Life & Work with Courtney Garcia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Garcia. 

Hi Courtney, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am the 0wner + lead designer of Femme Floràl – a floral + mixed media design studio based here in Columbus, OH. While Columbus is where I love making my art, Femme’s origin story actually begins in Washington D.C., where I worked for several years as a high-end event planner. Elevated experiences were my expertise, but like many entrepreneurs, I felt like something was missing from my daily grind. I have always wanted to consider myself a creative, but never gave myself the space or permission to excel in an artistic medium. A couple of college-level pottery classes got me very close (I still love throwing pottery every once in a while!), but I still wasn’t creating art that I was proud of – art that felt inspirational. So here I was in D.C., planning and executing these one-of-a-kind experiences when a friend suggested that I try to satiate my creativity bug with flowers. It had everything I was looking for in an outlet – it involved elements of nature, required a knowledge of color theory and design, and just who doesn’t love a big bunch of fresh blooms!? There was only one problem – I knew absolutely nothing about flowers or floral design. However, what I did know is that every event I planned HAD to have a florist. I mean, what is a black-tie dinner without gorgeous floral centerpieces to conversate over top of? What is a larger-than-life wedding without a ceremony arch filled with hundreds of garden roses and paired with a stunning bridal bouquet? For many, a special occasion without flowers falls flat. And more importantly, feels uninspiring. So, I determined that my wonderful friend had a point and I began to look for ways to immerse myself in the floral world – AND WHAT A WORLD IT IS! With eyes wide open, I immediately latched onto an opportunity to freelance with an industry-leading D.C. event florist (and friend!) The rest is pretty much history. I found a passion and talent for floral design as well as an audience that loved experiencing my unique creations. Over the past two years, I’ve tried to very hard to turn my art into a brand, and the result was Femme. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is the road ever smooth for a small business?! Ha! In all seriousness, Femme is not a Cinderella story – it has evolved slowly and steadily. From the beginning, the art of floral design has been the main focus of our business. Not money, not imitation, not 10k Instagram followers. Femme is my happy place, and for it to stay that way it needed to grow at its own pace. I needed to hone my skills and be happy with the designs I was producing. My art is often trial and error. My creative juices ebb and flow and then ebb again. And in a world that is constantly moving at 90MPH, that’s hard. It’s hard to scroll through social media and watch other creatives constantly pump out amazing designs and be able to dedicate themselves 110% to their craft (I mean, I’m SO proud to be able to witness such beautiful art, but it’s an effort not to compare myself to everyone else). However, this past year I got married and became a mother to a precious little boy – so no longer is it just about the art. The art now needs to make room for my family. It’s a balancing act for sure, and I don’t always get it right, but it’s so rewarding when I do. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Femme Floràl, we combine our knowledge of floral design with our love for artistic expression to create one-of-a-kind works of art for our clients. Just like a painting can evoke certain emotions, we live for the way our designs can transform a space and inspire honest reactions from everyone who experience them. We are a unique approach to traditional floral design. Our team not only works with fresh florals, but we regularly incorporate an array of mixed media such as spray paint, live plants, fabrics, cellophane, etc. 

Our talented team specializes in creating magical and innovative designs for all kinds of visions. We LOVE designing big installation pieces and are planning to expand our commercial installation portfolio in the coming months. However, we also find immense joy in designing for niche weddings, editorial photoshoots, and custom creations. 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think success is fluid. For example, we are a small business, and for us to continue doing what we love, sometimes success is stereotypical and comes in the form of booking a high-value project. However, in the less traditional sense, I think success for our team is comes each time we produce a design we are proud of – as well as one we learn from in the process. There are always lessons to be learned with each new project, and as long as we see positive growth from those lessons, then I’d say we are successful! 

Contact Info:

• Email: designsbyfemme@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.femme-floral.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femme.flor.al/

Image Credits
Betty Ra
Bri Manuel
Melanie Reihing
Jessy Howard