Choosing the right course for you: an honest guide

You might be interested in training to become a florist. There may be a few options to choose from in your particular region. If this is the case for you, we have some free advice to offer on how to choose the best course from the best educator for you.

Frankly, cost is understandably a big factor for most people. Remember that a good education does come at a price, however a high price tag doesn't always mean a good education is being offered. Our best suggestion is to do some investigating before you commit.

Firstly, check how many contact hours the course is made up of along with how frequently it is held. Why? Because floristry skills are gained through cumulative learning - simply put, getting your base knowledge down then building on it one step at a time until you have created a mental database of all the things that are needed to perform your job. Too few hours or long gaps between lessons has a noticeable effect on our ability to retain and accumulate the knowledge that enables us to function as florists. For example, let's say you might sign up for an 8 week course thinking that it's good value and extensive, however if in that 8 weeks you are only offered one 2 hour session per week it can then seem a long and halted way to cover only 16 hours of learning.

An extra tip for you on this is that 2 hours is enough time to watch a product being made then make it yourself, just be aware that it is unlikely to be enough time to learn essential theory on top of the practical component.

Secondly, watch out for additional costs. It's good to know what the end price actually is before you sign up to avoid overspending. Additional costs can include things like flowers, foliage, tools, application fees, gst (fine, we have to pay it but if it's not clearly stated as an included or additional cost then the price you actually pay ends up higher than you first thought) and/or extra courses that suddenly become necessary to complete your education. If the total cost to you is not outlined in a easy to understand way, it is fair for you to question the credibility of the education provider.

The third thing it helps to know is that floristry is, by no means, just arranging flowers. Functional systems have been developed over time in order to make money and to be able to do the job effectively. Don't be shy to enquire about how much theoretical learning is involved along with how many subjects are covered in the duration of a course. This part of your education will have a significant impact on how well you are able to do your job as well as your earning capacity.

Lastly, it pays to be mindful of the unfortunate fact that advertising can be, at times, slightly misleading. Don't be afraid to fact check and dig a bit for the sake of verifying the information you've been given. You should be welcome to ask as many questions as you want before signing up, for example: What does your educator have to offer you and how has their knowledge been gained? Do they have a broad range of experience to draw on? What level should you expect to be at by the end of your course?

Our top tip on this is to question anyone who offers you certification or qualification. Whilst most private schools will provide a certificate to show that you've done their course, formal government certification is not currently offered by any private floristry schools in SA.

While you absolutely do not need a certification to work as a florist it would be a pity to believe that you were gaining that, only to discover by the end of your course that it's not what you've ended up with.

We hope that this guide is helpful in enabling you to choose the best floristry course for yourself and are always happy for you to contact us to help with any questions you might have about becoming a florist. You can find our contact info at the bottom of this page.

Practice self care through engaging in creative play

Just having some thoughts today about life balance and emotional wellness and really what I came to say is that there is nothing wrong with taking some time out for yourself to engage in some creative play, whatever form that may take for you.

The trouble is, it seems is that the more we go through adult life the less time we take to just play. But playtime feels wonderful doesn’t it? Doing something just for the sheer joy of it, for me, is what keeps my sanity intact, those moments when you can shrug off extraneous thought and be right in the moment, simply having fun and giving one task your entire attention. It’s simply practicing mindfulness in a really enjoyable way.

It’s one of the bits of magic we can choose to experience as adults and it is absolutely ok to allow yourself to enjoy that. And maybe you sometimes find it tricky to give yourself permission to do that, so for what it’s worth I’ll say that I wholeheartedly support the need to prioritise our own self care. And fun. In fact I strongly encourage and wry much recommend it.

May I present a slight shift in perspective? Rather than considering yourself last in favour of looking after others, perhaps it’s time to consider yourself first so you have some good energy reserves to help others with. When we replenish our joy, among other things, it leaves us far more capable and willing to help others.

We can’t expect to be at our best walking around bereft of care towards ourselves, it’s like a car slowly running out of oil and we know nothing good can come of that!

And what is humanity that lacks in care and joy? Basically working machines, existing to complete endless tasks which is, quite honestly miserable to think about. We only have this one life, it seems criminal to forgo simple pleasures in favour of keeping our noses to the grindstone, making sacrifices without the simple reward of letting go and feeling good.

So please, remember you need care as much as anyone else you give it to. You’ll be doing them a favour by doing yourself a favour, I promise.

Go on, I challenge you to try normalising the act of treating yourself. Do something that soothes your soul. Pick some flowers, put them in a vase of water. Give every bloom its own space to shine, maybe add some foliage to really set them off. Take in the colours and textures, give them a sniff. Enjoy the moment of crafting something with beautiful things that are just so magical in their own right.

Restrain that inner self critic that wants to suggest you’re doing it wrong and focus on appreciating just how lovely flowers are. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, the process feels so restorative and you certainly deserve that at the very least.

Take care of yourself.

Creative Activity and Mental Health

We all know fairly well by now that sitting in front of screens, rattling away at a keyboard all day long can be detrimental to our health. For a lot of people this is working life and is in essence inescapable, so what can we do to strike a balance to this?

Physical exercise is great, of course. Getting our heartrates up, oxygenating the blood and so on helps a lot and we can certainly feel the positive benefits from it.

And how about mental exercise, in particular the creative kind? Isn't that of equal importance? Definitely, and if you have a couple of minutes to read, I will explain why.

Making a conscious decision to allow our thinking mind a bit of a break to explore creative activities can feel a bit like leaving a 4 walls environment and entering a lovely garden - it's refreshing, stimulating, calming and inspiring to say the least. It brings a stillness to the mind, allowing our thoughts to slow down and brings a quiet joy with inner peace that is absolutely priceless - and dare I say necessary - for helping to maintain our mental health.

There are many studies to support the theory that the act of working with our hands creatively provides a mind-to-hand feedback loop which, simply put, serves to tune out all the extra noise in our minds and foster mindfulness by the sheer simplicity of being purely in the moment. On top of that, the release of seratonin and endorphins happens in your brain because of the invigoration of your hands from the physical touch. Stress hormones are reduced and the mind is released to wander. All very lovely stuff.

Using your hands in a creative way results in what is known as effort-driven circuit. It's when by putting (even a small) effort into a task and concentrating on it we feel pleasure in response to the progression, from seeing results and even having new ideas sparked from the progress. Think of that feeling when you try something and it goes just right. It's so satisfying. This reward for our efforts and presence through the process can have significant positive effects on us; uplifting our mood, building self-confidence and feelings of capability. It sparks joy, the urge to try more and builds belief in ourselves.

Life is busy and each of us has a lot to do in order to get through our days. The background stress can really build up and weigh heavy when we don't attend to our happiness and emotional wellbeing. Don't forget to take care of yourself and take a creative mental break every now and then, you'll feel so much better for it.