Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Floyd.
Hi Cody, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
While attending college and working a minimum wage job, I was desperately looking for a way to bring in more income. While I enjoyed making art, I was unsure of how to go about selling it. While getting supplies one day, I found a DIY screen printing kit and decided to give it a shot. After making a quick drawing of a skull and staining much of my apartment with emulsion, I finally had a shirt made! It was printed in the complete wrong spot and the colors did not nearly align, but I was proud of it. After finding some local art markets, I borrowed a table from work, grabbed a Halloween picnic table cloth and set up for my first event. While I made 1 or 2 pity sales, it was the beginning of how I’d be spending the next few years. I made many amazing friends and connections by going out to different events around the Austin and San Marcos area, gradually improving my set up and creating an art style I could call my own. I worked with a few organizations such as Hays County Food Bank and Austin Bulldog Rescue and eventually got a job screen-printing for Outhouse Designs. The owners were super generous and allowed me to use their equipment after hours and gave me the ability to create in a much more professional manner.
Today I still take my art to as many events as possible. I enjoy sharing my art with the world and through it, sharing my experiences living in this great state.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road had definitely not been an easy one for me. Having the courage to set up a booth with all your works out in front of you and explaining it to strangers was a struggle. Many events I would attend I would not make a single sell, sometimes not even see a single person walk by. It wasn’t till later on I realized that it was less about trying to make a sale and more about meeting your fellow artists and connecting with new people who wanted to see what you had to offer. As with many other people COVID had a huge impact on my life. I had to move back to my parent’s place back in Dallas and essentially had no way of selling my work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in creating alternative Texas art, most notably in the form of apparel. Other forms of my art can be found in my paintings, prints, animations and tattoos. What I am most proud of is the art style I have made for myself. In most of my works, you can see the inspiration of traditional tattoo art, as well as Texas and western culture.
The biggest thing that sets me apart would most likely be the process. While almost everyone is trying to start up another clothing brand and make it big, I choose apparel as my main medium because I enjoy the entire process of burning a screen, printing each shirt by hand, and finding new and unique ways I can push the boundaries.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I often will not take a risk if I cannot guarantee my safety. While many artists I know have been able to go full time with their art, I to this day am unable to make that commitment. I feel I have too much relying on me that taking that risk would affect more than just myself. With that being said, I have had to take many risks to build what I do have. This includes paying vending fees for events with money that should be going to rent, trusting people to honestly sell my products in their places of business, and purchasing equipment not knowing if I will see that money made back.
Contact Info:
- Email: crankycoffin@gmail.com
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Crankycoffin
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crankycoffin/
