The Art of Adapting

After the economy shutdown due to COVID-19 it took some time for the effects on my social and professional life to sink in.  Slowly I came to understand that our lives hadn’t paused, they had changed.  I know I’m in good company when I say that this change has left me with a boatload of uncertainty.  Before the shutdown my professional life was centered on large events and jewelry sales.  Demand for my skillset does not look the same as it did a few months ago.  If I want my work to remain relevant I need to adapt.

This is a difficult mindset to enter when the aftermath of this pandemic is still so unclear.  I’ve had my hands in the flower industry for the past 18 years.  Since moving to Essex I’ve focused this work towards designing for weddings and events.  In 2016 I started my handmade jewelry line, Kit+Syl.  Large events are canceled until further notice, and the brick-and-mortars that sell my jewelry are closed for the foreseeable future, so how do I pivot?  Where do luxury goods fit in the midst of an economic crisis?  

Fortunately my skillset is malleable.  I am a creative, a designer, and more and more an entrepreneur whose first priority is to add value to my community.  Charles Darwin said “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives.  It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”  Amidst the fear and disappointments of this time has shone the creative resiliency of those who are realizing that life is different now.  The narratives that have kept my spirits up are those of small businesses who have restructured in order to keep their doors “open,” keep their employees working, and to fill the needs of their communities.  

Business owners in Essex have set a great example.  They have quickly rose to the occasion with the understanding that they too must adapt for their businesses to survive.  Although, keep in mind that these are seasoned professionals who have already accomplished the impossible.  Our economy more or less shuts down each winter, pandemic or no pandemic, and these entrepreneurs stay the course, back each spring when our small population grows high enough to support their efforts for the remainder of the year.  

For better or for worse, the small business owner is no stranger to a tumultuous climate.  Their flexibility was being tested way before social distancing hit our vernacular.  This test had come in the form of globalism, technology, large competitors, and weak economies.  The fruits of their innovative problem solving have offered me inspiration, and a much needed push towards my own restructuring. 

When I think about how I want to adapt I focus on how my art practice can serve my community.  How can I begin to execute the work I would like to accomplish through my future brick-and-mortar, The Studio, today?  With my 4 words in mind, Collaboration, Community, Art, and Educate (see blog entry The Words Behind My “Why”) I have decided to launch a retail floral branch of Kit+Syl called The Floral Studio. 

I never imagined I would go the retail route.  I cut my teeth in small flower shops.  This is a great way to learn the ropes, how to process flowers, floral names, standard pricing, not to mention the necessary multitasking skills that develop when you’re often asked to simultaneously make a wrapped bouquet, ring a customer up, and answer the phone. Once I was introduced to designing for event work retail was dead to me.  Retail is a completely different animal.  It comes with unique challenges that I no longer wanted to consider.  I had also come to loathe the constant customer interruptions, and I’m embarrassed to say that my customer service skills quickly declined as I came to resent any part of the job where I wasn’t just left alone to design.  Lucky for me lessons were learned, and I now appreciate customer interaction as the most important skillset of my career.  I strive to provide a positive experience for every buyer whether they are purchasing a $35 bouquet or a $10,000 wedding package.  

I am grateful that I have been pushed towards this business opportunity that previously, I was not open to.  Owning a retail operation offers an entirely different perspective than the one I had as an employee.  I largely credit this change of heart to being able to define my operations.  Kit+Syl Floral Studio is a mission based business.  I only source product from local, organic growers practicing sustainable farming, based out of New York or Vermont.  In turn, I exercise sustainable, eco-friendly practices such as composting and foam free design techniques.  I pledge to run a no floral-waste studio, which I accomplish by gifting any excess flowers to essential workers and other contributing members of my community.  I source my vases and vessels from local thrift shops, as I am a big advocate for buying used whenever possible, and the hunt always results in exciting design challenges.  

It is important that my customer knows that I value their support at any budget.  Whenever a buyer purchases a wrapped bouquet I encourage them to provide me with their own vase, so that I can upgrade their bouquet to a vase arrangement at no extra cost.  This option is best for flower longevity since the stems are placed in water as soon as they are cut, unlike with a wrapped bouquet which is delivered dry.  It is also more convenient for the recipient.  When receiving a wrapped bouquet the recipient must find a vase, and then give each stem a fresh cut before placing the flowers in water.  Often during this process the design of the original bouquet is disrupted, which can be avoided if the flowers are delivered pre-arranged in a vessel.  I’ll be writing more on my mission statement, flower care, and the stresses that the conventional floral industry puts on the environment in future posts.    

Photo cred Julia Rebecca Photography

This new enterprise has brought meaning to my work in unexpected ways.  Sourcing directly from flower farmers has been educational and eye-opening.  My commitment to purchasing and arranging product every week has improved my design skills immensely.  Most meaningful is the opportunity to deliver my own work on a retail scale.  This part of the process has reminded me of how special flowers are to people.  There is nothing better than delivering a bouquet of carefully curated, local blooms to a surprised recipient, and getting to witness firsthand the joy that comes over his or her face.  

I am thankful to Essex for the way they have embraced and supported this new venture.  The people of this area enthusiastically encourage new business endeavors.  I prioritize spreading the word, so that all know what services I am offering.  I aim to fulfill want and need in the community, and I welcome the feedback that will help me succeed in this role.  I approach my business ventures as mutually beneficial collaborations between me and my community.

Thank you for reading!  I post weekly, so catch the newest entry every Wednesday morning.  Please share, comment, and ask questions.  I’m an open book, and I want to write about what you want to read about.