Color — that’s what Kaylee Young of Flourish by Kay has embraced in what she’s labeled her “pretty, feminine, and imperfect floral design for weddings and events.”
While “imperfect” may not be the word most of us would use for her stunning work, it is, in fact, precisely the thing she loves about floral design. “I’ve always been a creative person ever since I was a kid, but I never fit into that ‘artist’ mold…I love flowers because they take me as I am, and I take them as they are. We work with each other. I don’t have to make my lines perfect, or force anything. I have just learned to work with them.”
Though Young hadn’t always known she’d wanted to be a florist, like any artist, she says now she feels it’s exactly right for her. “For me designing is quick…It’s strange, but I feel like I was meant to be a florist. Although I respect and draw inspiration from all art types, no type of art calls to me the way flowers do.”
When Young was eighteen she took a career quiz in college to help determine what jobs she might consider, and the results said “Florist.” Her curiosity piqued, the following semester she took a class and immediately loved it.
“I knew I wanted to work a job where I could help others, and use my creativity. I’ve also always been a hard worker who thrives in a fast-paced environment, so the job just kind of fits my personality type perfectly and is so fulfilling. Something about it is so fun, and I feel full of life each time I take on a new project,” says Kaylee. As a busy florist who, in addition to running her year-old business Flourish by Kay also works two other jobs, one of her goals is to be able to devote more (even all) of that time to floral design.
When it comes to the design work, though, she’s open to trying everything — editorial and set design, commercial work, more events. “Being a florist is definitely a lifestyle,” she says. “My busiest season is summer, and then my down time is mostly in the winter. It can be sporadic and crazy, or it can be really slow. I’m still learning how to balance my life. But like I said, I still love it. I thrive on spontaneity, so I enjoy the lifestyle for the most part.”
As for her personal tastes, it is again color, with its season changes and various moods that most inspires her: “I’ve always been a color-lover, but it wasn’t until recently that I decided to embrace that part of me and just go with it…I stay inspired by looking for new color palates, or types of flowers that I have never used before. It’s fun to always feel challenged by the different seasonal blooms and different event concepts.”
Change is an inherent part of Young’s job as a florist, and it’s those changes—like in the many different colors, opportunities for travel, working with so many types of flowers, and meeting new people in the design world that make her especially excited to do the work she does. “It’s hard,” she says, “but so worth it…I’ve met wonderful people I consider to be great friends in this industry, and designing alongside friends have been some of the best memories of my life so far.”
For more information on her work or to contact Kaylee, visit her website here.
