by Ilana Cowan

The decision to settle in Crystal Waters was not a haphazard one. Previously we had lived for a number of years in communities in Australia, North America and the Middle East and we knew that living in a community or a small village was an excellent lifestyle for our four children and my husband and I. So when we finally moved to Crystal Waters in July 1996, we knew that we would have to make a living in different ways. We certainly also wanted to live in a rural setting.

Ilana Cowan, selling her clay based skin care products at the Eumundi Markets

In the past, I had worked in education and for international banks and pharmaceutical companies. But I was on the lookout for something more personally satisfying. We were ready to live more simply. In the past I had also worked with fabrics doing batik, painting silk and other crafts and I thought that perhaps once again I would be able to make some money from this. Fortunately, soon after moving here, an opening for a fabric artist came up in the Maleny local artists' cooperative and I was accepted as a member of their Peace of Green Gallery, where I now sell hand painted silk scarves, shawls, ties and handpainted kids' clothing. I started making natural clay based bodycare products after attending a workshop in Crystal Waters on the subject by an Austrian visitor in December 1997. Two decades earlier I was quite interested in making my own natural cosmetics and after Helmut's workshop it seemed quite natural to once again get into that world. I also sell these wonderful clay products in Peace of Green and at the local health food shop.

Even though I work hard at both activities I am still looking at other ways to increase my income right here. Maybe teaching silk painting or weaving. Living in an eco-village such as ours, one has the opportunity to trade products and services or one can pay for goods and services in the local bunyas, our LETS currency.

Crystal Waters also receives many visitors each year from all around the world. This is one of the nice things about living here for although we are somewhat geographically isolated we get lots of international visitors and students and I sometimes have the opportunity to sell some products here as well. Life at Crystal Waters is very full.

My husband and I are always busy and we have a good social life plus we are surrounded by wildlife, rivers and forests and our children can roam freely. I am still some way to go before making a good living out of my local business activities but we are adaptable to new situations and opportunities here and we are living more simply than urban dwellers and also more sustainably. I might make less money here but I get to grow my own organic food and to trade happily with my neighbours.