Page 23 - Port Douglas Magazine 32
P. 23

MAKER’S





             GONNA MAKE





             WORDS by Sharon Timms

             To many, launching a business in 2020 would have seemed a little daunting,   stores.  One of my  university  assignments was  to  study  the negative  effect
             if not a little crazy. To this mother and daughter team, Donna (left) and Raine   fast fashion has on our environment, which really opened my eyes to how
             Ward, they were just two creatives armed with passion and determination and   important it is to partake in the slow-retail movement,” Raine said.
             the journey was inviting.
             “Right from the start we were consistently bouncing ideas off each other. It  ABOUT MAKER
             helped us keep it real, fun and helped us carve out our vision,” says Donna.
                                                                  There is an old saying that out of great adversity comes great opportunity.
             “Our goal was to support the artists and the creators, the makers around us,”   As a town that is reliant on visitors from around the world, Port Douglas and
             says Raine. “It was important for us to show that we appreciated the uniqueness   the uncertainty of 2020 proved to be a challenging time for many. Raine, too,
             of each handmade piece and the story each told.”     had made the tough decision to leave Byron and move back north to be closer
             “We wanted to build on this, by connecting people with talented local and   to home.  However, it did not take long for her to raise the conversation of
             Australian creators to move away from mass consumerism and unethical   “What next!” with her best supporter, her mum.  She believed if they could
             ideologies.”                                         establish  a  space  to  support  like-minded  creatives,  it  would  be  an  ideal
                                                                  platform to showcase their work but could potentially provide some much-
             Aptly named Maker, the outcome  is a beautiful space that has a relaxed   needed income for everyone (the temporary closure of the famous Port Douglas
             and funky vibe,  an artisan store combining beautiful and ethically sourced   Sunday Markets providing another crucial blow for local talent).
             homewares and gifts. Walls adorned with individual pieces from a range of
             talented and emerging artists add to the experience and you will find yourself   “We felt that if we could encourage artists to sell their pieces to us, Raine could
             happily browsing.                                    use her skills to market them throughout Australia,” says Donna. “Creativity
                                                                  stimulates neural pathways that regenerate the brain that can be damaged
                                                                  through stress and trauma. By encouraging local artists to remain motivated
             ABOUT DONNA & RAINE                                  and keep doing what they loved, we hoped we could in some small way help
             In their early 20s, and long before ‘van-life’ was an Instagrammable hashtag,   support livelihoods but also contribute to their positive mental health.”
             Donna Ward and her high school sweetheart Geoff embarked on the journey   “The naivety of opening a business during this time was a bonus. Love is blind.
             of a lifetime that would ultimately shape their entire future. With the fire of   When you love something enough you believe everyone loves it. And that’s how
             adventure spurring them on, they bought and converted an old school bus into   Raine and I felt about Maker.” Continues Donna: “We honestly believed that
             a self-contained motorhome. Towing a small 4WD, a tinny and a motorbike   because of international travel restrictions, everyone would be travelling to Port
             behind them, they set off around Australia on the journey of a lifetime.
                                                                  Douglas and we wanted them to be able to take a piece of Port Douglas home
             “We lived a romantic, vagabond life based in beauty, art and photography.   with them that would last and was a beautiful reminder of their time here. It
             Life on the road allowed us to be present, to live simply and enjoy the things   reflected the true ethos of Maker. We didn’t want to think for a second that this
             we loved to do. Geoff surfed and fished, I painted and spent countless hours   shop wouldn’t work.”
             wandering local markets and galleries. I had always been a ‘maker’, so I had   The pair quickly found a vacant retail shop and within six weeks, with the help
             a deep appreciation for anything handmade. I collected special pieces from   of their family and all hands-on deck, they had transformed it into a beautiful
             towns, reminding us of our time spent there. We settled in Port Douglas after   artisan space. Rounding up all their favourite local talent and scouting out
             we had done a huge figure-8 of the country and decided it was time to take a   gifted new talent from around the country, Maker came to life.  Today, they
             rest.”                                               feature more than 40 local makers and almost 30 interstate small businesses.
             Growing up amongst artists and creatives most certainly rubbed off on the   “When you buy from a maker, you’re buying more than just the piece,” Raine
             next generation. Fresh after graduating from Mossman High School, Raine   reminds us.  “It’s the days, weeks and months of dedication, frustration and
             – showing promise and talent in the visual arts field - moved to Byron Bay to   pure joy invested by the artist. Most importantly you are buying them more
             study a degree in filmmaking.
                                                                  time to do something that they are passionate about. Actually, one of the
             “Byron Bay is a hub of creativity and I loved immersing myself in a community   most heart-warming memories in those first few weeks was the support and
             of makers, all selling their wares at the markets and in retail stores. I’ve always   encouragement, not only from our makers, but from the visitors to our region
             had a passion for pre-loved clothing and Byron is filled with quirky vintage   and our local community. We are just so grateful.”

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