We were lucky to catch up with Dina Ferguson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Design is a second career for me. Although I always had a creative side and was drawn to creative endeavors, I wasn’t sure how to make a living doing what I love. When I went to college initially I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education.

After several years of teaching and raising children, I decided to go back to school for Interior Design. My design education was invaluable in giving me a strong foundation and ultimately it helped with Floral Design as well. Many of the same principles apply to interiors and florals. Having that strong foundation has helped me to think about my designs in terms of color, texture, form, and balance.

My floral education has consisted of studying floral designers that I admire, taking classes from them, and developing my own sense of style.

I find on-the-job training to be the most valuable. No matter how much you learn through books, you just have to go out and do it, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. The biggest obstacle for most of us is getting comfortable with making mistakes. It has certainly held me back through the years. The sooner you push down that fear, the sooner you will reach your goals.

Dina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Much of my young adult life was spent raising children, I have four. It was a very busy time with little time or energy left for creative work. Once my children became older and were more independent, I was able to think about going back to school and pursuing a more creative path.

I spent several years working for a few local designers where I learned about working with clients, and contractors and managing projects. Those years were very valuable for not only learning the business but honing in on my own style.

I eventually became a sole proprietor and only took on projects that spoke to me. That is still the mantra I work by. The relationship with the client and the vision we bring to life is the most important aspect of my business. It is always a team effort. I will provide ideas based on my experience and what I think will help them realize their vision, but ultimately it is their decision.

Today, I continue to work on interiors but have added event florals. That would include weddings, parties, showers, elopements, etc… I always loved flowers and gardening so it felt like a natural transition. With both, you are trying to solve a problem and that requires an exchange of ideas and open communication.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When I first got into design, there was no such thing as online learning. Online classes for creatives have opened up the ability for students and business people to improve their skills, learn a new skill, and do it at their own pace. Had that been an option for me, I probably would have begun this journey much sooner.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is simply just doing what you love. Most creatives are not built for sitting behind a desk all day. Our brains are wired a little different. It can be a blessing and a burden, turning off those creative ideas can sometimes be difficult to do.

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Image Credits

Cate Black
Miranda Harper