| Maryville is a quiet little town situated in Yarra Valley, which is famous for its winery. Shops open at 10:00am and by 5:00pm, most of them will be closed for the day. It is a very nice place to relax and wind down after months of hectic work.It was for this reason that I brought my family for a holiday in Melbourne this December. Amidst this quiet place, I found certain sparkles of creativity and passion in the people I met. What I have discovered is refreshing to me and I wish to share this with you. |
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Marysville….
a peaceful and relaxing town |
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| I met a lady while passing through a market place not far away from Maryville. She was selling bars of soap. They were rich in color and texture, made from an array of different ingredients. The soaps came in all shapes and scents - each soap was a unique experience. I asked her where she obtained these bars of soap. She replied that she made them! |
| This was something interesting - I knew of shops selling soaps - but this lady was selling soaps which she made with her own hands! |
| Naturally I asked a few more questions and learnt that she has been in this trade for about 2½ years. Previously she was helping her husband run a restaurant. She loves what she is doing now (making soap) and mentioned to me that it is more like a passion than a business. |
| I am not a "Body-Shop-person" but at the end of the day, I bought $50 worth of soap from her - my family liked them. |
| We felt they were very unique and we liked the collection. |
| During our short visit to Maryville, we stayed in Allawah Country Cottages. The four cottages are the creation of Jenny Pullen. She was formerly in the education profession. 9 months ago, she started the business of renting cottages to visitors. Within a short period of 9 months, she has won numerous awards in that region. Each cottage has a garden with its own individual theme, giving it a unique personality. There are various plants in the garden and tied to each of them is a tag with the name of the plant! The interior of the cottage is beautifully decorated and designed to cater to the needs of the guests. |
| I am not advertising for the place - but my point is this: this is a lady who told me the same thing: she enjoys what she is doing and it is more like a passion than a business! |
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Springtime in Marysville…..
Colorful and Refreshing |
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| I came to another interesting place - Brouno's Ark & Sculptures Garden, in Maryville. It is a kind of "paradise" for art and garden lovers, a place where art is fun and can be experienced by all ages. As mentioned by someone: "An experience that will linger with you long after you have departed!" I agree wholeheartedly. Again, this is run by someone who combined his creativity with his passion and interest. I did not ask him but I would not be surprised if he told me that it is more like a passion and a hobby than a business to him. |
| Within the 3 days stay in Maryville, I met 3 persons who share this common trait: they are creative in their unique way and they enjoy what they are doing! |
| I think I learn something from these 3 persons. They are creative, and I believe what makes them creative is that they have the interest and passion in what they are doing. Though they run a business, it is more than a business for them. It is more than dollars and cents to them. |
| They enjoy what they are doing. Isn't this true - that we tend to be creative when we enjoy what we are doing? |
| Many things can be mentioned concerning creativity. I believe in today's world, there is more emphasis on creativity than in any other time. |
| My objective is not to write a thesis on creativity. |
| But I do like to say through this simple sharing - we can be creative and I believe we are creative in our unique way. We may not express our creativity in the same way as another and we do not need to. |
| When we find something which we enjoy doing, our creativity will begin to sparkle. It will amaze us to find in each of us this hidden jewel of creativity that sparkles best when we are doing the things we enjoy doing. |
| So never say that you are not creative. Rather, try to discover your gifts and interests and you will surprise yourself and those around you! |
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Inspiring Life! |