Courtney Cox shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Courtney, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Exercise! A year ago I started weightlifting and it’s been nothing short of a revelation.
As a self-described “cozy girl” with health problems that have previously limited my movement, I never expected to fall in love with exercise this way. Watching myself progress through weights has been fun, but witnessing how differently I move through the world as I’ve gotten stronger has been even more rewarding.
Every morning I wake up, eat, put my phone on Do Not Disturb, and head to the gym. Listening to my music and focusing on working with my body toward the next goal (more weight, more reps, or acquiring a new ability) is empowering and centering. It improves my mood, energy levels, and has changed my sense of self; picking up heavy things has caused me to view myself as more capable.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Courtney Cox and I’m the founder of Scenic Stitches, a company that plans events around fiber arts (knitting, weaving, quilting, etc) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Fiber arts are of particular interest to me as I am a fiber artist myself! I design and write knitting patterns in addition to being an award-winning and internationally exhibiting hand embroidery artist.
Fiber arts have always been interesting to me, starting with the cross stitch sampler and crocheted blankets made and given to me at my birth. I taught myself to crochet in my early 20’s after moving to a cold climate, picked up hand embroidery five years later when a friend introduced me, and taught myself knitting the following year (though it didn’t “take” until I discovered the beauty of hand dyed yarns two years later).
Never one to do anything halfway, I picked up each craft intensely. I didn’t just learn to crochet: I made whole blankets for everyone I could think of. Hand embroidery became an obsession that blurred the lines of craft and art, taking me to exhibitions in Italy, seeing my work published in four continents, and winning me awards. Even knitting didn’t stay a simple hobby; I worked as a professional knitter for a luxury and couture fashion brand before pivoting into my own designs, designing and writing knitting and crochet patterns for yarn companies.
Obviously I need to get out more, so now I produce events around fiber arts so I can talk to other people.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Definitely not my earliest memory, but a standout moment in my crafting life was when I learned to knit in a round.
Knitting in a round involves joining a line of stitches into a complete circle so the knitter works in a continuous circle, knitting around and around rather than turning the work. This is especially useful for things like hats, sweater bodies, socks, and sleeves.
When I first joined in a round, I experienced an incredible rush. I am a god! I can make anything with two sticks and some string! The world is mine!
I have been chasing that high ever since.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
This question feels particularly poignant as I consider the impact that my illnesses have had on my crafts – and ultimately my business – and vice versa.
Unless you’ve lived it, it’s difficult to describe the black hole that chronic illnesses can create. To be disabled by health issues that have no cure and limited treatment is depressing and stressful. Falling into that hole in my mid-20’s was disorienting to say the least.
Fiber arts were a perfect comfort. Low on required energy and low on required cost combined with being highly portable made fiber arts particularly accessible. The are engaging for both the mind and body. I could make something and feel useful even when recovering from surgery. I could create art that travelled the world even while I was stuck on the couch, icing another dislocated joint.
There is no doubt that fiber arts have helped me cope over the long years that it took to build a medical team, find the right diagnoses, experiment with treatment plans, and slowly gain back enough health to function. I’ll never be “well,” but I can be well enough to participate in my own life.
Working a normal job isn’t on the table for me. I have to take medicine seven times per day in addition to following a specific diet and exercise regimen. Still, I want to work, so working for myself is the best option. Scenic Stitches was born from this combination of accommodating my fluctuating health needs with my love of fiber arts. Rather than fearing my weaknesses, I’ve embraced my own potential for strength.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
I’m lucky enough to have an incredible team that has helped shape Scenic Stitches. There’s no way I could have produced these large events on my own. The collaborative process has been inspiring and rewarding, broadening the vision for what these events could be. Their suggestions, ideas, and creative contributions have been invaluable, and I’m so thankful to have them on board!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
Event planning has been intense and time consuming. Since focusing on Scenic Stitches so heavily, I’ve slowed my artistic output. I’ve done very little hand embroidery, and my knitting has been mostly following other people’s patterns rather than working on my own designs.
Creativity has ebbs and flows, and this season I’ve enjoyed taking a break from making decisions in my spare time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.scenicstitches.com www.courtneycoxart.com
- Instagram: @scenicstitches @courtneycoxart
- Facebook: facebook.com/scenicstitchesfest facebook.com/courtneycoxart
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