We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Darien Burress a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Darien, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Making the decision to pursue a career as a florist and to invest in myself by following my passions has got to be one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken as far as my career and financial security are concerned. Honestly, in the beginning of 2023 I was feeling so lost and unhappy at my work place those feelings were heavily informed by the environment which was very unhealthy. By May I had discovered the courage to leave and with the encouragement of a small business owner I left to work with her; unfortunately by the end of 2023 I was left without work. At this point I was at an incredible low and fell into a difficult depression and through this my partner not only supported me financially but encouraged me to follow my dreams and desires of establishing my own business. Here I am just over a year later and what can I say for the sacrifices made; well is there an abundance of money, no. But is there more room for joy, passion and creativity, ABSOLUTELY. I am grateful to be doing something I love and I know that in order to build and grow a business you need time, I believe success is on the horizon and the connections I have made have been worthwhile. I see my goal of doing large installation work and combining my experience as a florist with my experience as a sculptor and artist as something I can achieve and the journey has just begun.
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 am Darien Burress, owner and operator of Black Girl In Bloom! I am a floral designer and preservationist with a background in the fine arts specifically sculpture and photography. Floral design drew my eye when I was in college studying to be an art therapist; I had begun working at a local mom and pop florist but mainly made sales and took orders. The desire and passion for floristry really stemmed from the similarities I found within sculpture and floral design and my love of nature and using natural materials in my sculptures. When I made the move to Saint Louis in April of 2024 I found myself suddenly very ill and ended up without a job and without community; it was at this time that I had decided to seek out a career that I was passionate about and something I felt driven to do and so I pursued floristry and in just a few short years have found myself investing in my own business and growth as a florist. Most of what I do as a florist for my own company is wedding and event services, and resin floral preservation services. I find the most joy in getting the freedom to create especially with installation work, I think because it most resembles sculpture and artistically challenges me.
I think having that background in art really does impact who I am as a florist and how I think through my work. My love of art makes participating in the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Art in Bloom competition the highlight of my year. You will all have the opportunity to attend the free event this February 28th- March 2nd.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I have had to unlearn within this industry and life is that not everyone wants to see you succeed or has your best interest at heart. Prior to following my own path and creating my business I allowed myself to work for people who did not value me as a person and did not want to give me what I deserved. Companies often take from us, or creativity, our joy, our passion, our ideas and my ideas and my creativity were wanted while I was not. I have had people say they were in my corner but root for my failure behind my back and sabotage my success. This has taught me caution when building connections but also further solidified the bonds I have created with the people who do want to see me succeed.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think what has most impacted my reputation within the floral industry here in Saint Louis is the Art in Bloom competition at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Art in Bloom is a competition in which 30 florists are selected out of hundreds of applicants in the surrounding area to interpret 30 works of art in flowers. The first year I competed was in 2023 I was working for a large florist and that weekend was so incredibly validating. I had met and spoken with thousands of people and was left feeling overwhelmed by the admiration and love for my work. I won a first place ribbon for staff’s choice and second place ribbon for people’s choice award. That first year helped me connect with other florists in the industry and begin to build relationships in the field; while this past year really helped me establish myself as Darien Burress owner of Black Girl in Bloom. I think having a free event that really engages the community gets people out and has gotten so many eyes on my work and helped me grow a following.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blackgirlinbloom.com
- Instagram: @black.girl.in.bloom
- Other: Email: black.girl.in.bloom.co@gmail.com
