LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Creativity comes easy to Erin Cox as a portrait photographer, but when COVID-19 stopped her work, she got creative in a different way.
“If you would have told me two months ago that I would be making yard signs, hundreds of yard signs, delivering them and then shipping them across the United States, I would have said you’re crazy," Cox laughed.
But crazy worked out.
Now her senior portraits adorn Louisville yards and beyond.
Cox's pivot in business was just what the parents of high school seniors needed.
"I'm really trying not to cry right now," said Kristi Lookner, whose daughter's sign was delivered on Tuesday morning. "I'm incredibly proud, she's worked really hard."
Emma Lookner was supposed to graduate from Monarch High School in Boulder Valley in two weeks, and while the ceremony was postponed to late July, she doesn't know what that will look like then.
"Slowly everything just kinda got canceled and now we’re here," she said.
Here is in the front yard celebrating – because it's the only place they can.
"To scream out to the world that she accomplished so much was very important to us," said Kristi Lookner.
It's not the scream they would have let out on graduation day, but all around town neighbors can see the shouts.
Cox has sold more than 100 signs.
"Awesome, come see!" yelled Aria Ward, who was far more excited than her son, Kai Martin, to see the sign.
His senior year ended suddenly, too, and he called it a shock.
A yard sign will have to do for now,
"He has compassion and a really great heart, and you know he's just super smart, I have the smartest kid," laughed Ward.
"She's going to go out there and conquer the world," said Emma Lookner's mom.
They are proud parents, and Cox created a way for them to show their pride.
>> You can order a sign for a graduate here.
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