Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brianna Larson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brianna, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up for as long as I can remember I was drawn to visual beauty, creating art and seeing art in the nature surroundings me on the west coast. I was moved to Texas for the first time in my teenage years where my focus remained the same but I did struggle with the adjustment and change in outdoor scenery since I spent most of my time outside in my own world often drawing. Texas did grow on me and I think many places have different elements of beauty for you to discover. There was never anything else I saw myself doing or as a natural calling other than being a creative. I was moved around excessively growing up and I didn’t have a very stable home life but creating art, sewing, working with my hand gardening and whatever else always had my focus and was the biggest constant in my life. I explored all the creative outlets I could; because of this I would consider myself a self taught artist. Although I changed schools a lot, I was fortunate that teachers always saw that in me and gave me the space and class placement to nourish my skill. Going into the work force even prior to completing high school as a means in other fields such as retail and food and beverage I still found myself always incorporating my artistic background and passion for composition eventually leading me to commercial interior finish-out & interior styling incorporating my painting & botanical knowledge for several years. A decade after this, I discovered my passion for floral design as work. Today floral is a large portion of the projects I work on but my love for floral and natural elements has been clearly a life influence. Whether it’s painting, interior or botanical design I see it all as layered visual composition; just different mediums and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to settle on just one.

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

I have been a professional creative and visual artist for roughly 15-20 years working in a variety of fields, mediums and types of clients. I also have years of experience in business operational and project production. Being not just a creative, but also having that business experience I think benefited me greatly in the way I approach my work and process.

Today I offer services in but not limited to Styling & Botanical Design for: Events, Residential, Retail, Commercial Spaces, Editorial and Advertising. I also freelance as designer support with other larger productions. I offer paint services as well mainly in a commercial application doing sign painting, storefront glass painting, commissioned pieces & personal projects. I am represented by an agency, Independent Artists for the past 8 years here in Dallas, TX within the photo industry doing Interior / Prop Styling & Floral for Interior Designers, Publications, Product and variety of other types of clients.

A few years ago, I started branding my own creations and private client work under the name L.O.T.V. Botanical which is short for “Lily of the Valley” this is an actual flower variety, but also a homage play on words to my youth spent on the coast & in the valley area of California. Under this brand I offer all of my creative avenues. The projects I work on are not necessarily a menu you can choose from since my process is always tailored specifically my client’s request at hand but more so just general skills I offer. Even today with all that I do I still continue to explore new ways of working with my hands, even in the past few years working more with textiles and exploring mosaic work. I don’t plan to ever stop growing and challenging my creative ability and love for making things that others can enjoy and appreciate.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

For a long time I was very attached to work stability and not stepping out of my comfort zone or circumstances in which I had the self illusion of being in control. For years while still pursuing being a creative I would also maintain a full-time salary job position because of the unknown outcome of fully perusing being a creative full-time on my own.

Once I went through Covid and lockdown as a single parent now no longer having that cushion of an employee role in addition to my creative projects, it forced me to reach higher and challenge myself more to step out of my comfort zone and be more self reliant for my sources of work and what I gave my time. In this experience while it was a very stressful and an uncertain time I realized what I mainly needed to do was create the time and space for what I really wanted to be working on that was for me and my passions long-term vs. working for someone else and that companies growth. Today looking back I wish I would’ve done it sooner but also I don’t think it was my time until I actually made it happen.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is the self fulfillment of working in tangibles, and not just tangibles but something that I put a piece of yourself into that others can enjoy or exceeds their expectations.

I find great fulfillment in working with my hands and the immediate gratification that comes with being a creator reflecting on that final product I put myself into. I try challenging myself to do something fresh every time I can and learn what I would do different the next time so I am always learning & growing in my view point.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lotvbotanical.com
• Instagram: @l_o_t_v_botanical
• Other: Second IG:
  @brileelarsStyling agency link: https://www.iaagency.com/stylists/brianna-larson

Image Credits

Photographers:

Pär Bengtsson
Mindy Bryd
A Sea of Love by, Morgan & Blake
Rachel Meagan