Meet Our Florist Muse: Billie Flower Co.
An exploration behind the scenes, Muse explores the intricacies of the creative process, storytelling, and visual narratives that define the work of inspiring artists and designers. Our aim? To bring you closer to the hearts, minds and visions of local creators as we watch their creativity bloom.
Allow us to introduce you to the artful world of Janna, the visionary behind Billie Flower Co, where every floral arrangement is a whisper of whimsy and a testament to the therapeutic power of design. As Janna transitions her focus from weddings to the more intimate realm of 'therapeutic design,' she invites us on a journey through her creative process that is as reflective as it is revolutionary. Infusing mindfulness with the traditional elements of design, Janna’s work seeks to elevate the everyday into moments of unexpected delight and profound beauty.
To start us off, can you tell us a little more about you and the creative work you do?
My creative work is flowers. For the past several years I’ve been primarily focused on weddings. While weddings have been the bulk of my business, they’re just a small fraction of the creative expression. I’m currently in the uncomfortable but necessary transition of pivoting my work toward what truly lights me up and that’s therapeutic design - which is, for me, a really slow and reflective practice, focusing on colour, texture, line, movement, you know - all the elements of design - but incorporating mindfulness in there. It’s what feels right and natural for me and in my mind, it’s the real creative stuff behind everything else I do.
What would be considered a signature of your work, or something that’s woven through everything you do?
I would say ‘ whimsy’ would be a good word for my brand, or aesthetic. I play with a lot of different colours, palettes, textures, tones, etc, but something woven throughout everything is that little hint of playfulness. This shows up in places like stems sticking out in a perfectly imperfect way, or colours that might seem surprising together, but they work. It’s like colouring outside the lines, just enough, and on purpose.
What feelings do you hope your work evokes?
I think maybe this changes from project to project. Sometimes I’m aiming for something more peaceful, maybe reflective, or calming. Or maybe a little more raw, earthy. Sometimes I want it to be more open-ended, open to interpretation.
But all in all, I want ‘delight’ to be the reaction; for viewers and observers to not only recognize it as part of my design process, but to also experience delight for themselves. I’ve been on a mission to bring it into everything I do. To brush up against it in moments that I’m lost in an act of creating, and if I’m lucky, stir that feeling up in others, too.
Over the years and as you develop new work and collections, do you find your style evolving? How does it stay the same?
I just recently had a look through some really old work. Looking at some of that stuff I gasped in horror (lol) I think that’s all part of evolving. It’s like looking at old photos and being like - what the heck am I wearing?! I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed is that over the years the gap between work I imagine designing and work I’m actually able to design, has shrunk! It’s always shrinking! But it’s always growing somehow too, as I keep dreaming and being inspired by more and more. It’s a bit of a paradox I suppose.
Even in my early days, I was always trying to find that whimsy. I can see it through everything, it’s always been there.
Over the years and as you develop new work and collections, do you find your style evolving? How does it stay the same?
I just recently had a look through some really old work. Looking at some of that stuff I gasped in horror (lol) I think that’s all part of evolving. It’s like looking at old photos and being like - what the heck am I wearing?! I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed is that over the years the gap between work I imagine designing and work I’m actually able to design, has shrunk! It’s always shrinking! But it’s always growing somehow too, as I keep dreaming and being inspired by more and more. It’s a bit of a paradox I suppose.
Even in my early days, I was always trying to find that whimsy. I can see it through everything, it’s always been there.
Can you identify a first memory that’s linked to what you do, or a key moment during your creative journey that led to where you are today?
This is an odd and maybe fateful one. I never planned to be a florist, though I always loved flowers. I’ve always been drawn to colours, to textures, and have been an observer for as long as I’ve been around. My mom’s garden, and my grandpa’s garden were always such amazing things to me. But I never considered ‘Flowers’ as a medium or career choice.
One day, I ran out of gas in the dead of winter, at an intersection (because I hate pumping gas, I was running late, and really milking those fumes as long as I could) I put my 4-ways on and the lady behind me offered to give me a lift up the street to the gas station (which, nowadays I would be much less willing to do, sadly). We got chatting, turned out she owned a flower shop. A couple weeks later I went by to check out her shop, say thank you for her kindness, and she hired me on the spot.
I started out dethorning THOUSANDS of roses, mopping the floor, cleaning the fridges, and endless flower buckets. But I paid close attention to the designers and would practice on my own time, clumsily putting flowers together, then taking things apart, and trying again. It’s funny, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but I’d look at their designs and think, I don’t want it to look like that. I want it to look different. I just had to figure out how. I’ve had loads of different experiences, jobs, flower education, etc. since that day, but it certainly set me on the path. I have been in flowers ever since!
How does your environment and creative workspace affect your work, or vice versa?
I am so affected by my environment. Having natural, non fluorescent light is a big deal to me. Having a peaceful, somewhat organized space, clear of clutter is important. It helps me feel calm and get into that flow a lot easier. I’m an ADHD scatterbrain, so naturally my workspace can easily get out of hand, I certainly collect too much stuff, and I’m messy when I work. But I need to reset as often as possible to maintain some sort of creative order in my brain. I love a good purge, or a quick blitz clean to clear the clutter, mind and body.
If you could picture the ideal space for your finished work to live, what would that look like?
I daydream about this a lot. I’d love a big, open industrial space, all white, loads of natural light, a garage door, a greenhouse or glass solarium attached, high ceilings, and areas for photographing my work, a lounge area, and plenty of room for hosting events, parties, teaching classes and workshops. *Sigh* Some day…?
How intertwined is your personal style with the style of the work you do you produce?
I think everything flows into everything. There are so many themes woven throughout the way I decorate my home, my studio, the kind of art I’m drawn to, the music I listen to, the colours in my wardrobe, the shoes I wear, my favourite lipstick shades - I don’t know, everything sort of points back to various themes in my personal taste in different ways. It’s fun to observe and play with, and there’s always lots of room for changing my mind. That’s the best part. Staying playful and curious is key.
How does the role of storytelling play into your work?
I think because flowers are such a powerful language on their own, they do a lot of the emoting without my help. However, I love exploring the styling of flowers. What I pair flowers with can paint a sort of still life, a picture, or feeling that allows imagination and creates some sort of subliminal narrative. It’s so fun to see how different textures, fabrics, and various items like fruit, or rocks, or background items can create different meaning or feeling, and even highlight and bring out different hues in the flowers. Flowers can say so much, and are so influenced by their surroundings in what they portray.
What makes your creative process unique? What’s your favourite part of it? The most difficult?
My favourite part of my creative process is simply how quickly everything fades away. When I’m working on an arrangement, or installation, or whatever it may be, I am totally wrapped up in the moment, and often it’s such a personal, beautiful space for me to think, reflect, or just take some space from the chaos of life. It feels sort of sacred, actually. My safe space. I love going into something without a perfect plan, and allow for intuition and collaboration between me and my flowers. I feel so at peace in that zone.
I think what makes that difficult is that I just want to stay there, in that space. But the reality of running a business doesn’t allow for that. I’m pulled out of it very often, usually quickly and abruptly, and have to tend to plenty of other aspects of my work with a (pretty unappealing) sense of urgency.
That’s why it’s so important that I carve out time to get lost in creative play, and make sure that I have uninterrupted spaces in my schedule for that creative zone. It’s the best feeling. It also gives more life and uniqueness to my craft, and allows me to show up with more clarity for clients or collaborators.
What role does inspiration play in your creative process? Where do you find inspiration?
I am constantly paying attention to things around me. I’m always drawing inspiration from random corners of my life. Like I said before, everything flows into everything else. I am most drawn to colour and texture. This can be a weedy clump of dried grass in a pavement crack. It’s the mellow ochre of the dead grass, with the soft pebbly gray. Or something like a patched up stucco on the side of a building. Or the way the light hits the sheer curtains in my living room. It’s all sort of pointing to something, and I guess that’s what stirs me.
When do you feel most creative? And on the flip side, what do you do when you’re in a creative rut?
I get creatively stuck when I’m all gas no breaks. When I’m saying yes to inquiries that don’t feel aligned with the heart of my business. When I’m exhausted and don’t listen to my own body or limitations. When I’m making decisions out of stress and maybe fear, and not out of creativity and abundance, space, and security. The reality is, we gotta pay the bills. But working myself to the bone ain’t the way, it steals my joy and my creativity, with not much leftover.
I feel most creative when I actually give myself time, and space, to explore and play and be curiously imperfect and try new things, and not worry so much about the outcome. I feel most creative when I make time for presence, and practice, and observing. So much tries to snatch our imagination away, or make it small, and it’s sad that we have to relearn how to be childlike in these ways. But I’d say it’s so necessary, too. It takes effort, but it’s so worth it.
At Slow Dance, we love the concept of romanticizing the everyday. Do you have a way that you do this?
Going for walks, daydreaming, trying new places, taking the scenic route, mixing different and unusual items from my wardrobe, cutting my hair impulsively, ordering rose while I work from a cafe in the afternoon, lighting candles at night, changing up the way my furniture is arranged in our home or my studio, dancing around in my underwear, singing in the shower. Actually, sometimes I notice I haven’t been humming or singing to myself in a while, and then I think - well I better take some time to enjoy myself. It’s usually a sign I’m too stressed or tightly wound, or in a slump. I’m usually singing to myself, and that’s a sign that I’m feeling relaxed.
QUICK FIRE
A favourite book, movie, album, piece of art etc that you love?
The song Spiegel Im Spiegel by Avro Part. ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, a painting by Helen Frankenthaler. Seven Swans - an album I’ll forever go back to by Sufjan Stevens, All things Constance Spry.
A simple indulgence?
Puffed sleeves. They’re both an indulgence and a staple for me.
Dream creative collaboration?
Gucci, baby (Not actually, but like… I wouldn’t say no.) For now, my dream collaboration is with my sister. She’s a photographer, we’ve got ideas.
Sensory profile for your brand:
Sight — A single, stand alone stem
Scent — Santal 33, sandalwood, jasmine
Sound — Wind in the trees, cello
Taste — Rose + cinnamon + salt
Feel — The feeling of home or being lost in a daydream
As we wrap up this edition featuring Janna of Billie Flower Co, we are reminded of the gentle power of flowers not just to beautify a space, but to transform and heal. Her journey encourages us all to find beauty in the slow, mindful moments of creation. May her story inspire you to find your own path to creative fulfillment and to see the extraordinary in the ordinary every day.
About Muse
Each feature is an editorial-inspired exploration, blending insightful interviews with stunning visuals by photographer Kate Watkinson, offering a glimpse into the inspirations and lives behind the art. From the personal significance imbued in every piece to the overarching meaning of their brands, Muse aims to illuminate the diverse ways these creators weave their experiences, dreams, and challenges into a compelling narrative. Thank you for joining us as we unveil the stories of women who transform their vision into reality, inspiring us to find our own muse within.
Explore Janna’s work on her website (currently being updated!), instagram and pinterest.
All photos by Kate Watkinson for Slow Dance Studio.