We were lucky to catch up with Mary Willets recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I was asked to do the floral arrangements for my son’s end of season swim banquet at the University of Michigan. The budget was minimal and if we had any money left over it would go the the Girls and Boys Club in Detroit as scholarship money for swim lessons.

I decide to make the flowers instead. Crazy yes. But very economical. Well they turned out beautiful, so I kept trying new things.

3 years later, I started The Paper Garden. I attended a couple shows, but was not very successful. Other artists told me to keep going and I took there advise. I started to study other paper florists ( its an international community ) and offered more and more detailed work and arrangements.

Then .. What I think was the turning point was going to my first Bridal Show. The bride’s loved the concept of keeping their bouquet but even better was choosing any flower on the planet in any color of the rainbow. So if she wanted lime green roses, I could do that.

It’s such joyful work!

That year I did 4 weddings … This year’s I have done 6 and 8 more still to come!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started in graphic design. Then as things changed in the industry, the field was losing its luster. So at 50 I decided to go back to school and got my license as an LPN. At 58, I went on to get my RN. But felt like my creative side was being neglected. So … I started making flowers and it grew and grew. Then in 2020, I was getting so busy with the business that I decided to retire from Nursing and be a full time paper artist.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I have learned that not everyone will appreciate your art. And that is ok. The ones who do with make your heart sing.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The first show I entered was a juried show. I wanted to see if a jury of artists thought my work was as good as my friends. Well, I was accepted! And thrilled. Unfortunately, I didn’t sell one single thing at that show. But was strongly encouraged by other artists there to do more, be more creative, don’t give up. I would like to encourage everyone to be brave. Be brave in their art and endeavors.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Thepapergardenbymin
• Facebook: The Paper Garden by Min – Mary Willets