Today we’d like to introduce you to Susannah Liguori.
Hi Susannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
After college where I studied art in Manhattan, I grew pretty frustrated by the pressure to create something beautiful while also being sustainable. There is so much waste in the art world with really no solution as to how to repurpose or recycle work that isn’t deemed valuable by either the market or the maker. I wanted to do something completely new and different so I began freelancing in New York and fell in love with the process of flower making. I became obsessed with all things about flower making but really landed on the practice of Ikebana. The lifecycle of the flowers, the mediation on this cycle of their life, death, and rebirth through composting them back into the earth became a driving pulse of inspiration. When I moved back to LA, I was drawn to foraging looking for gems each season that may not last forever or be the most valuable but still create moments of notice and beauty. When I started True Blue Blooms a few years ago, it came from the feeling of responsibility not only to respect our planet but to highlight the beauty she provides us. I’ve thought a lot about the perfect object. Something that transcends surface perceptions of standard beauty. An object that can be received always with satisfaction and joy. Something that does not depend on occasion or gender. Something given from the heart and received the same. The earth provides us with such an object. This idea is what I like to think the backbone of what True Blue Blooms is trying to shine light on.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning my value, my time, and my ideas has been a process. Explaining to clients why something costs what it does. Value isn’t based on the product itself. Value also reflects the obsession florists have to have in their work to create something magic.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a florist. I studied and made sculptures and drawings my whole life but found my place in the medium of flowers. I feel most proud when I make something that settles in the grey area between sculpture and a flower arrangement. I am often most satisfied when using foraged materials or week old leftovers. I love just kind of grooving out in the studio compiling little bits for myself or family friends out of things that may be wasted or are close to the end.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Kindness over everything.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: trueblueblooms.com
- Instagram: @trueblueblooms
Image Credits:
Photos by susannah liguori
