We were lucky to catch up with Becca Cook recently and have shared our conversation below.

Becca, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I think the idea that artists do not have a “regular” job is an unfortunate misnomer. So many things we experience everyday are created by someone, from the clothes we wear, the homes we live in, the media we consume, it is all around us. I challenge the readers to take a look around, wherever you are, and see what you can find that someone has created. How do these things affect your daily life? Here is another fun activity to try, use all five senses to experience something that someone else has created that is nearby. I think I will do that today too.

I am a happy when I am teaching someone else skills that I have learned, writing fun stories, making dolls, creating a memorable experience with a performance, collaborating with other artists in a community puppet show, creating something that is meaningful for someone else in a commission. All these things are ways that I can express care into my community. I have the ability to do these things, in a way, I feel a sense of responsibility to do so. I find a lot of happiness in what I do because it is a very natural way for me to be, so I suppose that is pretty “regular” to me.

Becca, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I am Becca Cook and I am a folk artist. I spent my childhood in Southern California and have called Savannah, GA home for the last 22 years. My childhood was spent with three generations of wonderfully eccentric women in my family who were skilled in many traditional Irish fiber work techniques. I learned needlepoint, cross stitching, lacemaking, crochet, weaving, knitting, doll making, and processing fibers, all from a young age. I started in my art career using these skills in a unique way to create my own style of visual art using traditional techniques to speak about social issues, to create immersive environments that people can experience with not only seeing but feeling and hearing as well.

I was especially inspired at a young age by my Great Aunt Goldie who was a doll maker, doll repairer, and skilled carpenter. I was also inspired by my Grandmother Lynda with traditional storytelling, songs, musical talents and creative ways of thinking. I learned and grew up with these inspirations that became my own foundation, that have lead me through many adventures in life.

I joke when I say I am three chihuahuas in a trench coat, what I mean is I am a focused driven person full of unending excitement, wonder and curiosity. I have a successful doll making business that I started in 2014 from my dining room table. I now ship dolls all over the world from my website beccacookart.com and also from Roots Up Gallery, The Magical World of Toys, Escape Savannah and more. I collaborate in building puppets, set design, writing stories and songs in collaboration with Saw The Wheel Theatre. I manage Escape Savannah, an immersive interactive escape room game that has served the Savannah community as an incubator for success for many up and coming young artists and entrepreneurs for the last ten years. I also enjoy teaching private lessons in fiber arts.

Information of past, current, and future projects can be found at beccacookart.com

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Well, I was born blind in my left eye due to a birth defect and I make a living creating three dimensional structures. I have never actually seen anything outside of two dimensions. I think it is interesting to think about how I never really fully experienced my own work. Though I do have a very spatially detailed and vast internal visualization which is how I create complex mathematical fiber structures in my installations. I have also have challenges in sensory processing, I am a 40 year old woman with undiagnosed autism. Female children were not diagnosed with autism when I was a child, when it was discovered by therapist and neurologists when I was in my 20s I was too old to be diagnosed as the age limit, at that time, was 18 and younger. So instead I was noted to have “neurological idiosyncrasies” in my chart. I am one of the many people who have slipped through the cracks in our lacking mental health system. I also had a turbulent childhood that stemmed from generational trauma and a misunderstanding of my “neurological idiosyncrasies”.

I often say “I strive for imperfection” and it does sound really funny to say it out loud, go ahead, try it.
I approach life with the idea that losses are lessons, Failures can be misadventures into untapped knowledge.
I learned that happiness, drive, accomplishments all take active daily work. I become better and better at taking care of myself every day. I also give myself a lot of breaks, naps, a good cry. I understand that the human experience has so many moving parts and I allow for them often using humor and storytelling to muddle through when things get tough.

I am in the process of publishing a book that taps into my daily practices of finding little joys and observations in daily life. The Book is Titled “Things To Do” and will come out in spring of 2023. I will list three examples that I hope give you a smile.

1. Pretend there is an epic sea battle when washing the dishes.
2. If you feel anxious, pretend you are a little baby gnome and take care of yourself accordingly.
3. Pretend to hear your plants say “thank you” when you water them.

I think I will call my next band “Neurological Idiosyncrasies”

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I have a great “things to do” list for this question!

1. Participate! There are so many opportunities to have exciting new experiences. Attend a salsa lesson, pottery class, a how to paint my pet’s portrait class. See what is happening in your community.
2. Go to a show. Buy tickets to the Orchestra, go to a gallery show, a house show, a parking lot show. Get out there and be entertained.
3. Buy gifts for your family and friends from independent creators.
4. Buy a new album from an independent musician you don’t know on Bandcamp and listen to it while you cook dinner.
5.Find an art walk close to you and go with friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beccacookart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beccacookart/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becca.cook.92
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@beccacookart?lang=en

Image Credits
Meg Mack