We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jen Summy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jen below.

Jen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As I grew up, I spent countless hours with my crayons. I loved the use of blending colors, and finishing something that was pleasing to the eye. I was pretty convinced that I wanted to work for Crayola and create different shades of crayons! When I got into High School, I took all of the art classes I could. My senior year, our art teacher created an Advanced Art Studio class for a handful of us to take and be independently creative with our choice of art medium. I was able to explore Pottery, Stained Glass & Painting.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As one of my first jobs, I applied at Hy-Vee (a grocery store in my area) because that is where a good majority of my friends were working. During my interview, the head of HR noticed my background of art classes in school and my love of being creative. It just so happened that there was an opening in their Floral Department, and being in a specific department meant a slightly higher wage……. No questions asked, it was a straight up YES for me! I worked there until I graduated community college & got married, then the pressures of society and needing a “real job” got the best of me and I went to work for a local bank. I dreaded going to work every day, and as our family grew, the realization that I was basically working for someone else to raise my children got the best of me. My husband suggested that I stay home, or find something that I enjoyed doing just a few days a week. I ended up finding the cutest flower shop in our downtown that was looking for someone to work a few days a week to give the full time designer a break. I worked there for 13 years, and after Covid, the owner of that shop decided that working with a perishable product during uncertain times was not a risk she wanted to continue to take in her late 70’s. By this time, my kids were in Jr High & High School and a lot more independent and able to stay home more by themselves. The thought of me going to work for another flower shop in town after I was allowed so much creative flexibility wasn’t appealing to me, and a few weeks after my former boss made her decision, the cutest building on one of the busiest streets went up for sale! For the next year, my husband supported my dream vision and talked me down from the ledge of not going through with being my own boss. I am so glad I have him, because flash forward almost 3 years later and I could not be happier where I am. I specialize in fresh cut florals with an english garden style to my choices, and unique houseplants & accessories, I also sell locally made chocolates from a company in the Quad Cities that has been in business for over 100 years… and there is a reason Lagomarcino Chocolate has ben in business for that long, it is some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted!

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

The most rewarding aspect of what I do as a florist is all emotion. I am a firm believer that flowers say what our hearts can’t always put into words, whether that is pure joy or sorrow. I am a piece of my communities celebrations from weddings, birthdays, babies, aniversaries, and celebrating the life of a loved one. It is an honor that never goes away, and there are countless studies that have been done to show the effect of emotions on humans who are in the presence of fresh flowers. Productivity in the workplace goes up, depression and anxiety decrease, and the connection between friends and family members gets stronger.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The biggest misconception of what I do is everyone generally believes that my job is rainbows and unicorns to get to play with flowers all day. The stark reality of being a floral designer is very hard work, and mostly long hours spent on your feet processing florals and being poked by thorns, washing buckets and breaking down cardboard! The next misconception is that flowers are a waste of money, because they just die and don’t last forever. God gave us the gift of flowers to appreciate living in the moment and taking time to appreciate the fleeting beauty of life! The amount of love and labor that goes into growing and designing florals is unmatched to a lot of other professions.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.petalandleafmuscatine.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petalandleafmuscatine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062113313426

Image Credits
All my own personal photos!