Disappointment + Designs
Hi there!
I hope you are well! I wanted to share a few thoughts today. This blog is so much fun for me, I only enjoy putting out when I really feel something to say, so here are my musings.
P.S at some point I’ll write about events again! Don’t worry, tablescapes and event tips will come again.
It’s been a wild few weeks. I had been praying for a while for something big and wonderful to head my way. An open door to LIFE. I was so excited after praying such things to have what felt like the opportunity of a lifetime at my fingertips. I made it to the final round and sadly was not selected to move forward. It was devastating to get so close to something you never even knew to dream of and then lose it at the end of the day. At the same time, I find myself also in the process of moving for the 4th time since I came to Nashville. If you’ve moved a lot in a short time, you know how exhausting that can be!
After spending the last few months betting on something (and on myself), I felt like I was back at square one. Have you ever had this happen? If not, here’s a little spoiler: it’s pretty annoying! So I decided to channel this weird week/month into something creative. Earlier this year I went to a lecture and demonstration by florist Gabriela Salazar (La Muse de Las Flores ). It was so beautiful and touching to watch someone create art live while talking through her process. Here is an excerpt from the Antique and Garden Show website about Gabriela:
“By being fully present in her work, both in the garden and in the studio, Gabriela has developed something she calls ‘flowers from the heart,’ where the flowers continuously guide her. With the flowers in mind, she creates rivers of color and textures, layering in movement with delicate florals to add softness and grace to all her arrangements.”
I consider myself to be creative and do a good amount of design these days. I’m still learning and growing and in no way would I sell myself as a full-time designer, but I have so enjoyed this journey of learning design (events and tablescapes design, that is). Having been weighed down these last few days with defeat and frustration, I decided that I simply needed to break the cycle of overthinking and dive into something that would bring me joy. Getting out of my head and into my hands, so to speak!
Gabriela talked about flowers guiding her…. I think I could lean into letting the flowers guide me and wonder if this will creatively regulate my soul as well. This was my exact thought as I walked briskly into Trader Joe’s with a herd of other women looking for flowers.
So here is how I moved my feelings through my head and heart this week. I should have stated from the beginning - I am not a florist. If you are a florist and see these videos or pictures... you are so appreciated - this was challenging and yet so rewarding!
“Giving creativity a chance to soothe the soul” by me. ;)
Flowers used:
Dotty Micro Poms
Mum Balls
Chrysanthemum
Button Poms
Matthiola
I went to Trader Joe’s for all these finds. I did not buy greenery filler, which was a rookie mistake, but it also made it fun to work with what I had. As I pulled out containers for these flowers and put on some music, I noticed that something inside me started to settle a bit. By settle I mean I was listening to the Mean Girls soundtrack...so maybe settling is the wrong word. I found myself laying the base of the arrangement and smiling. Then I started singing along and even started dancing. I kept working through each layer of flowers with excitement. As I said, I am not a florist, but doing something creative like this calmed something in me and I felt myself release back to “ factory settings”. 🤣. By that I mean I felt somewhat childlike and a little more carefree, which has not been my last month. I’d like to add that I do think I needed to fully feel the disappointment and frustration, but as it lived on it started to feel more like quicksand and I knew I also needed to find a way through it. Shoutout to these florals for helping me find the path out.
Once I finished creating these arrangements, I felt so much peace. It made me wonder…what if God designed the process of creativity to unburden the soul? 🤔. That is what I’ve experienced today: an unburdening. I hope this give you some confidence to do something out of the box and creative this week, maybe write down some thoughts before and after- let go and just see what happens? I won’t claim it was a miracle drug, but it was the antidote I needed!
Until next time,
Britt
