Staying Inspired
We think it goes without saying that 2020 was quite a difficult journey of a year, but spring is upon us, bulbs are popping up and blossom is coming into bud. So just like spring, we’re primed and ready to bring some joy and positivity to your flowery world! We’ve been talking to our floral friends and we’ve come up with some top tips on how to stay inspired through this challenging time.
Create & Play
For most of us, not only has it been a long time away from work, weddings and shops, it might feel like there’s been much less hands-on time with our beautiful flowers too. So we’re here to say: ‘Give yourself permission to create & play’ - the feel of flowers, greenery and snips in your hands can really boost your creative mood. Even if it's just left overs from the end of the week at the shop, snippings from your front garden or a branch and some hedgerow finds from a countryside walk, find a vase, a tin, a teapot (ANYTHING), find a space in your house/garden/alleyway (ANYWHERE) and make something beautiful just for the sake of it.
We very rarely give ourselves the time to create just for us, so we’re giving you permission to carve out that time. Not only is it great practice for future work, but maybe it's a chance to explore something new? An interesting technique you’ve seen on Instagram? Maybe something you’ve always wanted to add to your portfolio like a new style of table centre? Maybe it's just for the sheer joy of it! Whatever the outcome, we’re here to encourage you to just have a go - creativity breeds creativity, you can thank us later!
Develop
This leads on from the first point really - finding inspiration by investing some time into developing yourself, your business and your future. There are loads of ways in which you can push all of these aspects forward, from improving your photography to re-branding your business, there are so many ways to spend your time that can result in real, positive change.
We’ve got some really exciting, development-themed blog posts in the pipeline for you, but for now why not make a list of the top 5 the things you’d love to develop for you and your business or freelance practice. Keep the list to 5 or fewer things (no one wants to feel overwhelmed) and make plans on how you think you could learn more about each thing.
We’d love to hear what’s on your list, so please tag us @thefreelancefloristuk on Instagram or drop us a DM or email - the more you tell us what you want to see, the better placed we are to help you!
Not sure where to start? Have a look at our Pinterest boards for some inspiration.
Read
One of the top ways to stay inspired that we’ve been chatting to our flowery friends about, especially in these colder months, is reading! Books about business, branding, using Instagram, taking better photos, growing flowers, floral mechanics, new design projects - you name it, someone will have written a book or a blog about it. Look at that list you made from ‘Develop’, what books would help you move forward with those goals?
Some good news too - you definitely don’t have to buy every single book ever written about flowers or business! Why not see if some of your industry or small business pals would like to do a book swap? Trade a well-used copy of yours with your besties favourite volume for a month or two - sharing is caring after all. A great tip is to also get in touch with your local library to see if they have the book you're looking for, and if not, most services will let you request books!
Take some ‘me time’, make a cup of tea (and grab a biscuit) and absorb beautiful images and wise words.
Members, you can find some great book recommendations within our Members Support in our Members Area.
Relax
One of the best ways to boost your creativity is to actually give yourself some time to relax. It’s all well and good watching Bake Off with your feet up, but we’re talking about real, uninterrupted chillout time. Time away from food shopping, the school run and zoom quizzing (if you’re still doing those!) and sitting down with your own thoughts.
This one is really about energy. When we’re constantly giving our energy to other things, however necessary (food shop) or enjoyable (Bake Off), we’re not actually giving that energy to ourselves anymore. Some seek out meditation, some delve into mindfulness, but whatever you want to call it, the simple message is - slowing down and noticing your energy and where you spend it; honouring your feelings and re-filling your creativity/inspirational tank so you’re ready to take on the world!
Grab that blanket, find that journal and give yourself some uninterrupted downtime.
Learn From Others
Whether it's online or in-person, one of the best ways to really boost yourself, your progress and your mood is by surrounding yourself with like-minded, inspirational people. We’ve learnt so much from our industry friends, through courses, e-courses, seminars and workshops - we’ve also made friends for life with other attendees. That’s the great thing about the floristry community, to quote High School Musical ‘We’re all in this together’.
There’s some great podcasts available too. The Girl Flower Podcast are the best in the business, talking about all things flower industry. If you like what you hear from their guests you can find them on Instagram, or there’s a link on our homepage to their website.
Go on courses to level up your skills, meet amazing like-minded industry experts and have fun!
What would you like to learn?
If you have any suggestions or need pointing in the right direction with courses, books and other resources then just drop us a DM or an email and we’ll see if we can hook you up.