We asked some of the city’s leading artists and creatives to tell us about how they decided to pursue an artistic or creative career. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Anastasia Ostrom-Weitz | Small Business Owner

Growing up, I always felt drawn to the arts, but I never found anything that I felt suited me. Rather, I found that I was unable to stay significantly engaged in any one thing long enough to really grasp it in full. I’ve dabbled in theatre, painting, guitar, pottery, writing, dance, and more, but while each served their purpose, none ever felt fulfilling enough long term. Read more>>

Dania Nasri | Dancer, Actor, Model

Performing has always been a part of my life. I first started dancing when I was 4 years old. Throughout the early years of my childhood, I also tried a variety of activities including gymnastics, karate, horseback riding, and more. However, the only activity I truly enjoyed and wanted to continue doing was dancing. When I was a teenager, I auditioned and joined the performing group at my dance studio. Read more>>

Candias Smith | Jewelry Artist, Designer & Curator

The artistic career chose me! I tried the 9-5 it didn’t work for me. I needed to feel fulfilled and I can only achieve such a feeling when I am being creative. I chose jewelry this time around because it’s so beautiful, cherished and timeless. Read more>>

Shala Nyx | Actor

It’s about having the freedom to play for me! I love the creative expression of acting and it was about having all of the fun that comes with creating a character and storytelling. With my living room as my stage as a child, I’d entertain our family and friends by acting out our favourite television shows and impersonating the greats, I loved making people laugh, it was a dream come true that I could actually pursue this career path professionally! Read more>> 

Yilin Lai | VFX Compositing Artist

Initially, I didn’t pursue a creative career. I started at a general university in Texas, studying business, electrical engineering, and computer science. However, I realized that I couldn’t truly commit to these fields and felt quite unhappy. Read more>>

Ivaylo Angelov | Abstract Painter

Honestly, it feels like the artistic career pursued me, if anything. Looking back, I wasn’t given much of a choice in the matter. I had no other “practical” skills, and I still don’t. Read more>>

Martín van der Valk | Art Director & Designer

Growing up, I was always sure I’d end up doing something creative. For most of my childhood I dreamt of designing buildings, but after discovering Photoshop as a 13 year old I couldn’t get enough. It became my goal to work in a capacity that allows me to do what comes naturally to me. Read more>>

Christian Aceves | Writer/Director

Okay. Stay with me here. My earliest memory of my love for cinema was at the age of 6. My mother—working as an interior designer and in the aftermath of an ugly divorce—would often drag my older sister and I around on personal business errands. Read more>>

Pamela Manning | Creative multi-hyphenate: indie filmmaker, photographer, artist, designer, and skincare brand founder.

From a young age, I was immersed in a world brimming with creativity. My father, an artist, filled our home with vibrant paintings and sculptures, each piece telling its own story. My mother, a talented clothing designer, transformed fabric into stunning garments, and I had the privilege of wearing handmade, stylish clothing throughout my childhood. Read more>>

Darah Haimovitz | MFA Graphic Design Student

I chose to pursue graphic design as a career because it bridges all of my creative interests. My background is in English and I have a love for creative writing. In graphic design, I get to incorporate this passion into projects like bookmaking or campaigning, where storytelling and design intersect. Read more>>

Arno De Ruyte | Musician, songwriter & producer

Friendship, curiosity, passion and hunger. Read more>>

Junru Zhang | Filmmaker, Curator, Founder of WhimLens

Because it allowed me to be whimsical, weird, and bold. I grew up in a small town in Southwest China, small enough to get a unanimous response if you asked people the definition of “a good job”. It would be excluded from uncertainty and risk, ensuring a stable but mediocre lifestyle. Read more>>

Veda Baldota | Actor

I was an athlete my whole childhood. I got recruited to be on track and cross country team at UC Berkeley, where I did my undergrad. In my last semester of sophomore year, my sister, Vaamaa, reminded me I hadn’t fulfilled my arts requirement, and I was like “oh” and she said “Why don’t you take an acting class?” and I was like “Dude, what am I gonna do in an “acting class”” and she said, “Dude, I am your sister. Read more>>

Arda Aykut | Violist

Actually, when I was little, I didn’t know any other way. My father is an opera singer, my brother is a pianist, conductor and currently a PhD student in film music composition. When I reached the age of taking the conservatory exam, I was automatically prepared mentally. Read more>>

Daniel Yaryan | Publisher, event producer and author.

It all started as a passionate drive to build a creative literary movement with my event series Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts (SWBG) on August 23, 2008. I wanted to bring together storytellers, poets, multimedia artists, independent filmmakers and musicians into a roving multimedia super-show that embraced the old tribal custom of sharing by the campfire and connecting to fellow human beings — something I felt was lacking in the American culture. Read more>>

Zoila Molina | Photographer

I think this happened naturally because I always liked creative activities. My mother is a painter and an art teacher, so I grew up drawing and painting by her side. Then I became more interested in learning music and I learned how to play guitar and drums, and around 16 I connected deeply with photography and realized that the camera was my instrument. Read more>>

Ryan C. Lopez | Animated Film Director

Like many others, my moment of inspiration to pursue Filmmaking came when I watched the original Star Wars as a kid, I remember finishing the Original 1977 film and being blown away by the sheer spectacle and scale of it. Specifically, though, I remember seeing George Lucas’ name at the start of the end credits, and wondering who he was, and what he did. Read more>>

Quinn Thomashow | Cinematographer/Filmmaker

I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm in rural Vermont, where my mother raised our meat, and I became inseparable with the animals and nature. My life was one of constant world building, because growing up in a town of 1,000 people, with no cell service, you were forced to be creative and live in a world of embellishments and fantasies. Read more>>

Daannah King | Personal stylist and Anthropologist

When I was younger I was obsessed with Bratz dolls and dress-up games. This obsession led me to visual art and the study of self-expression in anthropology. Styling became a way I could help others not only explore their sense of self, but also help them gain confidence in themselves. Read more>>

Joel Urzua | Talent

I pursued an artistic career because, at a pivotal moment in my life, I realized it was my true purpose and calling. This decision wasn’t easy, as it takes time to truly know oneself and identify one’s talents. I discovered I had exceptional skills in areas such as voice, creativity, imagination, communication, and emotions, among others. Read more>>

Jordan “Eratik” White | Multi-Hyphenate Artist

I decided to pursue an artistic career because art is one of the only things on this planet that truly makes me happy. Monetary gain is cool and all, but it isn’t everything. Remember that money, cars, and fame don’t go in the coffin with you. You’re going to be down there by yourself, so you need to be sure that you are happy with yourself. Read more>>

Thais Gonzalez | Mosaic Artist & Graphic Designer

Since I was young I have always believed that if you do something you love, you never truly “work” a day in your life. I took this very seriously as I entered the workforce with a passion to create. Spending a majority of my adolescence in the foster care system, art has always been a rewarding escape for me. Read more>>

Jessica Hsu | Concept Designer and Illustrator

I’ve always personally felt that I was not good at anything else unless it involved creativity. I love drawing, painting, studying, and anything art related. The best part of it is the problem-solving aspect of designing. My goal is to evoke emotions that resonates with my audience on a personal level and being able to see how my work affects the big-picture and help others. Read more>>

Anzo Diaz | Creative Director

I think I always had this creative mind and artistic vision since I was very young. I had ton of referents that kept me inspiring me to keep going. My references always were pursuing their dreams so I was just following their steps and I ended up finding my own voice as well. Read more>> 

Grant Pogosyan | Creative Director & Brand Builder

I remember back in the 5th grade we had to write a paper on what we wanted to be when we grew up. I chose graphic designer and stuck to it. I love every second of it. I’m so happy I did what I wanted and never listened to the 100 voices around me telling me otherwise. Read more>>

Natalie McCarty | Publicist, Manager, and CEO

I think the one word most frequently used to describe me is ambitious. Growing up, I was always that kid with a lot of dreams. I was always a creative person. I grew up singing, dancing, and writing all the time—whether it was song lyrics, which later became part of my band Chiara’s Halo’s songs, or stories that now have gone on to be articles for my media company, Gut Instinct—I loved being creative. Read more>> 

Ignacio Sandoval-Reilly | Experimental Animator

When I was in middle school, I would constantly doodle in my notebooks. I think it was a way to relieve stress and also connect with others around me. I used to spend my recesses with three other people just making comics and talking about cartoons that we liked. When I was a freshman in high school, I think it clicked that creating art makes me genuinely happy and that I could make a living from doing it.  Read more>>

Marc Baron | Story teller through film, music and stage

I cannot say there was a specific event. It’s something I have done since I was a child – singing, writing, playing an instrument. When I told my mother that I want to pursue the arts professional, she said “it was in my DNA.” I think she was right.  Read more>>

Rick Farmiloe | Animator and Storyboard Artist

From a very early age I knew I wanted to pursue a life of creativity, more specifically cartoons and animation. As I was growing up my parents urged me to have a Plan B in case my dream of being a cartoonist could not be achieved. Read more>>

Hawthorne Oachs | Musician & Artist

Music and art have always been something I’ve done, for as long as I can remember. As a teenage observer of the world, creativity is how I make sense of everything. When I realized the possibility that something I’ve created might have a positive effect on someone else, I recognized that the universe could be pulling me towards a personal mission. Read more>>