Meet Lauren Wilson | Floral Designer + Plant Installation Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, how do you think about risk?

I have an issue with the word risk. I respect that it appeals to danger, luck and opportunity however I think overall it holds a negative connotation. I think to be true to yourself and practice, you need to evolve beyond risk and feel comfortable in refining and trusting your eye and what makes you, inherently you. In other words, you need to hone in on your noticing abilities and have conviction. This is of course a difficult practice to maintain under the confines of capitalism, when so often we are forced to make decisions that appeal to a larger audience but at the end of the day, life is a balance.

Also, what’s risky to you may not seem risky to another, but none of that matters. Creating beyond risk involves letting go of the need for approval from others. It means you’re simply creating from the core of you that is the most grounded and true. For example, I personally love designing arrangements with dead flowers and weeds. There’s something about the transient state of decay and the invisible that’s always captivated me. Of course I like loud, fresh blooms as well, but at my core, I want to make a piece with dying roses and invasive species that I find in roadside ditches. Subverting the forms through a lens of beauty is a way of being. Some may say that’s risky, but it just feels true. In my humble opinion, it’s that fertile soil beyond risk that feels like the playground of opportunity, both inwardly and outwardly.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Timberlost is essentially a form of story telling. It involves taking deep dives into my clients persona’s, dreams, tastes and brands to choose the florals that appeal to them. For instance when I worked with Aesop and specifically with Adam Leger, their Visual Merchandising Specialist, we sat down and shared examples of plants to start developing the visual story. All of their products are uplifting for the senses and my goal was to design an installation that was an extension of that interactive, sensory experience. Designing with a sense of time and place is also an important aspect of Timberlost. I aim to achieve that by foraging and working with plants native to the region. We pay attention to the local weeds, wild flora and strange little details. Our aim is to offer something truly unique and one of a kind.

Once I was asked to design a series of arrangements that were inspired by Virginia Woolf. I wanted to capture her inner turmoil and border of genius and madness. I chose thorny pods and brambly vines. The arrangements were dense and wild, dotted with pink ruffly flowers to convey softness and femininity. I think an arrangement should invite in the viewer for interpretation similar to a body of literature. In terms of my journey towards becoming a floral designer, it was definitely non linear. But what ever is? I’m a firm believer that what’s meant for you won’t pass you by. Looking back, despite the obstacles and challenges, I still ended up here. Sometimes everything lined up and sometimes getting to a certain place was like climbing a mountain with no gear. Ebbs and flows. Ultimately what got me here is my passion for nature. It’s a muse that requires zero effort to be inspired by but of course running your own business can’t simply rely on passion. It takes hard work and dedication, people skills, growing a thick skin and learning to go with the flow. Despite all the challenges, I wouldn’t change a thing. My advice for someone embarking on their entrepreneurial path is to stick with it and trust your instincts. Be animal about it.

There’s a quote by John Wayne that I like: Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it comes to us and puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.” Life is a journey and we have no control over the future. The best we can do is try our best and move forward with good intentions and self love.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I like to be surrounded by nature and trees (surprise surprise) so, if I was in California I’d probably suggest a stay at a cabin in Topanga. On our way I’d grab a few bottles from Psychic Wines in Silverlake and before we left for the golden hills, I’d buy us dinner at Bacetti’s in Los Feliz. Perhaps we’d grab flowers and bread from Gjusta and a few other nice ingredients and then squirrel away in nature. In Ontario, I’d take them to my cabin on Georgian Bay with a similar itinerary prior. Wine from Happy, pizza from Badiali’s, bread from Sam James. The rest of the week would be spent hanging with my dog Pascal, swimming, making fires, sleeping in and day dreaming about how nice it is to do absolutely nothing sometimes. To just, be.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Ah, where to begin?! Timberlost is a decade old and it’s taken a village of fellow artists, friends, family not to mention all of our amazing clients to get here! I feel *so* fortunate to be a part of a community that nurtures small businesses and the gratitude is endless. I’d like to send a special shoutout to my parents for encouraging me to run my own business. Also my friends: Madison van Rijn (we started plant installations together), Arden Wray (one of the first people to interview me), Lisa Hart (wine and flower kindred spirit), Kayla Rocca (my number one supporter and motivator since day 1!) Tonya Papanikolov (Mushroom queen), Stu McLeod (my current lifeline), Simona Turco (my right hand for several years), Danielle Suppa (business buds for over 5 years), Michael Dellios

(builder and furniture designer extraordinaire). The list can go on and on. Running your own business is not easy but it’s all of the people along the way that support and motivate you to keep going, keep creating.

Instagram: @timberlost