The P.O.P Issue 004 - Julian Cousins

The P.O.P. (Portraits of POPLIFE) documents inspiring individuals who push artistic boundaries and strive for excellence in order to advance the communities around them. Uniting a wide range of talented creatives from diverse backgrounds, this editorial series invites them to share their passions and the impact they've had on the realms of hospitality, music, fashion, art, and design.

For this issue of The P.O.P., POPLIFE spent time with Julian Cousins, the man behind the camera and the man behind your favorite cookies, LIGER’S!

Read more below.

What is your organization/company and title?

Julian Cousins: I do photography under my own name, Julian Cousins. My cookie company is called LIGER’S!. All caps!

What do you (or your company) do?

JC: I take photos and at LIGER’S! I bake “Miami’s best cookies” according to Time out magazine.

How did you get started doing this?

JC: I got into photography when a friend traded me a t-shirt of mine he wanted for a Konica film camera. That Konica was the first analog camera I ever used and it taught me so much.

With baking, I started because in October 2019 I was sent to Kelowna Canada for a Bon Appetite shoot. While I was there I had a chocolate chip cookie that changed my life. I got back to Miami and tried to find a cookie as good, with no luck. Shortly after, the pandemic started and I was home with nothing but time. So I spent that time trying to perfect the chocolate chip cookie. I've been selling them ever since.

What is your passion outside of your current roles?

JC: Recently, I have been spending any free time I have, doing airbrush paintings. They are pretty wacky and I'll probably never show them to anyone. I just started with it but I’ve been really enjoying them.

What do you hope people notice most about you?

JC: I hope people notice that I'm quiet because I'm anxious and nervous almost all the time, not because I'm rude.

How has your photography inspired your business?

JC: Well, photography is my business and livelihood. For LIGER’S!, my photography experience has been invaluable. Being able to shoot my own product is great because I know firsthand how important presentation is.

Tell us about what you’re currently working on.

JC: I am working on spending more time doing creative things for the sake of creating and not linked to making money the way photography has become. More so finding something new that excites me. Because for the record, I am very much stoked that I can live off of taking pictures.

What inspired this project?

JC: The need for something new.

What would you tell your younger self?

JC: You have more time than you think.

When do you feel the most creative?

JC: I feel the most creative when...well honestly, when I am the saddest. I'm not sure how to explain the feeling but I think because creating is therapeutic for me the two work hand and hand. After I've created something I feel better, or less sad. If I am sad I create something to feel better. It's a sick cycle.