We recently connected with Carina Foreman and have shared our conversation below.

Carina, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’ve always had a wild bohemian in me. My love for snowboarding started when I was a kid after I was gifted one of those plastic snowboards from a Walmart. I would ride it down the hill in my backyard. Eventually I learned how to snowboard at my home mountain, Blue Knob. A small ski resort located in central Pennsylvania. My deep-rooted love for snowboarding was planted there.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been the pressed flower snowboard with Gilson Snow. I had the honor of working with Gilson Snow this past summer to bring the board to life. The wildflower board has been a dream of mine to make. The reason why I wanted to create the board is a part of who I am. I knew I had to make a snowboard. I wanted to merge my two worlds, and that’s how I did it. This project came straight from my love for snowboarding and passion around my work. It is now a product we offer to the public, and I am so stoked to see the boards being rode around the world!

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.

What began as a humble roadside adventure near my hometown in Pennsylvania, has blossomed into a flourishing business. My name is Carina Foreman. I am the owner of Pressed By Carina, where I press and preserve flower arrangements from weddings and special occasion blooms, as a token and work of art for your home and space. All of my pieces are created using real flowers, to last a lifetime. I love being able to offer a service that allows you to keep the flowers from your special and momentous day.

Growing up as a kid, we traveled a lot on the road. My parents were flea marketers and antique dealers. It was an unconventional upbringing that I enjoyed. My inspiration for starting my business came from my grandma Edna. The first flower I pressed was baby’s-breath from her service. Soon after the idea just flooded me like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I like to say it was an intuitive download I received from her passing.

After returning home after almost a decade spent living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the path seemed unclear. I wasn’t sure what I was doing or where I was going in my career. I remained open and optimistic and went back to the authentic place I operated from, and this idea that was manifesting in the back of my mind.

I had started gathering wildflowers and pressing them and arranging them in frames. The work I was doing with the flowers felt so sacred and important. Flowers are catalysts. The more I worked with them, the more the calling settled in. I set up a table on the side the road in front of my sister’s store in Cumberland. I didn’t even have a tablecloth for it at the time. This kind woman approached my table, telling me my work was amazing and that there was a farmers’ market down the road I could vend at. From there, it just took off. I now specialize in pressing flowers for weddings, memorial services, murals and more. I have since then made hundreds of framed pieces from pressed flowers.

In the pursuit of finding your calling, listen. If opportunity doesn’t come knocking, pave your own way.

“The first concept of beauty was the flower”

– The Mother

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is that even when I’m working weeks on end and super long hours managing everything, the feeling I get when I look back and see all that I did and accomplished is the reward. Being a creative entrepreneur is hard work. Sometimes you don’t see all the work you’re doing, and you get a moment where you can truly look back and reflect. It makes it all worth it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think something society can do to help artists and creatives thrive is supporting them in really any way possible. Even just a like or share on a social media platform, goes a long way for a creative entrepreneur. When we do make sales, it’s a dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pressedbycarina.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pressedbycarina/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pressedbycarina/

Image Credits

BridgePerspective Photo Video