(ai assisted:) In this radiant and powerful episode, I am joined by artist, entrepreneur, and author Aisha Makara, who shares her extraordinary life journey—from a challenging childhood in Siberia to becoming the first artist in the world to send her artwork into space via SpaceX.
Aisha’s story is one of incredible courage, vision, and radical joy. She opens up about growing up in a cold, militarized environment where punishment ruled and creativity was scarce. As an orphan, she knew early on that her dreams would not be handed to her—but that never stopped her. She began hitchhiking across Central Asia, made her way to Moscow, and later moved to Norway to complete an engineering degree. But her journey didn’t stop there. She pursued entrepreneurship in real estate and property development in Portugal, chasing financial success—until burnout forced her to ask: What am I really here for?
What followed was a total transformation. Aisha walked away from the path of expected success and followed her deeper call: to express herself through art, travel, and freedom. She became a full-time artist, interviewing others, selling her own creations, and living in a van while traveling from festival to festival. She embraced a bohemian lifestyle, and in the process, rediscovered profound joy, authenticity, and inner peace.
But perhaps the most stunning chapter came when Aisha’s art was selected to travel to space. After sending physical letters and artwork to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson, she was chosen by a joint SpaceX and Singaporean initiative to send two of her works into orbit. At the time, she was living in a remote hippie community, having just lost all her belongings, her van, her savings, and even her access to the internet. With nothing left, she learned the power of vulnerability, humility, and asking for support—lessons she shares with heartfelt honesty.
Throughout this conversation, Aisha returns again and again to the central theme of joy—joy as an act of defiance, joy as a way of being, and joy as a birthright. Her outlook is infused with a deep reverence for life, spiritual trust, and radical gratitude. She reminds us that even in our darkest moments, the ability to feel, to create, and to connect is where life’s real value lies.
Highlights include:
About Aisha Makara
Aisha is a globally traveling artist, writer, and entrepreneur known for her unshakable joy, fearless authenticity, and belief that life itself is a work of art. She is the author of I’ve Drove: A Living Guidebook, and the first artist to have her work launched into space through SpaceX.
Connect with Aisha
📸 Instagram: @aishamakara
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