A couple of months ago I did an AMA on Instagram. Why does it feel so weird to post that question box? Maybe it’s the same feeling when you’re having a party and are terrified no one will show up. I have thrown zero parties for this very reason. Or maybe it’s the assumed self-importance that people find you interesting enough to ask you a question in the first place? If you also have a tendency to overthink things, welcome.

Q: Are you ever going to admit to making the patterned animal posters?? I slaved for those.
From my little sister, who is obviously still salty about the summers when Mike and I went to New York for internships and I hired her to mail orders from the print shop I did in college.

The packaging for the posters was intense. I was so proud of the labels - which were kind of a nightmare. Each one had to be typed in and aligned manually. They were like 4” x 15” because they wrapped all the way around the back. Extremely practical.

I did the poster thing for about 6 years. I learned sooooooooo much in good and cringey ways. I still remember so many of the customers and their orders. And it paid for college!

Q: What’s the longest it has taken to make a flat lay?
Took around 8 hours? It was 16” x 20” and all of the leaves were… very small. Ramon (@princeandproper) was the first person to ever buy this as a print and he hung it in his office. Still can’t believe it.

Most flat lays (for commissions or prints) take between 2-3 hours. Certain flowers start to wilt before that so it’s always a race to finish. Very exciting.

Q: Did brands reach out to you or did you pitch?
Most reached out to me, I haven’t been brave enough to pitch yet. But I made a list this year! I’m going to start. The only company that I do work for that’s a little different is Minted…

Q: How did you get started with Minted?
Minted! This might be a long one. Minted runs design challenges - other companies call them content calls. The difference with Minted is that their challenge picks are crowd sourced. Top voted designs are picked up, then they make “editor’s picks” to round out their collections. It is extremely competitive and definitely has its pros and cons.

I started entering flat lay work with them in 2017 after a few people encouraged me (one was @frostdesignco, remember that Lori??) anyways, 5 years later and I still haven’t had any flat lay work picked up for sal haha BUT I was doing stationery design for two other companies at the time and figured I might as well try Minted too. It took me a few challenges before I had any work picked to sell on their site. I decided to enter consistently for a year to see if it was worth me time (and prove Mike wrong - he hated their model).

If your work is picked, you’re paid for files ($ varies based on the product) and then earn a commission each time it sells on their website. I like doing work for Minted because I get to focus on designing - and they have a lot of products to design for so I get to try new things I wouldn’t do on my own. My work has definitely improves and I’ve had opportunities through them I wouldn’t have otherwise - prints sold at pottery barn kids, Target greeting cards, etc.

The Minted community has been a lifesaver for me. I’ve made some incredible friends. I’m trying to make sure they aren’t too much of my annual income % though because it is not as stable/predictable as other income.

Q: Can we be friends in real life because I want to haha
10000% yes

Q: Tips on gaining confidence as a designer?
I read this and thought “I’m not qualified to answer this” so clearly still working on confidence too. Find your voice. Work at it everyday. Be authentic - to yourself and/or to your client. The more authentic you are the more original your work will be. Try not to compare your work to other people (it’s hard!)

Q: Love your flat lays. Do you pre sketch the layout or let the flowers inspire you?
I don’t think I’ve ever had one turn out like it is in my head haha. I usually just start cutting things apart and see how they interact with each other. A kind of standard pattern recipe for me is:
1. A large flower
2. Medium leaves & smaller flowers
3. Fillers (tiny leaves, pods, seeds)

Q: How did you start making your type/floral collages?
This is my first flat lay! When I started doing wedding invitations I made it a goal to post on IG every day - but I didn’t want to just post invitations all the time? (See - bad at running a business) so it turned into a daily creative exercise. I had wanted to draw leaves for this image but I was running out of nap time, so I ran outside and grabbed real leaves instead.

Q: Who is your dream client for flat lays?
New York Botanical Garden! I would die.

Q: Do you feel like the flat lays are more therapy or work?
Oh good question. If there’s $$$ involved (commissions, licensing) my anxiety kicks in and it is definitely work.

Most of the time it’s therapy. I call it processing through placement. I tend to want to make things when I’m having a lot of feelings about something. This one was the day the war started in Ukraine.

Q: Dream collaboration?
Tim Gunn. Dear Universe, please.

Q: What are you doing for fun/self care these days?
Sit in silence with no one touching me or asking questions about Pokemon of Minecraft. Actually we’ve been spending a lot of time in the mountains or kayaking with the kids and it’s been so good.

Q: What is a dream project for you? Or a dream client to license with?
A big giant dream that I’ve never said out loud would be to have a gallery show.

Behold, the biggest heart breaker of all time, the Icelandic Poppy

Q: Favorite flower?
Deep sigh. You guys know the tragic saga that is my love for Icelandic poppies.
But I love so many: Dahlias, Sweet Peas, Garden Roses, Cosmos, Japanese Anemones, Butterfly Ranunculus.
But also anything that doesn’t wilt once I chop the stem off = my undying love and devotion.

Q: Do you still get up at 4 am?
I sleep in until 4:55 now! Haha.

Q: How do you not bump the flowers?
Ooooooh I have. It’s always at the end too! My achilles heel is placing the tiny things with tweezers. I almost always drop something and things scatter.
People always ask why I don’t glue things in place - I usually don't have the time and am constantly adjusting/tweaking

Q: Do you like to do creative work with music on? If so, what bands/genres?
I’m kind of lame when it comes to music. I really like listening to film scores while I work. Bands though… The 1975, Manchester Orchestra, Julien Baker, Sufjan Stevens… I like doing audio books/podcasts too.
Podcasts: American Scandal & Against All Odds
Books: Say Nothing, Red Notice, American Kingpin

Q: Are you taking apprentices? I wish I could intern for you haha.
Interview Questions:
1. How fast can you pull leaves off of a stem and arrange them smallest to largest
2. Do you like toaster strudels

Q: Love your stuff! Thanks for being so open. What advice do you have for being freelance?
I can tell you some of the mistakes I’ve made and things I’ve learned!
1. Hire a CPA
2. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket (have more than one client)
3. Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need for projects
4. It’s all about relationships. Be a kind human. People recommend people they like.
5. Before you make the leap, have a cushion. Savings, emergency fund, budget, a plan.

Q: How do you get our of a creative rut? I feel so drained…
This is usually what works for me…
1. Spend time outside
2. Clean/organize. There’s something about physically putting things in order that helps my brain make new connections for whatever I’m stuck on
3. Watch a good movie!
4. Create something within limits. (ie what would a Christmas card look like if it was from the Cubist movement? Leads to some good stuff)
5. Switch up your routine. Cook a new dish, take a different route home, go for a walk after dinner, read a different type of book/listen to a different genre of music. Will help you notice new things and hopefully inspire you!