When I’m having a stressful day I think about why I didn’t become a florist. Then I get home and look at my dying basil plant on my windowsill and realize that while I think flowers are lovely and smell even better, I just don’t have the necessary green thumb to keep anything alive outside the mold growing on my bread.
However, that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming and envying those who do get to be florists.
The pros:
1. Flowers don’t give you lip. Flowers aren’t going to bitch and moan about their personal life or sob about how they gained 10 pounds over the holiday. They’re going to remain quiet and beautiful, not bothering a soul.
2. Creativity is freeing. Unless you have an overbearing client who thinks they’re a florist, like any artist, you get to create one-of-a-kind creations. You have a world of flowers at your fingertips, colors galore and they’re all there for your arrangement manipulating.
3. You’re your own boss. This seems to be a “pro” for a lot of our career envies, and how could it not be? If you’re a florist who owns your own shop, you make the hours, you decide which high maintenance clients you want to boot and you have the first and last word on everything.
The cons:
1. Demanding clients. Both fortunately and unfortunately, florists get to be a part of major milestones in people’s lives. That being said, who wants to deal with a bridezilla who’s throwing a fit because the shade of pink of the roses is slightly off? No thanks.
2. Competition. It can be rough for an independent florist to keep up with the cheaper prices and quick access that a chain grocery store can provide with their “floral” section. Granted their floral section consists of one or two stands with cellophane wrapped flowers that are near death, but sometimes if it’s a last minute thing, they’re easier to grab than waiting on perfection. There’s also Internet flower shops that have added to this competition factor.
3. You have vision and no one respects that. As with any artist, it’s hard to be understood by the masses. As a florist who has a deep appreciation for flowers, probably unlike many others, it might be challenging to explain why an orchid is far superior to a carnation, and maybe why carnations should be outlawed (in my humble opinion). Dealing with people who don’t “get” what you’re doing can be trying, or perhaps, rewarding. When you’re dealing with plebes who don’t know their shit, it can actually be fun sometimes.
Image via Anna Baburkina/Shutterstock
