Meet Your Local Flower Gal
Hi there! I thought the start of my new blog would be a great time to introduce myself and my story in flowers. <3
Me in my old floral studio in Jefferson Park, Chicago!
My name is Anne Latham. I am a lot of things to a lot of different people, but most notably I am the owner of this floral studio, Three Swords Floral Co., as well as an artist and maker. Growing up, I truthfully didn’t pay too close attention to flowers or plants, but I was always drawn to photography, painting, and drawing. I continued to get my Bachelor’s in Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where I focused on conceptual photography, film photography, fiber studies, and printmaking. I’ve always loved being able to combine mediums, which sort of informs how I operate my business today.
My background in fine arts led me to work for various artists, but my favorite was my time working at Agent Gallery for Mariano Chavez. I got to see an artist I really looked up to function as an artist and a business owner, and always curious about how he was able to balance both. However, living as a working artist and as an assistant to various shops and makers brought me into Chicago’s service industry. Working to make ends meet and still have time to work on artwork, I actually found my way to flowers 8 years ago while bartending at Wyler Road in Logan Square (Chicago). I was grocery shopping before my shift when I noticed these orange ranunculus that I thought would look perfect in the windows. So when I got to work, I spent part of my prep time arranging these flowers and setting them up around the restaurant. When one of the owners noticed, he asked me to keep making arrangements weekly because he loved how it made the space feel. Soon enough, I was focusing more on these arrangements than my actual job, and I noticed my mind wandering.
From there I had moved to San Francisco for a break from Chicago and to learn more about flowers. I worked for a mom and daughter duo at Flowers of the Valley, where they taught me everything I know about flower care and how to run a successful retail shop in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I also worked at a now-closed Mission de Flores, where I met one of my best friends — she and I would get in heaps of trouble working together and eventually quit to work on some flower projects together. She helped me road trip back to Chicago when my time in SF was over, the entire time chatting about what our ideal floral business would look like together.
When I got back to Chicago, I had the intention of starting my own business, but I took work as the floral manager at Sprout Home in the mean time. Sprout was where I really got to sink my teeth into flowers and have tons of creative freedom. It’s a place that I did a lot of growing up in; I think we have the biggest growing pains when we choose to career shift or prioritize our interests over capital. I didn’t want to bartend anymore, I just wanted to learn everything I could about flowers and what to do/not to do when you’re running a business!
Having my own business now, I still don’t have all the answers, and I can assure you that I have made almost every mistake possible since starting. But I feel that I operate closer to living as an artist versus a wedding florist or entrepreneur. I get to work with clients who trust my vision to create intimate event design or luxurious installations, combining my knowledge of color, plants, flowers, photography, fibers, and branding. It’s not always easy, a lot of times it’s really hard and life can feel like you’re living close to the skin. But even on my lousiest days, I still wouldn’t trade it in for my old job or to work for another floral company. I love being able to work when I need to work, accept jobs where I feel a connection to the clients and their inspiration, and focus back on myself and my family. Working in bars and flowers for others typically means long hours and lots of overtime; and I’ve been working since I was 15. A life where I get to book 12-20 weddings a year means lots of downtime to not only rest up for the big jobs, but to relearn how to do nothing and how to listen to my body or show up for myself.
If you’re ever looking for advice on how to start a business or how to get your foot in the door, I’d love to chat with you! I am also a member of Flowering Minds, where there are tons of tools for beginning floral designers and business owners.
Until next time!
xx
Anne
