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

Sophia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Growing up, I always felt most at peace and most real when I was around nature. Flowers have always attracted me. Each flower has it’s own unique shade of color and petal shape (which echoes human kind-I think!).

Weddings are enchanting. The beautiful love story they paint of two people vowing to love each other forever, always attracted my romantic heart.
Flowers tell part of that story and really add to the romance and drama of the moment. For years, I’ve collected favorite photos of floral arrangements and have loved staring at the different shades of color and texture the flower artist brings together. I have always referred to it as flower art!

One afternoon, I was walking past a bucket of clearance flowers that were on their last leg at Kroger. I had a flashback to all the arrangements I had seen and swooned over for so long and I thought to myself, “I wish I could do that!” I almost walked away, but something made me stop. Why couldn’t I just try? What if my hands could create something beautiful and worthwhile?

So I picked up a slightly crumbled blue hydrangea, white creamy roses, some almost-dead greenery, wimpy baby daisies, and went home. I Laid it all out on my kitchen island, got a random vase that I had in the cabinet, and just let go.

My hands started putting flowers in random places until I came to a stop and decide it was complete. Right there in front of me was my very first piece of flower art.

Was it perfect? No. Would it pass as an arrangement next to beautiful pieces that famous florist created? No way! But it was from my hands, from my vision, and reflected my courage and love for nature’s beauty.

I’ve struggled with perfectionism my whole life. I’ve always wanted to be great at everything I do and comparison has always been my weakness. Flowers are different. While I have no training and no professional mentor to perfect my craft, I just put my whole heart and raw self into every arrangement. I create something unique for each client to leave an impression of more than just the flowers themselves.

Sophia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m married to an amazing man, Austin. We have two sweet little boys- Abram who is three and Luke who is one. I am currently a full-time elementary music teacher by day, and a florist on nights and weekends. My days are filled with diaper changes, potty training (if you’ve figured out the secret, please tell me!) cooking meals, folding laundry, and trying to not step on Lighting McQueen race cars! (I also probably go to Starbucks too often. They know my name and have my order memorized….that’s probably a sign, right?)

I have no professional background in Floristry and do not have a mentor. I’m self-taught, and just have an obsession with the art of arranging flowers.
I can and will create whatever my clients wish. If I do not know how to attain what they are wanting, I ask questions, do research, and just try to make it happen!

Lately I’ve been creating for events personal homes. I really can’t wait to be entrusted with someone’s wedding! I have so many ideas that I want to see brought to life, but most importantly, I want the Bride to see her reflection and beauty in the flowers I create for her moment.

I see every order that I receive as a gift of trust, no matter how small. As I create their flower art, I’ve made it a habit to envision what my client wants and needs. What will bring them the most joy? Then I attempt to create that. Emerson Rose Floral Co. is more than just flower arrangements. It’s more than just the physical aspect of a vase, flowers, and some water. It’s helping the client create a moment with another person, aiding in the sharing of emotions, and growing relationships with others.

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

With every arrangement I create there is always a moment where I step back, look at the flowers from a distance, knowing it’s complete. It almost feels like a release. That is my favorite part!

Creating flower art gives me a small moment of completion.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of my most amazing client to-date, wanted ALL BLACK floral arrangements for a Halloween event they were hosting. You’re probably thinking-“Sophie, this isn’t a big deal, just get black flowers.” Well guess what?! Nature doesn’t often create pure black.
Most of what I found was either dark red or purple. Hand painting these flowers became my only option.
There was a moment when I was laying on my living room floor, reading a book and “taking a break” (as I told myself), that I realized I was running from my fear of not being good enough.

 So, I forced myself to get to work, hand paint each and every piece of the arrangements and finished! I personally love how the arrangements turned out, and I had fun painting all those petals.

The client was stoked and that was all that mattered.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktree.com/emersonrosefloralco
• Instagram: instagram.com/emersonrosefloralco
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/emersonrosefloralc

Image Credits
I took all these photos myself in either my backyard or my home