Avant Garde's "aha moments" in the world of floral design

During my undergraduate years at Skidmore College, I took several art classes... one being avant garde. I didn't quite appreciate the concept until I actually started applying it over the years in my floral design and planning work. Avant garde is an innovative way of creating something out of the norm. How many times do you go looking for a vase for your flowers in the pipe section of your hardware store? Or see stretchy bracelets as a cool accessory to accent your bouquet? Sometimes it happens by accident. For example, one day when I was cleaning up the studio after a big event, I found one of my dangly earrings on the floor. I picked it up not wanting to lose it again and hung it over the top of my gooseneck vase. I thought to myself... "Now, how clever does that look! Vase jewelry!" Who knows if it will make it into a future bride's design ideas but at least it made me think a little more imaginatively about what can be done with a simple vase.

We're so used to following the rules, that when we train our brain to think outside the bubble, we see a whole world of options that are truly unique. Claim victory in defeating the rules of "you must do it this way, because that's always the way it's been done." Blah! If we all thought that way, we'd still be stuck with plastic bouquet holders with cascading bouquets of carnations and tulle. My inspirational thoughts for tonight would be to wake up tomorrow morning giving yourself the freedom to look past the obvious and let your mind find a new way to create something that turns into an "aha moment". At the studio, we are constantly experimenting to hit that moment and share it with our clients!