I'm Derek and my story started in Jacksonville, Florida (Go Jags). I grew up attending school for music from middle school into college. I was extremely fortunate to be exposed to many different avenues for creative expression through the arts.  Finding candle-making as a hobby gave me the same ability to associate memories and thoughts to the soul through the senses, but with my nose instead of ears.  

COVID in 2020 began my journey with candle-making, like most people who found themselves stuck at home and needing to fill their time.  I had spent most of the late 2010's in the service industry, so the shutdown gave me a lot of things to reconsider beyond just a job.  It was a perfect time for me to reassess where my life was, and where my life was heading.  

After facing some personal struggles with drinking and the isolation of the shutdown, my therapist challenged me to find a new creative outlet.  I was looking for something that didn't involve my eyes since I'm already doing that for 8+ hours daily in my career field.  I was also looking for something that I could do alone and just crank music while my dog (Layla) stares at me, waiting for a moment of attention.  I always loved the catharsis of burning candles, so why not try to make my own?

I wanted to take my experience with craft cocktail creating, my experience in blending instruments in music, and channel that into each candle.  I try to encapsulate those experiences into capturing my own Distant Thoughts through each candle.  Some of them sound weird, but I hope you enjoy.