Get to know Daniella the artist behind Pressed and the lady who teaches our Pressed Flower Framing Workshop!

www.pressedco.store

If you were to describe yourself in 3 words what would they be?

Determined, perceptive and considered.

Have you always been creative? What has your creative journey been like?

Yes, but not in the traditional sense. I never loved ‘arts or crafts’ when I was younger, but I have always looked at things and wondered how I could style, design, or make them my own. I do this every day and believe you can be creative in the smallest ways, all the time – so in this sense, yes.

‘The inspiration to make something from nothing arises from process and creativity, and it can flourish in anyone, anywhere, at any time.’ – Unconditional magazine

I have always had a love for design and styling, I think my journey has just seen me gain confidence in my personal style and therefore want to create something new, and market it.

How did your business Pressed get started? Tell us a little bit about Pressed.

Pressed started as more of a love for uncomplicated and authentically styled places and spaces, than anything to do with flowers or foliage. I love anything that feels effortless and timeless and I wanted a unique piece for my home that embodied this. I made myself a simple frame and posted it on Instagram. From here, people got in touch asking if I’d be able to make one for them and things flowed from there.

I started pressed with almost no knowledge of flowers, floral design or pressing and have learnt so much along the way. My love for floral design has grown with Pressed, but to me it’s still about timeless design. This ethos has helped me to refine my offering along the way, now working almost exclusively in creating bridal bouquet keepsakes and investing in high quality frames that are well designed and made to last. I still hope to grow Pressed and expand my offering into styling and homewares, more generally.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Everywhere. I draw a lot of inspiration from natural landscapes – the colours and textures. But everything, if I see a building I love or an item of clothing, I can create a whole idea in my head around that one thing and build on it. A bit of a curse actually…

What is your favourite thing about pressing flowers?

I love taking something that is naturally so beautiful, and being able to preserve it. Some flowers look quite different once they’ve been pressed & dried and I love watching the process unfold. I also love the endless variety and using the pieces to complement one another.

We believe connection within our community is so important, how do feel about this and what role does it play in your practice?

I wholeheartedly agree. I believe a lot of the problems we face in modern society could be improved through meaningful connection and strong communities. As a fairly new and small business, I haven’t quite figured out how this plays out in my practice and its definitely something I want to build upon. Partnering with Open Hands Creative and running beautiful workshops has been such an amazing way to start this journey and connect with a community, I’ve loved every minute of it.

What are some ethical or conscious actions you do in your daily life?

I am an extremely considered purchaser. I research almost everything I buy and adopt the mantra of quality over quantity, attempting to source pieces for my wardrobe and home that are timeless. I try to support Australian businesses and brands that have a distinct vision and style that they are committed to, so they’re not creating masses of new pieces each season. I look into the brands ethos and sustainability practices before buying. I also love thrifting! My home is mostly vintage or second-hand pieces.

With Pressed, I try to limit the number of products I use. I use eco-friendly glass cleaner and cloths and only purchase frames as I need them. I generate very little waste this way.