Today we’d like to introduce you to Simone Cook.
Hi Simone, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have loved making little gadgets and doodads for as long as I can remember. Whether it be little sculptures made of sticks, creating dioramas, doodling drawings, or even making patterns in the dirt, I have always wanted to use my hands to create visually pleasing things. One of my nicknames as a child was “the rainbow child” because I always wanted to color, draw, or interact with colorful things. I can so vividly remember from an early age getting such satisfaction and pride from making something on my own that I thought was beautiful and that others appreciated.
I come from a somewhat artsy, creative, and quirky family. We all seemed to dabble in different art or creative interest forms, whether in music, painting, woodworking, drawing, design, or a bit of everything. So it makes sense that I run my own little art business now. Throughout school, I was an incredibly shy little kid; my favorite subject was always art. I was content in any class in that I could use my visual imagination. Being able to express myself through art felt like being able to express myself through another language. Art has felt like a comforting, friendly presence that has been there my whole life. Through many years of school, experimenting with different mediums of art, and life experience—including getting a film degree, working on my own projects, and working odd jobs—led me to the last few years. The beginning of SimSoStudios!
The 2020 covid pandemic led me to be let go from my job and left me brainstorming what to do next. I thought, “well, this is it. It’s time to start my business,” something I had wanted to do since I was a kiddo. I used to sew and sell chalk bags on Etsy during early college and felt I had just enough knowledge and experience to start a business. With all the interesting odd jobs and wide range of interests and knowledge I hold, I knew I could try to create something people would like. The first couple of months of posting my drawings and creations on social media felt so vulnerable. Trying not to focus too much on the possibility of rejection, I pushed through, and as the months passed, I had more and more sales. Only a few sales, but sales at last! At first, it was mainly from my friends and family, but strangers started buying my things slowly! At that moment, I truly felt proud of all my hard work.
The first thing I can remember making as a little kid was a small clay chef and baguette magnet that are still on my family’s refrigerator today. It’s something else to think of this memory 25 years later as I’m filling orders for the magnets I’m making. I can only imagine how happy little 5-year-old Simone would be to hear that. Now, over two years later, I have a solid customer base and the confidence to branch out to other avenues that I may have been too scared to venture to.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business is incredibly daunting. You have these dual pressures of consistently creating things that people will want to purchase and the pressure of showing your work to others—which as an artist, is sometimes soul-crushing. It was such a vulnerable experience. Spending hours upon hours working tirelessly on something and then just handing it over to strangers. And hoping they love it is such a scary and weirdly freeing experience, which is why it is so important to make things that you love too, because if no one else likes it, at least you do.
As well as the obvious challenges that come with creating usable objects, there were many trial and error runs of different types of clays and paints and sealants and paper and ink—the list is endless. Sometimes I would spend hours on a piece and then spray a sealant on that item, and it would just smear and destroy all of my tedious work. Those moments I may have shed a few tears and had to step away for a while and then hop back on that hypothetical art horse and try again.
Just having to get over that initial hurdle of sharing your work with others and ignoring that little voice in your head that says, “no one would buy this.” I have a solid support system and have been lucky to have those “stress thoughts” soothed. I think the best thing to tell yourself is, “if you never try, you will never know.” It’s something I have to remind myself of daily. I have learned so much through the last few years and am thankful for all the wonderful people who have supported me and my little business. It means so much.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do it all! Kind of. I specialize in illustrations, cards, botanics, jewelry, clay works, and other hand-crafted goods. Any idea that pops into my head, I try to create it. I love taking custom orders because it is the best of both worlds: collaborating on ideas and getting to create an item that someone will truly love. Some items I am most proud of are my handmade magnet sets, dried-pressed floral designs, and illustrations. As cliché as it sounds, there is such love and care put into the items that I hope others can see that too. I want others to enjoy their items as much as I enjoy making them.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some changes you expect to see over the next five to ten years?
There has definitely been a shift in giving smaller artists a larger space. Even compared to 10 years ago, such a wide range of art is shown appreciation now. People who make things out of their homes can now get the same appreciation as someone who has a piece in a gallery. The world of art is often called “pretentious,” and there are definitely those types of artists out there, but this new shift feels so refreshing for new creators or those who may be hesitant about pursuing their passions. My hope for the art world is that the sense of community will grow stronger in the next 5-10 years. Art is such a global community. People do not have to speak the same language or even share the same beliefs to have strong feelings toward a piece of art. It is a universal language. People create things to be shared. Having a world that is open and accepting of that is so important.
Contact Info:
- Website: SimSoStudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sim.so.studios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimSoStudios
