Saturday 26th September 2026 · Keynote
Most designers are
looking for answers
in the wrong place.
A keynote about awareness, decision making
and a different way of seeing.
The wrong place
The quality of your work can never exceed the clarity of the person creating it.
Most designers are looking for answers in the wrong place.
Not because they lack talent.
Not because they lack passion.
Not because technique isn't important.
But because we've been taught to believe that better technique creates better design.
I believe something different.
The quality of your work can never exceed the clarity of the person creating it.
For more than twenty-five years, I've been fascinated by one question.
Why do some designs stay with us, while others are quickly forgotten?
I discovered the answer wasn't hidden in the flowers.
It was hidden in the decisions behind them.
Because every design reflects the person creating it.
If we learn to see differently…
we begin to create differently.
I'd like to show you why.
There is another way
What truly
belongs?
Every meaningful design begins with a decision.
Every meaningful decision begins with awareness.
And every act of awareness begins with listening.
- Listening to the context.
- Listening to the space.
- Listening to the flowers.
- Listening to yourself.
- Listening to what the design is asking of you.
The creator's first responsibility is not to create. It is to listen.
Because when we truly listen, something changes.
We stop asking: “What can I add?”
And we begin asking: “What truly belongs?”
That single shift changes everything.
About the keynote
Think Like
a Designer.
Most floral demonstrations teach techniques.
This keynote begins somewhere else.
It begins with the person behind the design.
During this inspiring keynote, Tom De Houwer shares the philosophy that has shaped more than 25 years of creating, teaching and observing designers around the world.
You won't simply learn how Tom designs.
You'll discover why he makes the decisions he does.
Through stories, reflections and practical examples, you'll begin to see design from a different perspective.
Not as a collection of techniques.
But as a series of conscious decisions.
You may arrive expecting to learn something about floral design. You may leave having learned something about yourself.
This keynote is for you if…
- You feel there is more to design than technique alone.
- You want your work to become more personal and meaningful.
- You are searching for greater clarity in your creative process.
- You are curious about the thinking behind great design.
You will leave with…
- A new way of looking at design.
- A deeper understanding of the decisions behind meaningful work.
- Practical insights you can apply immediately.
- A renewed sense of inspiration and direction.
Because sometimes one new way of seeing changes everything that follows.
Meet your guide
Tom De Houwer.
For more than twenty-five years, Tom De Houwer has explored one question:
Why do some designs stay with us, while others are quickly forgotten?
That search has taken him from international stages and publications to two exhibitions at London's Saatchi Gallery, scenography for Isabelle Beernaert and large-scale floral installations around the world.
But his greatest lessons have come from something much quieter.
Listening.
Listening to nature. Listening to people. Listening to the design itself.
Today, Tom no longer teaches people how to recreate his work.
He helps them discover their own.
Practical
Everything you
need to know.
Think Like a Designer
- Date
- Saturday 26th September 2026
- Time
- 10:00 – 12:00
- Location
- Landcommanderij Alden Biesen
- Context
- During Féerie Florale
- Group
- Maximum 100 participants
Early Bird
incl. entrance to Féerie Florale
€95
Regular
incl. entrance to Féerie Florale
€125
Questions you may have
A few things
you may wonder.
Absolutely.
Bloom Up isn't about becoming someone else.
It's about becoming more aware of how you create, think and make decisions.
Curiosity matters far more than labels.
Yes.
This isn't just another technique class.
It is an invitation to look at your work from a different perspective.
Many experienced designers tell me they didn't just learn another technique. They learned to see their own work differently.
Yes.
The focus isn't on your current level.
It's on your willingness to observe, reflect and learn.
Everyone begins from a different place. Everyone can begin.
English.
Participants join from many different countries.
The language is simple, clear and accessible, creating an inspiring international learning environment.
Ready to go deeper?
Continue your journey.
Continue your journey during the One Day Bloom Up Experience.