Are you someone who loves flowers and floral arrangements? Then, becoming a floral designer can be a fulfilling and meaningful experience for you. Learning floristry isn’t just about pretty flowers. It’s also about combining your creativity with something you love.
While you’re pondering your next career move in floristry, several questions must arise in your mind. One is that you need a degree to be a florist. The answer is simple. You don’t necessarily need a formal degree to become a florist. While formal floristry training does have its perks, one can simply go down the self-taught route, too. In this blog post, we’ll discuss both of these methods and their benefits and address their potential challenges. Stay with us for a while to get a clear idea before making your career decision.
Formal Education for a Florist: Benefits & Challenges
While learning to be a florist doesn’t necessarily require special skills, pursuing a formal education can be a smart career move if you want to stay in the game for the long run. A formal degree makes you somewhat professional, adding reputation and recognition to your name. Here’s how you can benefit from formal floristry training:
Benefits
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Extensive Knowledge
Pursuing a degree or certification from a reputable institution or program can expose you to specialized pieces of equipment and technical elements. Under the guidance of expert instructors, you will have access to a structured and comprehensive education, all while aligning with the current market and trend. This generally involves learning different flower types, flower care, their arrangements, color theory, etc. Moreover, it helps you develop an eye for details.
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Hands-on Experience and business training
Professional floral design schools provide practical learning, enabling you to work with flowers under the guidance of expert florists. Having a proper degree also enhances your resume and makes you stand out among your competitors. If you’re learning floristry to work in a floral studio or planning to run your own business in the future, a formal education can come in handy. Many floral programs include business elements to ensure you have an extensive Knowledge of customer handling and floral shop management.
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Networking opportunities
Formal floristry training enables you to connect with experienced florists, expert instructors, and aspiring talents. This not only gives you an in-depth knowledge of the current industry, but it also provides you a space to improve.
Challenges
Let’s address some of the challenges of pursuing a formal education.
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It is expensive
Yes. You’ve heard that right. Investing in a creative career is costly and may not always guarantee a return. Spending on tuition, materials, and technical tools can quite add up if you do not secure a financial aid or scholarship.
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It is time-consuming
Learning is a process. You cannot be magically good at something overnight. Similarly, a formal education requires commitment. A degree takes at least a year. It can be a hurdle for those who want to start working early.
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It is not always necessary
While spending on floristry training is beneficial, it doesn’t always mean you’re obliged to do this. If you’re a creative person, have a natural talent, and know the basics, then you do not need a formal education.
The self-taught florist: Benefits & Challenges
Learning to be a florist on your own is still one of the major pathways to becoming a florist. In this digital world, a variety of resources can be found online. Many aspiring florists learn from the never-ending pool of resources and are recognized for their talent.
Benefits
Let’s discuss some key benefits of self-learning.
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Flexibility
You can learn anything at your own pace without any strict commitment to a particular curriculum. Self-paced learning gives you time to use your imagination and explore different styles.
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Artistic liberty
The beauty of being a self-taught artist is experimenting. You can try different techniques and explore various ideas, catering to your unique imagination. Creativity is boundless. Self-taught florists have the creative freedom to experiment with new aesthetics and non-conventional methods. They can create something totally unique and stunning that sets them apart. Having a signature style often makes someone stand out from the rest.
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Cost-effective
It’s crystal clear how you can save costs by self-learning. Online resources and workshops are useful for aspiring talents looking to learn on their own.
Now that you’ve understood the benefits of being a self-taught florist let’s consider its downsides.
Challenges
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Lack of industry connections
One of the major drawbacks of self-learning is that students lack networking opportunities. Pursuing a formal from a reputable school gives you the opportunity to interact with some of the best instructors in the field. Learning on your own means restricting yourself to the familiar environment. Floral design schools have connections with local shops, studios, and event management teams where you can leverage your skills. Learning at home deprives you of these chances.
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Lack of feedback
Another main disadvantage is that you don’t have access to valuable feedback from your mentors. Since you’re learning on your own, you lack the guidance, advice, and valuable insights of your seniors. While it’s commendable to learn by trial and error method, some individuals can find it extremely draining and struggle to stay productive.
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Lack of business education
Formal floristry training often comes with an additional business module to equip you with business and marketing strategies, customer handling, and effective project management. Learning at your discretion means you’re not getting the business knowledge of floristry.
If you’re passionate about starting your own business, self-taught floristry can be a challenge. Furthermore, it can prove to be costly if you decide to invest in separate business training.
Final thoughts
Both methods come with a set of pros and cons. It totally depends on how you want to approach floristry.
Are you someone creative who thrives in a flexible environment? Then, self-learning can be very rewarding for you.
If you prefer structured education and are passionate about starting your own business in the field, then formal floristry training is your go-to approach.
By evaluating your needs and preferences and assessing your situation, you can take any of the two paths and strive in your profession with creativity, practice, and perseverance.
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