Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Blake Conner . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Blake , thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I picked up wood carving as a hobby. I have always enjoyed pursuits of creativity and art, but not many always stuck. This one did, and I imagine that it’s because there is a cross between my love for the outdoors with my love for art and craft.

It started with just a cheap kit, you know to avoid going all in on the most expensive supplies out there. I would go to the local park and pickup sticks, logs, and whatever else I could find and bring it back home. Now, we were in a second story apartment at the time, so it would often take over much of the office, but it was part of the fun.

i would just whittle things into shapes that resembled spoons. Over time I got better, learned more techniques, and realized that this isn’t just random. There are ways to work with the wood, the grain, and even the moisture.

Eventually, this evolved into more than just spoons! I now make bowls, bud vases, spatulas, and other decor items for the home.

There wasn’t really a way of speeding this process of learning up. It has been one of the most rewarding and humbling of skills because it requires messing up and slowing down.

As far as essential skills go, I would have to say that confidence in yourself with a knife is paramount. If you dance around it too carefully, you will never get what you are working towards, but if you act carelessly you will cut yourself and could cause some serious injury. Yes, I have cut myself multiple times, but almost every time I was doing something carelessly.

Living in an apartment when I stared definitely limited me. There was only so much space to store wood, but also only so much I could do. There are neighbors to consider and it could be quite loud when processing a log. Getting access to more space and room to grow was definitely a big leap for me in this journey.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into this for fun. I never really intended on selling anything to be honest. That light bulb didn’t come on until someone offered to buy something from me!

Once I realized there was a market, or that people even liked what I made, I started looking into doing pop-up markets or craft fairs, which is how I primary sell things now.

It’s been nothing but up from there.

First of all, I am addicted to this craft. I would say that there is some sort of thought about carving going on in my head at all waking hours. I am always looking for wood to pickup, I am always researching new idea, I am always experimenting in my head. I mean I have had dreams about this stuff, and it’s just because I love doing it and creating.

I love to take things that seem to be nothing to others and turning them into something useful. What was trash then becomes someones family heirloom, the “spaghetti spoon”, a prized piece of art on the shelf, or whatever else!

I want everyone to know that I am making these pieces from the heart and that they are extremely special to me. I want them in the right hands.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, personally, when someone picks something up and I begin to tell them where I get the piece of wood they are holding and the story behind it. Their eyes light up because there can be so much meaning behind a piece of nature. All of the sudden they begin telling me about a dear family member who passed that worked with wood. Or they remember that they had a dogwood tree in their yard growing up that they would eat lunch under. All of a sudden there is a peek into that person’s world and it is my absolute favorite part about what I do as an artist.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was not good at this when I started, and there are still people that blow what I do out of the water.

Skill isn’t something that comes overnight. Sure, talent can be there, but skill is what makes things and it takes time.

I kept trying even though I wasn’t that great and I made myself proud every single time I created something new.

Now, three years into doing this and I am still learning.

For anyone out there that is starting something new, enjoy not being good and keep going. These things take time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thecardinalcreations.myshopify.com
• Instagram: @cardinalcreations__