Q: The floral industry is always evolving, like the fashion and art world. You should constantly be looking for inspiration in books, magazines, and everyday life. Use the inspiration to inform the designs that you create. Keep a notebook of inspirations for your designs to help you keep track of new ideas. Inspiration can come from anywhere.  A walk in the park, the architecture of a building, or a painting could inspire your next arrangement. Spend your free time designing and creating new arrangements. Keep a sketchbook of designs that you plan to create.  Include the materials and techniques that you would like to use to create the design as well.This will help build your confidence and help you learn new techniques. Floral design is a creative field. Customers rely on florists to recommend different designs, arrange displays, and execute their vision. Having your own point of view will set you a part.  What colors are you drawn to? Do you prefer paring unexpected flowers together?  Do you like delicate arrangements? Monochromatic arrangements? As you study floral design (on your own or through formal training), you will find that there are foundational techniques that all florists learn.  However, by combining and merging different styles, you can come up with something that is all your own. Look at designs created by other florists and identify the elements that you like.  Think of ways that you can combine those different elements into something that reflects your personality.  Do not be afraid to try something unusual or out of the box. Play with different textures, shapes, and materials.
A: Look for inspiration. Practice as much as you can. Cultivate your own style. Borrow from different styles.

Q: Loss and change can be devastating, but they also offer us new opportunities to evaluate who we are and what we are doing. Chances are your goals and dreams are different now than they were five or ten years ago, and yet you may have become blind to that change because of habit and circumstance.  Any time you suffer a loss or a sudden change, use it as an opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate your life. Many people see a loved one's death, for example, as a wakeup call to do things differently or stop putting off long-term goals. A job loss can also be a wakeup call to find a job that offers more happiness and fulfillment.  Ask yourself honestly if your current goals and personal values are the same as they used to be. If they are not, find ways to incorporate your new goals and values into your life. Many people fear change, especially big changes that can seem life-altering. But change isn't always a bad thing - in fact, it's normal and healthy for our circumstances to change, and some experts advise that anyone going through change should adapt and modify their identity, rather than resisting inevitable change.  Ask yourself if, in ten or twenty years, you would regret not having taken a chance at trying something new or doing things differently.  Allow yourself to  go through a process of self-discovery. Figure out what it is that you want most in life, and find a way to work toward that goal from your current self.  As you imagine your future self, don't forget that that self is still you. Don't expect to be a different person. Rather, anticipate that experience will make you wiser and more informed than you are, without distancing you from your core self. Some people who have been laid off or otherwise lost a job/status may feel a sense of identity crisis, not knowing what to do or how to pick up the pieces. Some experts advise that one of the best things you can do after losing a job that you loved is to explore other options, seeking ways to do the same work in a different setting.  Consider freelance work in your chosen field. It may not be your ideal job position, but it will allow you to continue working in a field you enjoy, which can help renew your sense of purpose.  Try networking. Some employment positions are only advertised internally, to other employees. This is why networking with other professionals in your field can be tremendously beneficial. It opens doors on new opportunities that you might have otherwise missed, and can help you feel like you are part of a larger community of likeminded professionals.  Develop new habits that will help you get where you want to be. Doing the same things you've been doing for years probably won't get you on a different track, so work hard at making the necessary changes.
A: Reassess your life. Open yourself to change. Explore your options.

Q: If you haven't worked up a major sweat, a disinfectant wipe may be sufficient to clean yourself. Some schools are even handing these out to students in gym class instead of showering. Just bring a pack in your gym bag and wipe down your armpits and other smelly areas. If you're self-conscious about this, you can wipe yourself down in a bathroom stall. Stop at your locker to pick up a towel. You can secure the towel around your waist and then slip out of your pants. Remove your shirt next and quickly slide the towel up under your armpits if you want to cover your chest. You can bring your towel into a bathroom stall and change out of your clothes in the stall. Then emerge already wearing the towel and no one will have seen you change. If you're going to a neighborhood gym, try not to go during peak hours. During lunch or right after work, there's bound to be tons of people at the gym, and so it's more likely the locker room (and showers) will be crowded. Ask a trainer or the person at the desk when the gym is least crowded, then try to fit your work out in during those hours.  If you're in gym class and trying to avoid showering with your classmates, talk to your teacher and ask if you may shower after everyone else has done so. You can also try to wait the other students out, taking your time so that most other people are finished showering by the time you are ready. If your school insists on students showering after gym class, talk to a school administrator and see if you can take gym during final period. It will be much easier to talk your teacher or coach into letting you skip the shower if you assure him or her that you're going to rinse off when you get home. Part of the reason your school wants you to shower is that if students don't clean off after exercising, they may spread serious diseases like MRSA. If you're going straight home after gym, however, the chances of that are slim. If you are experiencing bullying or terrible anxiety because you have to shower at school, ask your parents to write a note to your teacher. You may have to meet with your gym teacher or a guidance counselor, with or without your parents, but if the situation is severe, you may be excused.
A:
Use disinfectant wipes instead of showering. Wear a towel to and from the shower. Try to shower when very few people are around. Rearrange your schedule if you're a student, making gym your last class of the day. Get a letter from your parents if you can't get comfortable.