We recently connected with Emma Korinek and have shared our conversation below.
Emma, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Growing up I never really fit in and never had that cookie cutter school experience. I was always the goodie two shoes and grasped for approval from others throughout my childhood and young adult life. I was homeschooled in the Upper Peninsula until eighth grade, graduated high school with a class of twelve, got my associates in Science at a community college in Chicago and transferred to University Wisconsin – La Crosse to pursue my goal of becoming a therapist. I struggled as many of us do with anxiety and depression but was terrified of taking pills to feel more “normal”.
Fast forward to graduating from college as a Recreational Therapist and randomly picking a place to move on the map with my boyfriend, we landed in Eugene, Oregon. Going to school for Recreational Therapy had really opened my eyes to the importance of self care, leisure, and setting intentions in activities to help achieve a positive outcome. Stepping into Oregon felt like the freedom I had been searching for. My boyfriend and I both got jobs working in our fields, he worked at a Youth Transitional facility, while I worked with kiddos with Autism. We loved what we were doing but stretched ourselves thin the first years and burnout became a real issue. While we practiced self care through recreational activities and exploring our new state it was hard to get out of the head fog we both were experiencing.
Fast forward again, a couple years down the road, still in Oregon but on a totally different career path. Cannabis, a taboo thing for both of us growing up but something that called to us. I spend hours educating myself about the medical and therapeutic sides of cannabis and CBD. We then went on to run a dispensary, work on farms, trim, and manage a wholesale facility, all things I never imagined myself being a part of but something had awakened in me, I finally felt like I fit in and had time to play. I was practicing self care and allowing myself to be silly and make art. I had time for myself for the first time in a very long time and consuming cannabis helped, no pills, just self care.
Self care is my job now, even though it often feels like my therapy as well. During all these transitional times I spent time learning how to make CBD bath and body products, I watched videos, read books and talked to educators about herbalism and the natural properties they carry and how to extract them. I learned how to pair salts, herbs, and CBD to make products that are aesthetically pleasing but also incredibly good for your body and mind. I often reflect back to college and Recreational Therapy, most activities often involve play and putting purpose behind it. That’s what I strive to bring to my business and products, an element of fun, leisure and the ability to release yourself through relaxation. I am incredibly grateful to have started laying the beginning blocks for a future in what I like to lovingly call bath magic. Making others feel good brings me immense amounts of joy and I hope to continue to grow my knowledge and business.
Emma, 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?
Baked Bath Botanicals was born in 2018 in our small apartment in Salem, Oregon. It all started as a pure hobby and leisure activity that I made for myself, a few friends and family members. I asked for feedback and played with a variety of ingredients, herbs, essential oils and recipes. I failed often and cried once or ten times, but I kept reminding myself that failure is a part of the therapy process. Play and enjoy the activity but be okay with whatever the outcome is.
Things got a bit more serious in 2020, the pandemic was a tough time for everyone and I felt this was a good time to share my self care goods. We worked in cannabis, we were considered “essential” so day to day life continued on to a point. Things were weird, it was hard to get out, relax, let go and not worry. I really took this time to focus my energy into creating products that would give people a little break from day to day stresses.
I had gotten my recipe down, I had tested my products for over two years, it was time to get serious-ish. I had found a great resource in Medford, Oregon a local farm (Jaxon Wellness) that produced quality CBD and CBG, that is third party tested and shipped right to your door. I believe purchasing a high quality base product makes or breaks it when it comes to making something that can potential help your body feel better. I strongly believe in making CBD self care products affordable and attainable to everyone who needs them, lets be real we all deserve self care and it shouldn’t financially set you back if you need a spa night. Of course everything has a price and you have to make some money doing it, but keeping things cost effective to allow access to a wider community is something that is very important to me and something I am proud of offering.
I am proud of the product I make, each bath bomb is hand pressed and made with care. I’ve fallen in love with blending essential oils, colors, herbs and when it all comes together it just feels so magical. I love making bath bombs that go with a theme or sometimes just go with the mood I’m in. If I’m feeling more anxious I tend to make bath bombs with deeper toned colors and essential oil blends that revolve around Chamomile or Lavender. I never make bath bombs when I’m in a bad mood or upset because I’ve learned that the energy I use is the outcome it creates, usually cracked and falling apart. Each batch I make is set with intention to give the user a relaxing and soothing self care bath.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
In one word I would say community. Community has given me the confidence and power to share my self care products. I am lucky to be in such a supportive and kind environment that has given me feedback as well as grown with me. Community has given me the gift of listening to others struggles, stories, achievements and it has been such a eye opening experience hearing peoples stories. Self care is an important part of all our lives, whether it be reading a book, going to the gym or having a spa night, each one of us has a way we cope. Knowing that I can offer my community products that help them relax and let go of whatever is going on really fills my cup and I am so grateful.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
There are so many ways we all can support each other. Social media has become a main platform of reach and growth throughout the last ten years. I myself struggle with social media and burnout from that, I prefer face to face interactions and often I find myself loosing interest because I feel like I’m trying to push my products or sell myself. Unfortunately, that is not the reality I can live in if I want to continue to build a community and find people to connect with. Sharing, shout-outs and word of mouth are the best and free methods to supporting other creatives. Together we can all thrive and grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bakedbathbombs.com/
- Instagram: @bakedbathbotanicals
