I grew up in Mexico City and Costa Rica — both places rich in gorgeous, lush, magical terrain. Being surrounded by such constant beauty opened my senses to the natural world in a way that now influences my approach to flowers.

Once my family moved to Indianapolis, we settled next door to one of the owners of a local flower wholesaler, Nora. Every year around the holidays, Nora and her family throw a big party at Welch Wholesale, full of singing and dancing and all of the good things in life. I sing there every year. It’s a magical combination, flowers and music. I think something happened during all of those formative years in my mind and soul and body — something like feeling called into a craft for the sake of beauty. I’ve stayed immersed in flowers and vibrant nature my whole life and find soul-enriching meaning in my work with Frida’s Flowers.

Frida used many artistic mediums — including painted flowers — to communicate a disruptively healing message. She wanted people to connect with their own brilliance in bold, resonant ways, without permission or authority from oppressive systems designed to stifle them from blooming. Frida’s work made such an impactful mark that to this day it still tells healing stories, bridges communities, inspires aliveness, and welcomes grief. It’s like oxygen for out of the box creatives.

I believe in a world that fiercely celebrates women, is full of funky, decolonized art that liberates us collectively into love, and in the love that emerges when we connect with the lives of our ancestors. Frida’s Flowers is an invitation to dance at the intersection of culture, funk, and difference. Yes, through flowers.