Floral Artist, Bethany Puttkemery, uses flowers as her medium to re-imagine spaces and create beautiful environments.
Looped in by Jules Monson
I am a floral designer, maker, earth ally, and aspiring herbalist. I have always been drawn to flowers but I didn't ever consider flowers as a career - more of a retirement plan. The floral industry is a hard egg to crack and many folks spend years trying to get into it. I was very lucky in that I just sort of fell into it. My first flower job was at a shop in Kensington Market called WilBe Bloomin' and was practically gifted to me from my friend Beth! It was run by an amazing aquarian, lesbian woman, Beverly Kolbe. At that time I was just coming into my queerness and Bev was the elder queer I needed in my life to begin accepting myself - we became great friends. My journey into flowers began there, in this beautifully cultivated community space, where I could be as liberated as I wanted to be. This was after graduating from OCAD University for Criticism and Curatorial practice. It took a few journeys around the globe and some lost boy days for me to be called back in. After I had sowed my wild oats, I once again found myself in a flower position, by chance. After both of these positions, it still didn't click for me that this was my thing! I was invited to a flower potluck by a Toronto florist I had just begun working for. It was run by Natasa, the brains behind the Toronto Flower Market. A handful of the coolest florists in the city all joined together and took over an abandoned mechanics garage and just went wild with installations. It was the first time I had ever built anything big, or done any kind of installation work. It felt so natural. I didn't have to think, I could just do. I finally understood that my medium as an artist was flowers and that the creation of environments was what fueled me.
Flowers continued to guide me to a position at Wild North Flowers as the head designer and eventually to launching my own business, Smells Like Flowers. Smells Like Flowers launched during the pandemic. At that time, I also began farming at Cedar Grove Organic Farm to support the growing practice of Louise Warner of Wild Imagination Co. Louise is hands down my favourite flower grower on this planet. She is well loved and respected in the flower world and has completely transformed the local flower game (IYKYK). I was living in an off-grid cabin and farming. The nature vibes were strong. I was using water from our river to bathe, heating my house with wood, and really depending on nature to hold me, to support my life. The connection was so strong that I had to start asking myself how I was holding nature, how was I treating her, what was my impact? In an industry that is wrapped, re-wrapped, and triple wrapped in plastic, I was at a loss and considered quitting flowers all together. I couldn't claim to care about the climate emergency and continue on. Then, once again, as they always do, the flowers stepped in. I was growing the most incredible blooms with Louise, what was holding me back? I had to go local. So now my practice has evolved to a deeper responsibility. I use my creativity and flower posture to solve problems that would otherwise be solved by buying import flowers or using plastic. This shift has been amazing and has actually boosted my creativity into a totally new zone. It is incredibly rewarding to build relationships with growers and bring them into the creative process. I am thankful to have had so many varying experiences in my life that have shown me all the little corners of the flower world. I walk through it now with so much respect for all the people that walk this life and of course a tremendous respect for the flowers themselves. This is long because my flower journey is about so much more than just making beautiful things. They've taught me accountability, they've demonstrated how to hold community, and they've deepened my spiritual connection to the world. They've taught me about the moon. They've shown me how everything is interconnected; from the microbes in the soil, to the waves in the ocean, to the the moon, and back again.They are the sparkle that calls us in to discover our place in this world and reminds us that we are an essential part of this beautiful system.
I think that being creative is part of human survival. Being creative is being able to connect the dots in a way that hasn't been previously charted.
To be honest I am really just a nature freak! Most of my ideas come from places in nature that I am in love with. Once in a while I get images zipped to my brain of flower compositions that are totally random and I truly don't know the source. Likely some amalgamation of visuals that my brain has been working out without my understanding. I guess the answer to this question is a bit simplistic for me; it's the flowers themselves. They are my guides in this life. They have always led me where I need to be and shown me how they want to be used. The more time I spend with them the more they reveal to me. They guide inspired thinking. My floral practice is ultimately about celebrating flowers and their celestial presence in my life .
Colours are my fuel. I use colour for everything. I use it to cook, I see it in waves when I listen to music. Colour It is the spark that propels all my creative endeavours.
Earth.
I don't know if I've received that much life-changing advice or perhaps I've always been too stubborn to receive it (Aquarius energy). I do most of my learning with my body so sometimes conversations and words don't hold as much weight or sink in the way they should. Without sounding too egotistical here, the best advice I've received has been pulled from myself. Explore what interests you. Do the weird thing, have a longer day. Trust your intuition. I am lucky that mine is on straight and has never led me astray. Beyond 'work' I find this to be true in relationships and creating a sense of purpose. It is simple yet very easy to step away from. The best ideas are often très inconvenient. See it through, this is the good stuff.
OK!!!! After writing this entire thing I just remembered my best piece of advice that came from my partner. I was likely having a panic attack before a big day and they said, "You have all the creativity you need to solve any problem that comes up today." It completely centred me and still remains a mantra to this day when I feel overwhelmed.
I love surviving. I love being able to create my own world! I am never bored. I have a lifetime of questions that will always ask me to understand them by making. My partner is also a creative and passionately committed to living a life that respects the earth. There isn't much that is typical about our life together and I love that. We always ask ourselves if we can make it ourselves before buying something, bonus points if it's out of reclaimed materials. As much as I have a constant hunger for learning, I am also so easily content. I notice the difference between a candle lit dinner and regular ol' house lights. I make time for cutie pie picnics, and I always run to see a sunset. I owe these simple pleasures to creativity, a lifetime's commitment to observing the beauty in all things, big or small.
Visualization. I was a competitive ice dancer until I was 20 years old and we had to visualize our programs/routines every day before practice. This practice of seeing myself in space and training my brain to be able to manifest has been something that has proven useful to me throughout my life. Specific to my floral practice, it allows me to re-imagine a space the moment I've entered it. I am also able to imagine arrangements and pinpoint what flowers I want to utilize and price out my budgets. I am able to identify possible roadblocks on site and prepare in advance. It's sort of like time-travel... except that you have an active hand in determining where you land.
A biologist. I still think about going back to school and doing something related to wetland/forest ecology. I have a specific interest in ecology restoration. I likely would have discovered this passion earlier in life if our education system was set up in a way that supported curiosity and hands-on learning.
A bold government that is focused on the climate emergency. Basic Income. A law that says everyone must be housed before you can build more. An attentive audience for everyone to tell their story.
A banner above everyone's door that reads, "There is value in a quiet life".
Love of my life and constant inspiration. Lee never chooses the easy route and always champions creative thinking. They can draw anything in a flash, tattoo, screen print, paint, build, and they care deeply about the earth. They recently built us a wood fired hot tub out of almost all reclaimed materials!
Love of my life and constant inspiration. Lee never chooses the easy route and always champions creative thinking. They can draw anything in a flash, tattoo, screen print, paint, build, and they care deeply about the earth. They recently built us a wood fired hot tub out of almost all reclaimed materials!
I am attending one of Brooke's upcoming Living Funeral Meditations and I am beyond excited to experience it. Brooke seems to do it all; musician, singer, owner of The Likely General, Death Doula. This woman is a powerhouse.
I am attending one of Brooke's upcoming Living Funeral Meditations and I am beyond excited to experience it. Brooke seems to do it all; musician, singer, owner of The Likely General, Death Doula. This woman is a powerhouse.
Tattooer, muralist, custom clothing, plant nerd like me! Tee is the essence of creativity, it's all around them and all over them! I am loving their custom clothing as of late. @teefeergus, @tqgbytee, @iamnatteetattoos
Tattooer, muralist, custom clothing, plant nerd like me! Tee is the essence of creativity, it's all around them and all over them! I am loving their custom clothing as of late. @teefeergus, @tqgbytee, @iamnatteetattoos
A multimedia artist and poet, giving spirit, a new friend. Angelic engages in trans activism through making art. Check out their baby @thehaven.lgbt
A multimedia artist and poet, giving spirit, a new friend. Angelic engages in trans activism through making art. Check out their baby @thehaven.lgbt