more than ever.


We loved chatting with you when Volume 1 was released, and it feels a little surreal to now be talking about Volume 2! What has the journey from the first book to this one been like for you?

It does feel a bit surreal! I think when you're creating something for the first time, there's so much you don't know, and so many decisions you're making for the first time. We also had no idea how it would be received once it was out in the world.

The response has been pretty incredible, and quite humbling really. Seeing it in stores across New Zealand and Australia, and hearing from our readers, has been really special.

Sage Vol. 2 has been a different experience. There was a little more confidence, but also a new kind of pressure to make it even better. There were a handful of things we wanted to tweak, and although most people probably wouldn't notice the subtle differences, they're the little details that have made us all feel especially proud of Vol. 2.





Creating a publication rooted in gardens, nature, and slower moments - does that mindset naturally spill over into your own everyday life, or is the reality a bit more chaotic?

I wish I could say that creating a journal about gardens and nature has meant I can spend hours pottering in the garden and drinking cups of tea! The reality is that life is pretty full, with three young children and a growing business, and I'm not naturally very good at slowing down.

But I do think it's made me appreciate even more the value of connecting with people and being open to learning. Through the stories we share, I'm always meeting people with beautiful stories to tell, often alongside an incredible knowledge of plants, gardens and the natural world. I try to take little bits of what I learn into my own life.

And when I do get to spend time in my own garden, I'm reminded that no matter how busy life gets, the garden carries on at its own pace.




What can readers expect from this new volume? How did the heart and theme of Our Creative Nature come together?

We named Vol. 1 Life Among Plants, which felt like the right fit once the content came together and the themes began to emerge.

With Vol. 2, there was a sense of creativity running through the people, plants and gardens we were featuring right from the beginning. So we named it Our Creative Nature.

It's a little play on the idea that we, as people, have the ability to be creative and artful, but ultimately nature itself has a creativity that is pretty hard to rival. That idea comes through in the stories we've brought together for this volume.




Stepping back after creating two full books, what have you learned about your own creative process and how you work?

Probably that I'm better at coming up with ideas than knowing when to stop! There's always another story I'd love to include, another garden to photograph, another connection to make or something I'd like to improve.

I think I also trust my instincts more now. I also really appreciate is the trust we have within our small team. We're all very aligned in our thinking and in what we want Sage to be, but we're also comfortable challenging each other's ideas when we need to. I think that makes everything we put out to the world even better.




Volume 1 found a home on so many coffee tables, bedside tables, and next to a cup of tea. Where do you hope readers welcome Volume 2?

Hopefully right alongside Vol. 1!

One of the things I really wanted when I started Sage was to create something people would keep. There's so much content we're constantly consuming and scrolling past, and I loved the idea of making something more permanent. Something you could return to, share with others or pull off the shelf when you're looking for a little inspiration.

I hope Vol. 2 becomes one of those books that people leave out and pick up often. And perhaps, over the years, we'll see a collection of Sage volumes growing on people's bookshelves.

Thanks so much Emma!