We were lucky to catch up with Cody Cook recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cody , thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
Burnout in the workplace and especially being self employed as an artist is an inevitable part of the process. There are many times that I have experienced this, and it puts a damper on my creativity/drive. Some of the ways I have found to avoid the burnout is to always give my hands and mind a fresh outlet. By practicing multiple mediums, it allows me to break free of the repetitiveness. I find that between stone cutting, silver smithing, wire wrapping, sculpting, drawing and marketing I can bounce back pretty easily from any sort of burnout. But with that can come creative exhaustion. So it’s important for me to take time for myself, to get out in nature and open up to receiving inspiration from the world around me through personal experience. Some of the ways I like to do this is by making and producing music, camping, traveling and spending time with my family. Nothing cures burnout like good old fashioned self-care.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Cody Cook, and as my niece loves to tell me, I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I am a self-employed, full time artist specializing in lapidary/stone cutting, jewelry making and mineral sales. I have operated my company Bless The Herbs (BTH Gems and Jewelry LLC) with my wonderful fiance and business partner Marissa “Missy” Miller online through social media platforms and sites such as Etsy for the past 7 years, building an international customer base. We have a passion for creating only the finest pieces of art, and I especially enjoy bringing my customer’s visions to life.
My history of silver smithing actually goes back to my high school days, taking advanced placement jewelry classes and earning several awards/achievements for the pieces I created. This inspired me to take it one step further by dedicating my career to what I love to do. I learned the art of wire wrapping and stone cutting, bringing all the elements necessary for creating jewelry to my fingertips. Not only are my pendants, rings bracelets and earrings created by me, but also 90% of the cabochons (stones) that I use. I enjoy sourcing my cutting rough from all around the globe, networking directly with miners from some of my favorite localities like Australia, Brazil and even right here in the US. I’ve also had the opportunity to self collect my own material right here in my home state, Colorado. Rockhounding is another aspect of my job that makes it exciting and adventurous. There’s truly nothing like going out and digging your own crystals and minerals. Seeing the entire process of a stone being unearthed, cut, and set into jewelry is something that I will never grow tired of.
Missy brings her own unique and artistic spin into the company as well with polymer clay. Her sculpting abilities are out of this world, specializing in figurines, jewelry and collectibles She is mostly self taught, and enjoys teaching others about the art form through short tutorial videos.
I am excited for the upcoming year, hoping to do more in-person events such as vending. When Covid hit, I focused most of my energy into selling online. But my goal for the new year is to get back out and showcase my company on a more personal level. I want my clients to be able to meet the face behind the brand.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities and tidbits of knowledge I have gained throughout my journey as an artist/entrepreneur would have to be patience, resilience and perseverance. When I was first establishing my business, it was frustrating and difficult trying to navigate the online marketing world. I didn’t have a physical store front, so I had to find a way to market my work on a much larger, digital scale. What seemed like slow progress built up to a stable flow of traffic over the next several years. Having the patience to push through those slow times resulted in my long term success. Had I given up, I would have never seen the fruition of my artwork today. Sometimes, things don’t go the way you intended. Not every venture or idea works out in favor, but it doesn’t mean you give up. You have to look at the situation in a positive mindset and analyze the “WHY”. Why did that outcome occur? What has it taught you about the future case scenarios, and how can you work to better your growth? These three simple skills helped me to better myself and gain a sense of control and understanding over my business.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking to collaborate with other artists! In the past, I’ve worked with glass artists, polymer clay/sculptors, other wire wrappers, stone cutters and jewelers, hemp/macrame artists, even candle makers! I feel like in this line of work, there’s an endless potential for bringing two heads into one idea or design. Though most of my recent collaboration projects have been on a local basis, distance is never an issue! I am fully open to working with artists no matter their whereabouts. Having a fresh perspective and bringing in new elements is something that I find incredibly exciting. If you’re currently reading this and feel your work could be a good fit with my style and art, feel free to connect with me through any of my social media outlets (Instagram, Facebook, even send a quick message through my Etsy).
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blesstheherbs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/BTH-Gems-and-Jewelry-LLC/61554736381911/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/blesstheherbs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCez9b5FfQN2X95bpdErVpIw
- Other: Blesstheherbs.etsy.com
tiktok.com/@blesstheherbs
Image Credits
Marissa Miller Cody Cook
