Riley and I met when she came to freelance for me in my studio back in 2019. We became fast friends. She’s truly one of a kind and an incredibly hard working talented floral designer. I love seeing the world through her eyes when we we get a chance to be around one another.
To learn more about Riley and her amazing story, scroll below.
Briefly introduce yourself.
My name is Riley Joyner. I’m 31 years old and I identify as a transgender lesbian. I’ve been working in florals for roughly 10 years, freelancing for various design studios and beyond that, dumping buckets and driving vans for my family’s flower wholesale company.
Share what drives your creativity?
What drives my creativity more than anything is my scattered brain producing lightbulb moments. Shape, texture, color, & composition are everywhere and sometimes something just grabs you. Shakes you. Moves you.
Tell us more about your creative journey?
As a little kid, I loved to draw anything and everything around me. I discovered punk in my teen years and began playing in various bands as well as creating images for flyers, shirts, album art, etc. After working for my family’s wholesale company for a few years in my early adulthood, I decided to start working for designers to understand their processes more intimately. After falling backwards into the hands of some great and inspiring people, I love it now more than ever.
What inspires you?
My environment drives me more than anything. I love being from Southern California. Where else can you see bougainvillea overgrown spilling over a dumpster & broken 40 ounce bottles next to Matilija poppies on a street median? I’ve always been drawn to the DIY ethos of punk and flowers feel like an extension of that.
What is your message to the queer community?
Thank you. Thank you for inspiring me to be myself. Thank you for your influence. I am endlessly grateful and indebted to the queer community for showing me that my life was not only possible, but valid, and something that is to be celebrated.
What does it mean to be queer and in the floral industry?
I can only speak from my experience, but as a late bloomer (pun intended) I couldn’t be luckier to do the type of work that I do. Transitioning later in life can be scary and dangerous for a myriad of reasons, but there is mostly safety and security in my workplace and the people I work with. I get to work alongside a lot of wonderful queer people. It’s my floral community and my queer community that make me feel at home.
