MUNCIE, Ind. — Muncie has experienced extreme weather this winter, and with spring approaching, Muncie locals are taking advantage of the warmer days that come with it. With the warmer seasons approaching, small business owners are getting back to work before it starts getting busy.
For Braiden Robinson, owner of Wook’s Workshop, a 9-5 lifestyle was never his end goal.
“I’ve always wanted to do something for myself, work for myself, so that’s what kinda gave me the motivation to like look for things I'm into and to turn into a career,” Robinson said.
After suffering from a life-changing car accident, Robinson gathered his creative talents together and brought his lapidary business to life. During the day, he spends time in his studio carving pieces of stone down to perfection.
“Being able to turn what Mother Nature made already into something more beautiful is pretty spectacular,” Robinson explained.
Those “somethings” are pieces of polished jewelry and gemstones. He sells these pieces at vendor events like First Thursdays at Muncie Makers Market year-round.
When he’s not in the studio, Robinson is up to something more heated. During the day, he’s a lapidarist, but at night, he’s a fire performer.
“I’ve always been kind of a pyro when I was a kid, I like to look at the campfire and stuff like that,” Robinson said.
That kid grew up to be a professional fire tosser, performing at different events all around Muncie. To some, fire is harmful, but it brings him peace.
“I kind of get into a meditative state when I’m doing it and zone out and just really focus on just me and the fire. And it really brings me to this calm, serene place and I look cool doing it,” Robinson said.
Robinson’s been on the fire tossing route for over six years, bringing entertainment to local events during warmer seasons. Fire tossing was not easy at first, but after attending Kinetic Fire at Flow Fest in 2024, Robinson knew immediately what he wanted to do.
“The first day I lit them on fire and was like ‘that’s intense,’ but after practice and drilling, I'm really not afraid of the fire anymore,” Robinson said.
Robinson is not hard to catch; he practices often at parks and open spaces, all while staying safe.
“I decided to pull the trigger on getting insurance for it so I can do it professionally, and it’s been a growing thing since then,” Robinson said.
Robinson is just getting started before the summer. For any information on how to book a session with Robinson, reach out through his personal Facebook account at Braiden Robinson
Contact Kahmara Munn with comments at kahmara.munn@bsu.edu.
