Whit McClure - Floral designer - LA
Working with flowers is my way of harnessing my own magic. Working with them opens me up to being a channel for creativity, and the muses as they show up..
Introducing PROCESSED, a bi-monthly interview newsletter devoted to the creative life. I’ve been working on this project for the past 3 - 4 months and I’m super excited you’re here.
A few years back, I got a very last minute text from a photo editor, asking if I was available in 3 hours to shoot a story for Sunset Magazine. When she mentioned that it would on location at Heather Taylor’s home, and that Heather would be art directing, I immediately said yes! I had been a fan of Heather’s for years, and was excited for the opportunity.
On set, I met Whit McClure, she was doing the flowers, and perfectly table-scaping all the food shots as well as creating the floral decor for the story. Inevitably, she also ended up modeling in the story, gracing the pages with her warmth and beautiful smile ( see below ).
When I got the idea to create this substack, I knew I wanted to include Whit.
She’s the brains and creative muscle behind Whit Hazen Floral design. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times | New York Times | Harper’s Bazaar | KCRW | Sunset Magazine | The Knot | VOGUE | Black Flora & Green Shoe Weddings
Some of her clients include Google | Dior | W Hotels | Writer’s Guild of America | Disney+ | Roku | Tiktok
Earlier this summer, we met up at her studio in West Adams, LA and spent the afternoon talking about community, her favorite spots to eat, keeping a work / life balance, and the importance of nature.
*Please note that this interview was transcribed from voice recordings, and has been edited to fit this format.
DK:
HOW DID YOU BECOME A FLORAL DESIGNER?
WM:
After college I did all sorts of things, and had an “exploratory” career path. Most notably picking blueberries on a blueberry farm, and teaching people in underserved neighborhoods how to grown their own food.
While living in D.C., I co-owned a dog walking company. On my daily walks, I started to notice the cycle of flowers as they would come up, and I became fascinated! I started to do a “deep dive” into how things were grown and their seasons. Just before I moved here from DC, I started working for a florist who was also a chef. I helped her do flowers on a hand full of weddings, and everything just clicked. When I moved to LA, I used my move as a career shift, and took on floral design full time.
DK:
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
WM:
I was kind of a crafty little kid. Sometimes I just look at what I’m doing and think, I can’t believe that my crafty little kid self figured out how to do arts and crafts sort of thing for a work. That’s really exciting to me!
DK:
WHAT DO YOU FIND CHALLENGING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
WM:
One of the more challenging things I've noticed in the last year, is when your creativity becomes more commissioned, and you're constantly putting your spin on other people's vision. When you get stuck doing that a lot, it can be very easy to lose your own vision.
It’s important to keep taking the time, to do stuff like this ( creative projects ) and work with other people, so I can remember, "Oh. Yeah.” “This is the part of this job that lights me up.” Having experimenting time, riffing off of other people, that's what feels really good, and helps balance those challenging parts.
Behind the paywall you’ll find the full interview, you’ll also receive:
Whit’s Summer Playlist
A map with Whit’s fav places to eat, shop and hike in LA
The entire interview.
PROCESSED NOTES - Essential tools Whit uses to stay creative, avoid burnout and maintain emotional sustainability.
You’ll be supporting this project and my efforts to explore the creative process through the lens of artists and creators like you.
DK:
HOW DO YOU FILL UP YOUR CUP WHEN YOU’RE FEELING BURNT OUT?
WM:
I’ve learned that I really have to prioritize filling up my cup. It's so easy as creative people to just be determined by your output.
If you're not careful you will burn out, and I definitely did! In 2021, 2022, I definitely hit a burnout point. For me, getting in nature is really the best medicine. Like going on a hike.
Click here for a map of Whit’s fav places to hike, drink, eat and shop in LA.
One of my best friends is a wellness practitioner, and her tagline is “move a muscle to change a feeling.”
Anytime I'm feeling bogged down, even if it's just going for a walk in the neighborhood, it's amazing how much of a change that makes.
DK:
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
WM:
I’ve been listening to a lot of Ethiopian Jazz. The new Willow album by Willow Smith is so good, it also has Jazz elements to it. Whit’s playlist
DK
HOW DO YOU CONJURE MAGIC?
WM:
There’s a bewitching element to the work that I do. When it comes to taking these raw materials and working with them in a new way. I think nature in general, and especially flowers has energy to it.
Everything has a vibration, and everything has a frequency.
I think that working with flowers is my way of harnessing my own magic. Working with them opens me up to being a channel for creativity, the muses as they show up.
PROCESSED NOTES
Spending time in nature reduces stress and can improve cognitive function.
Exercise - even 15 minutes of walking can improve your mood and help with depression.
Collaborate -riffing off other people and playing helps balance the challenging parts of creative work.