Today we’d like to introduce you to Mev Clark
Hi Mev, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been a creative person, but for a long time, I didn’t know how to translate that into work. I pursued a degree in English because I loved and had a skill for writing, and that led me into marketing. I loved the work, both the creative and the practical side, but a toxic work environment led me to the realization that I had so much more in me to give to the world than I was able through an office job.
I had discovered a love for flowers I didn’t know I had through growing my own in my stress-relief hobby, and I began to see floral designers that really treated floristry and floral design as an artistic medium rather than just throwing flowers together like I saw in the grocery store and old-fashioned florist shops. Watching each bloom from seed to glorious flower made me value the color and shape and smell of each flower, and I sought to design arrangements and bouquets in such a way that each unique, lovely bloom and stalk of greenery had it’s moment to shine and do what it did best.
When my office job finally came to a place where I felt I had to leave or break something in me, I felt like I was a failure. But my garden was still there, full of potential blooms, and I decided “might as well,” and I got my business license as a Florist, Floral Designer, and Micro-Flower Farmer under the name Hawk Hill Flowers (my house is on a hill, and we have a lot of hawks!).
From there, things just fell into place. My high school best friend was a graphic designer and made my logo and graphics for free. My best work friend from the previous job, who had encouraged me to pursue my talent, was a photographer, and she did a photoshoot for me. My flowers got rave reviews wherever I went. I thrived in the sun, out in the community for pop-ups, talking to brides and planning weddings, and I even started a group to connect local flower farmers and florists/floral designers, where I found even more support and a wealth of knowledge I greatly needed.
My business is still growing, as I’m somewhere in the grey area between a business-woman and an artist, and working to grow the client base that appreciates flowers as a living art. Currently, I’m booking weddings, parties, and private workshops for 2025 and 2026, as well as planning community-focused pop-ups and public workshops. Want to have locally-grown, artistically designed flowers for your wedding or event? Shoot us an email today! Or order artisanal arrangements for your space or as a gift. See the difference that flowers grown and arranged with love, respect, and artistry can make!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing a business as a single woman hasn’t been easy, but my family, friends, and community have been incredibly supportive from the beginning! Because of my passion for intentionality, sustainability, and artistry in my approach to flowers, I’ve ended up being a little bit of a niche business. This means that I take everyday arrangement orders on commission, so I need a day or two to cut the flowers (or get them from other local growers during the season!), and with events, I don’t use environmentally harmful floral foam. I’m not a catch-all florist, which is hard, because I love the work so much I wish I could take everything that comes my way! But growing a business I’m proud of is worth the extra time it will take to establish Hawk Hill Flowers as the go-to for sustainable artisanal floristry.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in sustainable, artisanal floristry, and most of my flowers are home-grown or locally-grown during the growing season (March – November). Flowers are such an intersection of beauty, possessing color, texture, and often scent, as well as having a life of their own. Designing with the flower I saw a bee sleeping in the day before just brings to much fulfilment and joy to my work as a floral designer. I and my flower farmer friends work hard for each glorious bloom and stem that I can’t stand to make something that doesn’t honor that time and natural beauty. Flowers, in my opinion, weren’t meant to be dyed, or forced into shapes they don’t naturally grow in. I just love flowers, and the beauty of nature they represent, and I want each arrangement, bouquet, and installation to represent that joy and beauty.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
There is a lot to learn, but that is part of the fun! Take the time to learn, to grow, and to make a business you can be proud of, because that’s the only way to create something sustainable that won’t burn you out. Your business is part of you, and should reflect your goals, your values, your passions. And if you have the love and the patience, you can make it through the rough patches with a smile still on your face.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hawkhillflowers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mev.hawkhillflowers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089730223164
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hawk-hill-flowers-canton?osq=hawk+hill
Image Credits
Toni Angelina Photography. Cuenca Creative.
