We had the good fortune of connecting with Laurel Jereda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurel, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
” Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” The sentiment in this quote is how grateful flower came to be and it’s a reminder of how I want to live my life everyday, connected to the earth and connected to nature. Living and breathing in a way that is ceremonial in honor of our mother, Earth Mother, who everyday gives us these beautiful and perfect gifts which we call nature; the trees, the grass, the flowers, the animals, the sky, etc. Before grateful flower was a brand it was just a name that was meant to symbolize my personal gratitude for all parts of life as well as seeing myself as a reflection of nature more specifically a flower, constantly growing, dying and being reborn again and again. Ive learned this process is much easier when we accept the ebb and flow of life and trust. We can look to nature as a tool, earth is perfect in all it’s cycles and movements, when we learn to move like her we connect, we align, we live symbiotically and I think especially during these times where there is a lot of over consumption and misuse of the earth we need more people who wish to live like that. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The art for me is in the alchemy of changing plant to color on fiber! With all types of earth elements; shells, roots, leaves and flowers I use pigments just like our ancestors did before synthetic dye came on the scene. I have always had a love for working with plants and being close with nature. Plant dye became a passion of mine a little over 2 years ago when I started eco dying on repurposed cotton from thrift stores using flower petals, fruits, veggies and spices. Most of my knowledge comes from self learning, taking workshops and just having fun and creating! grateful flower is a brand with a purpose, promoting the awareness of where and how our every day products are made. Ethical cotton, fair wage sewn products and Fair-Trade, GOTS certified organic natural dyes are what makes grateful flower unique and filled with love! 100% Cotton dyed with plants can completely biodegrade in as little as 1-5 months and is also compostable! My motto is “Eco friendly, small batch designs. For the love of our planet.” Ironically I started this brand at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. I had some extra money to play around with and all this time on my hands I knew it was the perfect moment to get this passion project off the ground. I started off with two cotton sets that I made for myself and posted pictures on my instagram from there it was organic growth. I was doing custom orders in the beginning and now I create as I feel inspired. The items I offer are constantly changing depending on what sustainable items I am able to source. Some advice for other artists or new business owners, always focus on doing it for the love and creativity and don’t be so dead set on how you think things should be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If someone I know was coming to visit Miami I would take them to Surfside or 79th street beach to catch the sunrise. Broken shaker for cocktails, Lagnaippe for music, wine and charcuterie . The Standard for some pool lounging and the yummiest frose! Lung Yai for Thai. Love life cafe for the best vegan arepa and kale salad. Perez art museum and possibly Space depending on what djs are playing!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to recognize Aya Fiber Studio in Stuart FL who’s course really pushed me to the next level of my plant dye journey! Suzanne leads some great eco classes! Also my boyfriend Felipe who has been supporting me since day 1 with all aspects of grateful flower. ❤️

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gratefulflowerbrand
Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/gratefulflowerbrnd

Image Credits
Me – Laurel Jereda Felipe Patino

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