Emily Paluska is a Korean-American botanical artist who began her paper flower-making journey in 2017 after the birth of her first child. Experiencing postpartum depression and searching desperately for a tactile outlet, she discovered paper flowers. Having no previous art experience outside of being told by an Art 101 professor that he “hoped she wasn’t considering making art her career,” this was a new journey. But she found herself late at night, sometimes on the floor of her son’s nursery, cutting paper and trying to figure out how this new medium worked. Although there were far more misses than hits, Emily persevered and committed herself to learning the craft. She made a paper flower every single day for a year to check in with herself during this challenging period in her life. Even though she may have felt like she was disappearing, she could prove her existence by creating art daily. Paper flower making had become a way to turn the darkness of postpartum depression into something positive. Emily began sharing her work, catching the attention of several businesses in Washington, DC, who asked if she would teach others how to make paper flowers. Knowing what paper flowers had done for her, Emily was passionate about sharing her craft with others. Since 2018, Emily has taught over 100 workshops to students worldwide. She feels a strong passion for teaching paper flowers and believes that whether it’s just one day spent doing something joyful and creative or it opens up a door to healing something deeper as it did for her, it’s worthwhile. As a full-time artist who never studied art traditionally, she feels strongly about making sure others realize they don’t need an art background to become an artist. Emily believes there is room for anyone at the table who wants to learn and believes art should be accessible to all who seek it. Throughout the years, Emily has been lucky enough to work with renowned institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Her work has been featured in publications like HGTV Magazine and Veranda. She is a featured Skillshare Originals creator and has worked with countless clients and businesses to create custom work and commissions. Emily currently resides in Washington, DC, where you can most likely find her surrounded by flowers. To learn more about her work, visit www.reverypaperflora.com.