We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joanna Dyer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I wasn’t very good at school, at least not academically. I was diagnosed with a learning disability called Landau Kleffner. Yeah, that’s ok, no one else has heard of it. What it meant is that I struggled with auditory processing…but I was really, really good with visuals and with my hands. You could say I was an art kid but not very artsy. At one point I had considered culinary school but I quickly realized it was very expensive AND it was fast paced. I can work under pressure but not all day. Somewhere along the route I landed on Interior Design, got in (probably largely due to a recommendation), hated the competitive and all consuming nature of architecture school, failed, cried, and transferred schools.
It was the best decision. I ended up in hospitality at Memphis State, pursuing events and wedding planning, all the while mulling over what I had learning in 3 semesters of design school. I knew I wanted to decorate but was convince that wasn’t a career for Memphis, TN, at least not as a sole decorator. So wedding planning seemed the obvious route.
One of my college friends graciously trusted me to plan and decorate her wedding. It was a lot of fun and successfull, but I quickly realized, I just want to decorate. Flowers are always at weddings so I started practicing, buying up all the discounted flowers and learning what I could.
I’m extremely grateful for all the designers who took me under their wing and taught me what I know.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I didn’t intend to be a business owner but I knew what I wanted to do flowers and to do them my own way. I opened Snapdragon Floral officially when I arrived home from 2 months in the United Kingdom. I had spent 2 years working in 2 different flower shops before I decided to do an internship in London. Living in the UK completely changed my approach to floral design. The studio I worked with, Aesme, grew all their own flowers. They would utilize every flower, even if it had a wonky stem or a misshapen petal. They designed with so much more than the conventional grocery store stems. I was in awe. I also loved how they chose to be very intentional with their designs and took tea breaks so to step back and reflect. It was October of 2018 when I officially opened my business. I had a handful of weddings lined up and I was working at A Coin and Silver Shop with my family friends. They were very gracious to me and allowed me the flexibility to work on Snapdragon at the same time.
After spending 4 years working part time to taking the plunge and working full time, I knew it was time for a real space and not my kitchen and spare bedroom. When Covid first showed up, lots of people reached out for individual arrangements, wanting to celebrate loved ones that they could not visit. That really pushed me to consider offering retail as well.
Fast forward to spring 2021, I am 3 months married and I come upon a For Lease sign. I think, It can’t hurt to call. Fast forward 3 more months and I’m opening a retail shop on May Day.
At Snapdragon Floral, we offer whimsical flower arrangements, gifts, gluten free baked goods from Jacques Louise, afternoon tea, and private classes. We absolutely love to design for weddings and work most weekends. We love to sell local art as well as favorite brands like Rifle Paper Co. Customers can order delivery online or call us.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I feel like there is always a million things I am inspired by but recently it’s the mission to do what works for me and my family. There is pressure to be “professional” and run a store a very specific way. I have a young son and I have chosen to bring him to work with me. It’s certainly a challenging decision and I have had to learn to pivot dramatically. The benefit is huge, though. I am getting to spend so much time with my baby, not pay for childcare, and he’s getting to experience something special. It’s unconventional, and I am sure there are customers that don’t love the greeting cards sprawl across the floor but it’s worth it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

It’s rewarding to be an artist because I get to do what I love. There’s plenty of business and logistics and hard work that goes into it but I’m still getting to design with flowers everyday. I am a feelings driven person and working with flowers is very healing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.snapdragonfloraldesigns.com
• Instagram: Snapdragonfloral901
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snapdragonfloral901/

Image Credits
Mary Kate Steele, Michelle Evans, NLA Weddings, Sara Beth Creative, Morgan Newsom