Episode 511: The Creative Journey, Finding Your Artistic Voice, Truth and Expression with floral artist and educator, Sue McLeary

Susan McLeary (c) e.e. berger In March 2017, I wrote a 10-page profile of Susan Mcleary for Florists' Review magazine's "Creativity" issue. It's this article that inspired me to invite Sue to be our Keynote speaker at the upcoming Slow Flowers Summit, taking place next week on June 28-30th in the San Francisco Bay Area at the amazing venue, Filoli Historic House & Garden. Sue's personal story of seeking, claiming and boldly nurturing her creative process and practice as an artist will inspire and embolden everyone who hears her at the Summit. Susan McLeary -- such an artist and inspiration! Susan is a floral designer, artist and instructor who creates unusual, boundary-pushing floral art including elaborate floral wearables, large-scale installations, and her signature succulent jewelry. Her soulful, seasonally-inspired creations have been described as exquisite living artwork. A passionate teacher, Susan offers private design instruction for new and professional florists in her studio, on her online class platform, and through destination workshops. Floral artist Susan Mcleary is a design influencer who advocates for foam-free practices in her large-scale botanical installations (c) Amanda Dumouchelle Susan’s work has been featured on the cover of Fusion Flowers Magazine twice, and in leading industry publications and websites including Martha Stewart Weddings, Florist's Review, My Modern Met, Refinery 29, SELF, Buzzfeed, Belle Armoire, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, and Grace Ormond Wedding Style. Susan is a member of Slow Flowers Society and Chapel Designers. Her first book, The Art of Wearable Flowers was released March 3, 2020.  A few weeks ago, in anticipation of Sue's keynote presentation The Creative Journey, she and I met up over Zoom to record this special episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. As I mention in the interview, Sue has appeared as a co-guest on two past episodes of the Slow Flowers Podcast, but that was many years ago. Learn More Here:Susan McLeary on the Slow Flowers Podcast:Episode 217 (October 2015)Episode 220 (November 2015)Read my 2017 article, A Curious Creative (pdf)Here are the many ways to study with Sue McLeary:Online Courses (a la carte)The Essentials Toolkit (bundle)The Virtual Studio (membership-based), includes Live Sessions and new courses. Total of 60 courses in the library to date Susan McLeary (c) e.e. berger As Sue mentioned, she launched a new course yesterday, June 22nd, called The Floral Mentor: A transformative floral learning opportunity. Transform the 3 Key Areas of Your Floral Business in the Next 30 Days:  The Heart - Cultivate your unique creative voice, overcome limiting beliefs, and cultivate a more purpose-driven floral business.The Art - Unlock the magic of the principles of design to create more advanced, artful and balanced work every time.The Business - Learn practical business, branding, and marketing skills to grow a more profitable and life-giving floral business. The Floral Mentor opened on June 22nd and is available for signup through June 30th. In this course, Sue and her cohort of friends and colleagues help you master the art, the heart, and the business of floral design. It's all about aligning your core values with your business, Sue explains. She writes: "Pull up a virtual chair in my personal studio to learn from me and some of my key mentors!" Sue introduces students her wonderful mentors who teach valuable lessons Sue has learned from each of them. Together, Sue and her mentors will help you create the art you’re truly capable of, build a fulfilling business you love, and join hands to move the floral industry forward together. I can get behind those aspirations! Maybe this course has your name on it, too. check it out! Next week is also our 7th annual American Flowers Week, June 28th through July 4th. Please help us celebrate! You can find all the free social media badges, logos,