We recently connected with Kaiden Cook and have shared our conversation below.
Kaiden, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative path at a very young age. I would say around 6 or 7 years old. I always enjoyed drawing, and I wasn’t the typical kid that loved coloring books. I would always want to add my own creative touch to them. It wasn’t limited to just sketching either. I would create little comic books with a story, edit stop motion animation with my Transformers figures, spray paint my model cars to make them unique, etc. I guess you could say I love customizing or designing just about everything. The satisfaction of completing a project that was once just a simple idea within my mind and bringing it to fruition is one of the greatest feelings. That’s what I love about being a graphic designer. There is no limit to your creativity, and you are able to present that to others and be proud while doing it. I believe my creativity and imagination since I was a kid has helped grow @tfbeecamaro into what it has become today, and I’m so grateful. Looking back, it’s crazy to see how God’s plan aligned so perfectly for what I wanted to be, and everything fell right into place.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I love branding as a graphic designer. I like giving companies their tone and voice for how they establish themselves. Branding is the first thing you see with every company, and it’s an honor to play a role in that. Having such a strong connection to branding I feel also helped me establish myself as a content creator / influencer. Creating unity and allowing all of the content of my Camaros to flow naturally within my feed and to tell a story. I think one of the most important things with creating content on social media is understanding the power of storytelling. How do you make your audience want to see or know more. That’s where you build your community, and I’m so grateful for all of the connections I’ve made through @tfbeecamaro. In fact, that’s where I was able to make one of my strongest connections with Awthentik Design Group. They are a graphic design studio as well as a vehicle wrap shop specializing in branding. I was able to combine my love for branding and the automotive industry to create Bumblebee’s printed Battle Damaged wrap. My mentor Josh Tolbert, co-owner & head designer of Awthentik, taught me so much, and it eventually led to my first ever summer internship. Everything that I’ve been able to build or create has been connected together based on connections developed and consistent growth overtime, and I can’t wait for what’s next.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I first started @tfbeecamaro in August of 2017. I was at a car show, Camaro Con, with my Dad showcasing our Bumblebee. Majority of the cars there had little instagram username decals on the windows, and I realized people could actually grow a following from their car. It was as simple as that, and grew into something I never could of imagined. I kept consistently posting just pictures of my Camaro, but the posts shine the most through videos like TikTok and Reels. I’ve been able to modify the car further thanks to my constant support of my Dad. Especially since Bumblebee has always been a father and son project. Now, we’re at the point of our next big project being B28, my 1977 Camaro Z28. I’m also thankful for sponsorships with automotive manufactures and shops willing to work with me. They allow my crazy ideas to come to fruition. While I believe the following does help, once again I think the ability to tell a story is key to establishing an account with a strong foundation.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I think the biggest goal or mission in my creative journey is establishing my own design style that becomes almost recognizable while also building, mofifying, and designing the cars I always dreamed of as a kid. I want to continue to motivate and inspire people along the way. I believe that’s the path that God put me on in this world.
Contact Info:
- Website: kaidencook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tfbeecamaro
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaidencook/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tfbeecamaro
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tfbeecamaro
- Camaro Gear: https://www.camarogear.com
- Personal instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiden.cook/
Image Credits
@cisco.visuals