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CAREER,
Photography & Styling Rochelle Seator & Tamara Maynes Words Studio Bloesem
Interview & Pattern Design Tamara Maynes
Tamara Maynes made her mark by bringing macramé back onto the scene. She shared with us life’s lessons on how to craft a career as a maker.
Melbourne-based Tamara Maynes’ days are action packed, spent in a flurry of activity like shooting images, sourcing materials or products or developing creative concepts for future projects. Her latest seven-year project brought us the
book “The Maker,” featuring Australia’s most talented crafters. Tamara accelerated into the success story that she is today, after vowing to honor her passion to work creatively. Here is her personal story on turning crafting into a full-time career and more — words to the wise.
MAKE YOUR MARK
The amazing thing about craft is that even though we all learn how to use the same raw materials and techniques, there are endless opportunities to create something unique to just you or me. I call this uniqueness the “maker’s mark” and once you develop yours, it will set you apart from everyone else. I made my mark on the cusp of macramé’s resurgence by challenging it’s hippie reputation with a modern re-design. I didn’t know if the world was ready to embrace macramé a second time round but I knew my take on this craft was authentic to me and I felt compelled to share it. Despite the fact that all these years later we are now enjoying the work of many talented macramists, my mark was made and as a result, people continue to value my take on this craft and see it as inventive and fresh.
FIND YOUR CHAMPIONS
Having influential people you respect and admire championing your work can add immense value to your business and open career doors that may have taken you years to open on your own. Many of the stylists and magazine folk I approached when I was starting out have gone on to become some of my biggest champions and I am forever grateful to them. It’s an amazing asset to have them believe in me and want to see my work appreciated and celebrated. Keep an eye out for your champions — you can spot them by their genuine and unprompted acts to acknowledge and promote you... then make sure they know how much you appreciate it!
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