At first it was just a way to relieve stress that led Cherry Tam of the customer service team at International Commerce Centre to take up flower arranging, but now she loves sharing her hobby with all sorts of people.

Most tenants at ICC are international financial firms where there is a lot of pressure at work, which is why Cherry’s classes are highly appreciated. She also began teaching flower arranging at a nearby elderly centre by chance. After helping a senior with dementia who got lost in the mall return, she decided to volunteer at the centre, teaching seniors floral art to liven up their normally monotonous days.

Vivid colours tend to make the blossoms the focus of a floral arrangement, says Cherry, but leaves actually play a more important role in the overall aesthetic as their diverse shapes can give the works different styles and appearances. Relating this to work as part of the frontline staff, Cherry thinks that the effort of every colleague counts, no matter how minor they may seem in the company.

As colleagues and tenants began to show more interest in her hobby, Cherry decided to go a step further in the art by getting an international qualification, even though that meant expensive courses and flying to Taiwan for the exam – which she says are worthwhile as they better equip her for introducing more people to the beautiful world of flower arranging.