Flax received a BA in English from Heidelberg College and an MA in Speech & Theater from the University of Michigan. It was during her college years that she initially developed her cut paper style, but at the urging of her father to pursue a more stable career, Flax went on to become an English and theater teacher, and eventually moved into marketing and communications. Flax worked in various institutions such as the University of Albany and Ohio Northern University until she retired in 2012.
