We were lucky to catch up with Derek Cook recently and have shared our conversation below.
Derek, appreciate you 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 started creating around three, maybe as soon as I was strong enough to actually hold a pencil, according to my mom.. Through repetition and practice, I wanted to learn how to make the things I saw in my head, as well as things I saw my peers creating at the time. That curiosity is what led me to develop a real interest in getting better, or at least learning how to make my own things.
Knowing what I know now, I think I could’ve sped things up by trusting my own pace earlier instead of letting comparison slow me down. I spent a lot of time second-guessing my progress when in actuality, understanding that improvement comes with consistency, not with matching someone else’s speed…I had to teach myself that
The best skill I had then, and still have now, is my willingness to look at something and wanting to know how it was made or works. I also had to learn that there are levels to progress, and that someone working at a level 10 might be doing something completely different from what I was still learning. Sitting with that taught me to really appreciate and hone in on the basics.
The biggest obstacle for me was self-doubt, especially the fear of comparing myself to people who were further along. It’s easy to see someone’s level 10 work and feel like you’re falling behind, even when you’re exactly where you should be in your own process. Learning to separate someone else’s timeline from my own was honestly harder than learning any technical skill, but it’s what let me actually focus on building my own world instead of just measuring myself against everyone else.
Derek, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
In 1992, the universe breathed life into a being named Derek J. Cook, known in his craft as TheJunkyardChef. I’m an ATL creative born on August 13 in Rota, Spain, shortly I moved to Decatur, Ga. I’ve been expressing many forms of creativity since early childhood, constantly translating his creative vision and magic through various forms of artistic expression. My roots are in traditional mediums like pencil drawings and acrylic paintings, but recently gravitated towards digital art and design, as well as creating for businesses.
The name TheJunkyardChef comes from a specific image: imagine walking through a Junkyard and catching the smell of something savory, only to turn the corner and find a Michelin star chef plating a beautiful dish, then inviting you to sit down and eat…and the experience is Great! That’s what I like to create, something unexpected, cool, showing up in a place you’d never think to look for it. I’d like for my art identity to be strong enough to make people stop and feel something. My work comes from that same instinct to deliver the unexpected and exceptional, every time.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a single client I’ve designed for or art placement, it’s the quiet, internal growth of trusting my own process enough to keep creating consistently, evolving spiritually and becoming energetically aligned with the work itself rather than chasing outside validation. I’d like to challenge you to think of a higher version of yourself through my art. The joy, pain, sunlight, adventure, and rain can all be found within the things I create.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
One thing I think non-creatives struggle to fully grasp is that this isn’t just talent, it’s discipline, and a lot of that discipline is spiritual and energetic, not just technical. People are often curious and respectful about where my inspiration comes from, and the truth is, it feels otherworldly. I get pulled from somewhere beyond myself, almost like the heavens hand it to me, and my job is just to stay open enough to receive it and disciplined enough to bring it into reality.
What’s harder to explain is that creativity doesn’t clock out. I can’t just close my creativity and turn it off the way you’d leave a 9-to-5. The ideas, the energy, the pull to create something is always running in background, even when I’m not actively making art. There’s also this misconception that success or income should move linear, like effort equals payout out on a schedule. Creative growth doesn’t work that way, and neither does staying connected to whatever it is that’s driving you to do the work, everything moves accordingly to it’s own time and purpose.
If I could make a non-creative truly feel one thing, instead of just understand it, it would be discipline and self-love is essential. Not the discipline of showing up to a desk, but the discipline of staying grounded and true to yourself, your mission, aligned enough to keep receiving from the Source and creating, even when nothing around you is rushing you to..and that discipline develops through the love that you give to yourself.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is to challenge people to see a higher version of themselves through what I create and keep expanding my cartoon characters. I want my work to keep showing up in unexpected places and reminding you that something exceptional can exist anywhere..the love that you give yourself; will save someone else, I’m big on that. self growth and evolution is always t the e mission.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @TheJunkyardChef
- Facebook: @TheJunkyardChef
- Linkedin: @TheJunkyardChef
