We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rodney Hooks Jr. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Rodney, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What battle are you avoiding?
I’m avoiding structure, rhythm, and promising myself to show up. I’ve wanted to start a Patreon for a while now because it
1. Can help sustain my cosplaying/content 2. It’s a great way to teach people and have more connections with my fans and followers. Despite this, I’m terrified of the idea of not just creating for myself, but the responsibility of creating for others. It means that I NEED to show up and be more responsible. If I miss a deadline, everyone will know. I know* I’m allowed to learn and make mistakes, and I will probably be fine, but that perfectionism still has a strong grasp on me!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My names is rj and my socials are rj_hooks. I’m a content creator who typically does cosplay-based content. I like to mix cosplay wtih photography, videography, martial arts, editing, suits and menswear, and any other hobbies and skills I’ve picked up along the way! I also enjoy teaching – Talking about anime, cosplay inspiration, my content creation journey, and more! I love pushing cosplay and video to do things that most people would never even attempt!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed that I wanted to be friends with everyone. I was the likable one. The one who could “handle” anyone. That was really my fear speaking. I had a desire to be liked because being liked was being safe. This desire also meant that I never full expressed myself and I shrunk myself to be compatible with anyone. This showed in my content because while I was still creating and doing new things, I was very reserved. Once I began to accept byself myself, I began to accept that I won’t be for everyone. Once I accepted that, my content got more eccentric, yet more interesting. That’s when the passion for creating really took off!
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me that while you may not always get the path or ending that you wanted, there are still numerous other outomes which can be just as fulfilling, or better! I’m pretty hard-headed, unfortunately. Sometimes, I won’t learn my lesson until I SUFFER. If I keep finding some sort of “win” or “positive,” I will keep doing things the hard way or being in unfavorable positions. I think being faced with – Losing a close friend, missing out on grad school, my job shutting down, etc. all forced me to remember that there are endless opportunities in life. Take your tiem to grieve, feel pain and disappointment, and be frustrated, but don’t stay stuck in that failure. If you allow yourself a sort of flexibility for happiness in general, it makes “succeeding at life” a bit easier.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Hard work is always going to come out on top. As a content creator/artist/cosplayer, hard work can* come out on top. Hard work can* make you successful. But just being good isn’t always enough. I’m constantly reminding people that just because your video or cosplay is amazing and your work is clean, doesn’t mean it will automatically be watched nor appreciated. Just because a video is viral doesn’t mean it has substance or is high quality. I don’t even think that hard work is always as valuable as the easy stuff. I know that a lot of people don’t like that realization, but I think in order to healthily sustain yourself as a content creator, you need to deconstruct “good and bad,” content, “hard work and easy stuff,” and your worth vs how “well” your content does. So many times we equate worth or quality to view and likes, and that is simply not true and unfair to yourself. Should you stop working at your craft? Absolutely not. Keep working, but understand it’s not an instant gaurantee for success. Your race, gender, identity, location… Even what’s happening on the opposite side of the world from you, can determine how your content, yourt art, or your craft is perceived.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
Funnily enough, I was asking myself this question 30 minutes ago… I decided to stop thinking about it, but now I guess I’m forced to face the question. I think my versatility and curiosity would remain. I’ve gone through several hobbies in my life, but I don’t necessarily strongly miss the hobbies I’ve given up. Wherever I go, I seek to learn more of that area. Whether it’s photography, martial arts, art, science, cosplay, etc., I find a way to push my understanding of things and change what people consider as “normal.” I love learning from different sources to figure out truths, leading to my own path. I never stop at a basic answer. I wish to understand things and not just know them. I feel like anyone who has ever been around me long enough would agree that I can become quite incessant about figure out the “why.” That passion follows me everywhere I go.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rj_hooks
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@rj_hooks
- Other: Tiktok:
tiktok.com/@rj_hooks
Image Credits
1st picture – Underpin Photos
(all others by me)
