We recently connected with Maria Lima and have shared our conversation below.

Maria, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was a teacher for about 20 years and I always liked to use different types of papers in projects with my students and in the decoration of my classrooms. At school, they always looked for me to do party favor projects for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and other parties. I believe that’s where my passion came from.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

It all started when I met a party planner, who really liked my job. So I started working with her, customizing party favors and decor based on the theme and color scheme of each party. Each party was a new challenge, as I always wanted to create something unique. Every compliment I received was a stimulus to research new materials, introduce new textures, techniques, equipment and try to improve my skills with each new project. Today, what I do most are the gable boxes, each piece I make is completely handmade. Materials are individually selected, hand-cut, processed using various punches, dies and engraving machines. Then each piece is assembled with great care and attention to detail. When a person receives something from me, they can be sure that they are receiving a work of art filled with dedication, love and good energies. The biggest obstacle I see today is industrialization and commercialization. You can buy everything ready-made, so craft products and creativity are no longer valued or seen as works of art. These are the difficulties I encounter every day, but I have a deep love and passion for what I do, so I keep and keep challenging myself.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The social media I use are Instagram and Tik Tok. It’s a good way for you to present your work. It takes time for you to be known and followed, but it works. You need to have a lot of focus and perseverance.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most gratifying aspect is receiving approval from your client, knowing that you were able to really capture what your client wanted and make his dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sweetsurpriseatlanta