It is easy as passionate creatives and entrepreneurs to get swept up in everything that is possible, from seeing exciting examples of work that inspires us to reaching for big goals that we have set for ourselves. We tend to set extremely high expectations, which can mean we are in our element and pursuing our passions (great!), but we also often do so without also installing the important balance for these ambitions: taking a step back to evaluate what will actually make this work fulfilling and what will help keep it sustainable for us.

 

I have found in my many years working in floral design and owning my own business that it is essential to put a few intentional boundaries and protections in place to shape this work in meaningful, authentic, and sustainable ways that allow me to do what I love for work and also protect and support the body and creative spirit that produce it.Here are a few essential tips I want to share with you in support you being a happy, whole, and healthy floral artist too:

 

01 LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

It’s easy to neglect our own bodies when we are tending to a living and perishable product on a timeline. Tune in with yourself regularly. Remember to breathe, hydrate, and have meals. Take lovely little breaks to stretch and walk it out too.

 

02 SAY 'NO' IF A PROJECT IS NOT A GOOD FIT

If an opportunity comes along with red flags or just doesn’t feel right, say no. Period. Your time, energy, creativity, and mental health are more valuable than a misaligned project, and while we all have that voice in our heads that urges us to never turn down business, the reality is that there are always more opportunities. Let’s be available and fresh for those.

 

03 SPECIALIZE IN WHAT YOU LOVE AND DO BEST

You do not have to do it all. You also do not have to do it like anyone else. Your background, interests, and passions all feed into and fuel your creative practice. If you want to do weddings, do them, and if you don’t, don’t. There are SO many paths in floral artistry. Your zone of genius is where you will thrive.

 

04 TAKE TIME OFF

Work as a creative entrepreneur requires you to wear a lot of hats, all of them actually. Working in floristry is filled with beauty, but it is also physically demanding labor. This means we must expend a lot of energy mentally, creatively, and physically to do it. Block off time to step away and recharge. This line of work requires it. Plus you deserve to feel your best.
 

 

05 KEEP A PERSONAL CREATIVE PRACTICE

Deciding to utilize your art as part of your income and career can put pressure or just utilitarian formality on what began as a joyful creative expression. Creating only to sell and serve others can make us burn out or "lose the magic" and find ourselves longing for that freedom and creative spark that got us into this line of work in the first place.

The best antidote for this that I've found is to protect regular time for your own personal creative practice. A violinist makes space to practice new songs and explore new techniques. A painter buys canvases and paints just to explore and experiment as they deepen their craft. A floral artist gets flowers, I suggest at least once a month, just to sink in and do the same.

On that note, here are a few book recommendations of mine to inspire and support you creatively:

• The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp, the renowned dancer and choreographer, dives into the importance and benefit of making (and keeping) a regular, ritual-like habit of practicing your craft.

• Big Magic, by Liz Gilbert, the renowned writer and speaker, is all about creativity, the magic of it, where it comes from, and how to live in relationship with it.

• The Artist's Way, by writer and teacher Julia Cameron, guides you through a more holistic and spiritual approach to your relationship with creativity to get unblocked and back in the flow of your natural craft.

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin, is a rich and meditative exploration of our relationship with our creativity and what it means to live and work as an artist, including tools and advice for working with your creativity and the work you are called to create.

You are here to grow and thrive. You can live in harmony with the work you are called to do. Remember that as you build your dream and evolve into your callings, as at the core of it all is your journey of self actualization and your beautiful unfolding. What an amazing thing to honor and make space to witness!

 
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Cover image by Ariel Min Photography.

 

 

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