dena zimmerman

My name is Dena Zimmerman, I am 29 years old and I am a floral designer. 

What is it about floral design that makes you want to do it? 

I have always been a creative person and have gravitated towards many different mediums throughout the years, but floral design is the first thing that I have done that comes most naturally and feels the most authentic. It feels almost like a meditation. It’s challenging, but it also comes easy to me. I love that there is something new to learn all the time. It is ever-changing. It forces you to work with the seasons and appreciate the fleeting moment. It’s an art that will die – days later. Flowers are so temporary, unless you take a picture of them. You create this piece of art and then it goes away. So you get to appreciate it for what it is, in that moment. 

Where do you get your faith from to keep creating? 

I think it's the way that it makes me feel. I love knowing I am able to create things that are beautiful and put that out into the world. I’m working towards being able to do that more, and that keeps me going. The hope is to be able to design full time and to support myself with that. The freedom of being able to create what I want to create when I want to create it. 

What has your process been as a creative? 

I never thought I would be here. I was working at a restaurant and was experiencing some serious burn out. I was searching for something that would give me that creative stimulation I was craving. So I was randomly searching for jobs at flower shops and got an interview. I did a design test and it was probably horrible, but they went out on a limb and hired me, thank god.  It’s wild to see how far I have come in such a short time. I also feel like I have grown so much as an artist in these four years and I think it is the first time in my life that I’ve really grown into a medium. 

When I’m designing, I really like to think about the person I’m making an arrangement for. If I know them, what do they feel like? Thinking about that deeply influences my color and design choices. I love seeing the recipient's reaction to the arrangement. I want it to feel kind of like a mirror, and I want people to feel seen in my art. 

It has been a really unexpected but joyful journey. 

What advice would you tell your younger self? 

The first thing that came to my mind was, “You are not going to be on broadway.” (laughs) 

Yeah, remember when that was the dream?(For those of you reading, Dena is a childhood best friend. We did theater together in HighSchool)

This is sort of the most cliche advice – all advice sounds cliche to me. 

It’s cliche for a reason. 

(laughs)

Try not to stress about things too much. Your next moment is not promised. You only have the moment in front of you. Enjoy that and try not to worry about anything outside of that. Floral design is a perfect teacher - it is there for such a short amount of time and then it is gone. 

Focus on the now. 

What is your biggest failure as a creative? 

Underselling yourself. People will always take advantage of you. Learning what you are worth and sticking to it. Once you say a certain thing you can't undo it. Learning to value your work and your time and your creativity in a way that is sustainable for you and not in a way where people are just looking for a deal and take advantage of you. Because your work is special and unique to you and it takes your valuable time to do it. 

Especially when you’re charging for things that aren’t a necessity. It is something that people choose to spend money on. Nobody needs to buy flowers to survive but it’s important and it’s art.

Why don’t you quit? 

I have thought about quitting a million times and getting a more “stable job” but I feel like my brain needs the creative stimulation and the challenge to make things work even when it’s hard. You will always find a way to pursue your creative endeavor - whether it's your job, a side project, or a hobby. You have to do what you have to do sometimes to get by, but creatives will always find a way to create. 

What do you hope to create that will continue to repeat? 

Well, that is a tough-y because flowers die (laughs). I hope to create appreciation for ephemeral art and hope that people can see the beauty in it. I am hoping that people learn to celebrate the good moments and the bad through my art – I don’t want it to be just for the big things in life, it should be everyday that you are celebrating because it is a gift. 

What do you feel like you are on the verge of? 

I feel like I am on the verge of creating my own future. It is something that I have dreamt about and thought about doing but I have never taken the leap. It's super scary and I don't know if people are going to like it, but I like to think that I am on the verge of something beautiful.

Say something you love about yourself and why? 

I care about people a lot, and I think that having that empathy gives me a unique perspective on how I interact and connect with people. I really love that people feel comfortable around me.