Cooper Knight shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Cooper, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
One could initially think “oh, this guy’s neurodivergent. So there’s no way he can be writing books and making movies.” But keep in kind, only the people who make those claims know exactly why they’d talk like that.
(Times like that when people are discriminating call for measures like support groups, rehabilitation & therapy for a competitively low price.)
Not one likes being under attack, hurt or green with envy about someone who’s got mad skills. And not everyone needs these people to try to save ‘em from new artists like me, either.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Long story short, I’m making movies for a living, with fellow filmmakers like Breanne Wilson at Leaky Skylight Pictures. Duties include storyboards, writing scripts, sound design, and post-production in computer software such as DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro.
When you’re a jack of all trades in the context of being a writer, graphic designer, illustrator, artist, actor, and film editing specialist, that’s what makes the work I’m doing stand out in the crowd.
Even as we speak, I’m getting my feet wet in 3D modeling and animation programs like Blender. And I’m working with leaky skylight pictures on a half-hour short film, and I’m writing my very first sci-fi book ever. Anyone who knows me won’t be surprised to learn that dinosaurs are the main topic of both projects.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Once an artist, always an artist. And an artist was who I was before the world told me who I had to be. That all started as a normal person who could fit in society like a puzzle piece, but to the exclusion of all else.
It wasn’t until I was a quarter of a century old (age 25) that I figured being an artist worked out better emotionally for me. That does make sense if your adult brain starts fully developing after age 25.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Being two years older than me, you’d think my older sister, Olivia, would be a valuable role model for me. But actually, getting into a habit of throwing hissy fits over the little things and big things makes living as a human being ten times harder than it could be, even if it feels good. Trying to bend the truth as much as she can also makes things harder than they could be. That’s not the defining wound, though.
The real defining wound is Olivia removing our parents from her life, removing extended family members from her life, and trying to save me from our mom, Ali Knight, through the habitual bending of the truth. It still hurts me, even if it relieves Olivia of her perceived problem of babysitting our parents and failing them as a human being.
Even now, I’m throwing every trick in the book at healing from this wound. These tricks include drawing my emotions, journaling my thoughts, roasting my sister in private, talking with friends and family members about the hurt, counseling, and professional therapy.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m absolutely committed to the following motto, even if it brings about my downfall: have self-love, will travel. Mottos like that are super powerful when they can get you to the point of making a story that has said motto scribbled all over it. And that story is shared with community members worldwide.
Put simply, that’s one of the best philosophies anybody can live by. Maybe not to the point of ten tons of power breeding arrogance, even if you’re pure at heart and say your prayers by night.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
The way I look at it, it’s going to be easy for people to think I didn’t have to work at being a jack of all trades.
Actually, I did, if my neurodivergent brain is anything to go by (the name applies to anyone who’s ADHD, on the spectrum, etc.)
