Tricia Paoluccio designer to the stars

The Case for Nuturing Creativity in the Classroom, and in our Lives

I am an actress and an artist who has had the privilege of sharing my work across many countries, touring my show Here You Come Again, which I co-wrote and star in, and teaching creative workshops on the art of flower pressing throughout the US, Europe and the UK, and soon, across Australia.

While flower pressing and theatre might seem worlds apart, they are deeply connected for me. They both came from early childhood passions,  passions that blossomed fully during the pandemic, when many of us turned inward to rediscover what truly matters.

As a little girl, I fell in love with Dolly Parton. I would wear out her records, mimicking her voice over and over again. I was lucky to be encouraged: I sang in school choirs, entered talent shows, performed in school plays, and eventually moved to New York City to pursue a life in theatre.

Around the same time, I also discovered flower pressing. My brother made me a homemade flower press, and I started crafting greeting cards and collages. When I moved to NYC, I brought those pressed flowers with me, using them to sell my art while chasing auditions.

I’m so grateful that I had the chance to explore those creative impulses as a child. What may have seemed small or silly,  singing like Dolly or arranging petals on paper, turned out to be the seeds of a lifelong career.

Here You Come Again has now toured internationally, employing hundreds of people along the way. And my pressed flower art has grown into a real business: teaching workshops, collaborating with designers, and most famously, becoming part of Oscar de la Renta’s viral pressed flower dresses — including the Taylor Swift Grammys gown and Anna Wintour’s Met Gala dress. I’ve designed wallpaper, tabletop collections, and even rugs. I’ve learned about licensing, business, production — all from the same creative spark that started in childhood.

That’s why I believe so strongly in protecting space for creativity in young lives.

Every time a child scribbles on a page, sings a song, mimics a dance move, or invents a play in their living room, they’re not just passing the time. They’re building a relationship with their imagination, one that may someday shape who they become, whether professionally or simply as whole, expressive people.

In the UK, fewer students are taking creative subjects, while schools scale back on music and art to make room for test-based learning. In the U.S., entire districts have eliminated the arts. And in parts of Australia, creative programs are often the first to go when budgets are tight.

This isn’t just about education budgets. It’s about what kind of people we’re helping raise. Creative expression isn’t fluff it’s a tool for reflection, resilience, and human connection. And we can’t predict which quiet child doodling in the back of class might someday create the next masterpiece that moves the world.

During lockdown, when everything felt uncertain, what saved us? For many, it was stories, films, series, music, art. We weren’t just consuming it, we were making it. I began teaching flower pressing classes on Zoom, and thousands of people around the world joined in. I saw people slow down, connect, and take pride in creating something beautiful with their own hands.

We often talk about “wellness” in terms of food and fitness. Creativity belongs in that conversation too. And it doesn’t require fancy supplies or professional talent. It can be a notebook, a glue stick, a school stage, a flower tucked between pages. A moment to make something. To feel something.

It doesn’t matter if someone becomes a professional artist or not. We all have an artist within us that deserves to be nurtured. Making something beautiful, just for the sake of it, is healing. It has value.

Creativity isn’t a bonus. It’s how we make sense of the world. And now, more than ever, we need to hold onto it.

You can learn more about pressing flowers with Tricia on her website: www.modernpressedflower.com and discover her art and lifestyle brand thru: www.domainoftheflowerings.com.

https://hereyoucomeagain.com.au/