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.

Taylor Ballantyne | Director & Photographer

I grew up in the creative industry as a young kid, surrounded by all different types of artists. It was the world I knew and what I felt most connected to. Both my parents worked in film and television. I was raised around a writer and a producer. Story telling and the power of it was a huge discussion in our home. I fell in love with photography at 13 years old, and ended up starting my own business at 16. Photography taught me how to create a story within a single image. Learning how to master this allowed me to expand on a larger scale. As a director and photographer my job is to connect with people on an emotional and personal level to learn how best to tell their story.  Read more>>

Vic Brown | video editor & photographer

The simple answer is that I wanted to pursue something I was truly passionate about, rather than just working a job to make money. Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by creativity. My close circle of friends included musicians, graffiti artists, fashion designers, and filmmakers—all incredibly talented in their own right. Being around them from a young age really planted the seed for my own creative journey. Read more>>

Shino Tang | Animation director

I would say pursuing a career in animation was a pleasant accident. When I got into college in Shanghai, China, it was when the animation industry in China was blooming. So I decided to go for animation major, simple as that.
In addition to that, I am very grateful that my mentor in my bachelor years was so unique and very much into experimental animation. She really broaden my horizons and understandings of animation. Read more>>

Julia Pereira | Illustrator

When I was a kid, I was always reading. Getting lost in stories with fantastical worlds and relatable characters that inspired me to begin drawing. I started illustrating all of my favorite characters (with their hands behind their backs, of course) in edgy outfits straight from Hot Topic on lined notebook paper. But what took it from a hobby into a career was the decision I made when I was in high school. I was torn between taking arts classes and physics classes, as they were always placed in the same time slots, but eventually I realized that if I didn’t pursue art, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Killian Hough | Music Artist, Actor, and Filmmaker

I chose one because I love expressing myself and normalizing my own complexity through art. I don’t like to think of it like a career per se. I see it as a way I live and love. Read more>>

Anthony Fletcher | Independent Filmmaker & Grad School Student

As a child, I was always interested in the arts, mainly because I don’t have any athletic ability, like my older siblings. I have a large and vivid imagination, so I had many hours of playing with my action figures in my room. As I got older, movies would get more prominent in my life, especially when I was able to go the theater by myself, and just immerse myself. Like most filmmakers, Star Wars 77’ gave me the biggest impact and would trigger my interest in the movie making process. Read more>>

Samuel Armando Gunawan | Performing Musician, Music Producer & Audio Engineer

Being a musician has been a huge dream that I have ever since I was little. I personally feel that I am not the type of person who could express my thought easily through words, so the way that I chose to share my feelings is through music and sound. Read more>>

Jason Luv | Vixen Media Group exclusive contract star, model, entrepreneur and author

I have always felt comfortable in front of the camera, and why not financially capitalize on that comfortability. Aside from being comfortable, I have always had a very creative mindset. For as long as I can remember I enjoyed putting my own artistic spin on different endeavors I pursued. Whether those endeavors consisted of music, fashion, videography, etc. I added my own twist. Read more>>

Iskandria Sturdivant | Actor

I knew it was what I was meant to do. No question about it. I always loved escaping “imagining” going into other worlds being other characters, and then when I was little my dad took me to see a musical, Wicked. It was my first time being in a theater, but this one part that really made me go I want to be an artist I want to act, was when Glinda the good witch came down from her bubble. I was in winder of her bubble, her pink sparkly dress, her crown and wand. I was like “I could do this for a living?”. Im very grateful for my dad and that special memory that I will always hold in my heart, that initially sparked my passion for wanting to be an actor.  Read more>>

Clover Choi | Lifestyle Blogger

When I was five years old I received a little turquoise digital camera that ignited my love for all things photography and videography. From there I began taking blurry photos of my toes to recording videos for my stuffed animals. After my freshman year of high school, I launched a new Instagram profile dedicated to blogging. I wanted to create a personal space where I could feel free to express myself and post whatever inspired me. As I shared my passions, I became captivated by the idea that I could turn these interests into a business, allowing me to brand myself authentically. I saw the potential to connect with others who shared similar interests and to build a community around my creative pursuits, blending my love for content creation with entrepreneurial aspirations. Read more>>

Rayanna Enriquez | Tattoo artist

I’ve always loved drawing. I realized it made the most sense for me to pursue the Arts in some way. It makes me feel very full. Read more>>

Kelcey Fisher | Artist, Muralist & Designer

I honestly wasn’t pursuing a career at all and was kind of lost when I really started painting. It was more of an escape for me from the limelight of the sports life I had been living. I left my lacrosse scholarship in Maryland Sophomore year and knew I wanted to get back to California but the only reason I ended up in LA was because the coach at LMU said he could get me in with my horrible gpa to help out the club lacrosse program. I changed my major from business to graphic design because I was told that was the only way to make money as a creative. I started putting my designs on canvas and my roommates allowed me to use our little one car garage as a studio. Read more>> 

Lars Toler | Writer, Actor, Director, Vocalist

I find art, from creative writing to performing, to be the most fulfilling and cathartic outlet for me. I have been able to transform my negative emotions – traumas, fears – into the most beautiful things. Read more>>

Starline Hodge | Pop Culture/Fantasy Artist & Video Editor

I pursued a creative career because it was something I was always drawn to. Most people draw a lot when they were little kids, but I just never stopped. Even when exploring other career paths in college, I couldn’t imagine a life without creating and sharing my art. I filled up countless sketchbooks and just had fun trying a bunch of techniques and crafts. There was always a part of me that thought, “I’m going to make and sell art even if it was on the side.” It was never a question that I wouldn’t be creative in my life. Read more>>

Arthur Damásio | Audio Engineer

It is what really drives me, what make me wake up every day and be happy and grateful to do what i do. I can really work long hours several days straight and keep feel fresh like when i was starting out. For me, that feeling that you always have something to lear is essential to keep on track. Besides that, every time i accomplish a milestone like working with some artist or musician i grew up listening to is like a dream coming true, just keep me inspired. Read more>>

Bonnie Lippincott | Author & Podcast Host

When I had children, I felt my own identity shattered and was being rebuilt. This was an invitation to grow, and to create. This is why I wrote Entry Level Mom book. The goal of this book was to uplift through honesty and positivity. This led to Entry Level Mom Podcast. Read more>>

Jessica Tang | Concept Artist & fantasy believer

I simply love creating stories. From a young age, storytelling has deeply impacted me, and even now, I still get ultra emotional thinking about the stories that shaped who I am. Whether it’s a powerful moment in a film, a scene in a play, or a breathtaking sequence in a game, I’ve always felt drawn to the emotions these mediums evoke. Read more>>

Sam Harter | Stand up comedian, podcast host & streamer

I was in my 20’s watching the desire to live life disappear from the eyes of all my older co-workers. At some point most my co-workers had bigger dreams and goals than working in a kitchen but they stopped pursuing them because they worked in a kitchen. Working in a kitchen is a job so physically and mentally draining that it will make you give up on your life’s goals, after clocking out of a shift at a restaurant all any employee wants to do is go home(or to a bar), sit, and relax until they have to go to sleep and wake up and do it all again the next day. Read more>>

Hayley Sigmon | Writer and Filmmaker

Since I was a child, I have known no other ambition than to be a writer. I started writing about what escapades my stuffed animals and Polly Pocket dolls would get into in the second grade, and from there became an ardent bookworm and avid storyteller, writing about aliens and monsters in the woods and brave little girls. In the seventh grade my love for writing was validated by my beloved English teacher (Dr. O’Brien, I am so grateful to you!) who encouraged me to pursue my dreams. No one in my family has pursued artistic endeavors, so I made it my goal to be the one who did. Read more>>

Mackenzie Fisher | Editor, Sound Designer, & Script Supervisor

For as long as I can remember movies have always been a part of my life. My childhood consisted of watching movies at home or going to the theater with my family. It felt like every weekend we were either at the movies or a sporting event for me or a sporting event for my brother. When people said they did not watch films I could not understand what they did with their free time. When I got a little older, I learned that there was more to films than just acting. There was a whole world behind the camera. A crew of hundreds of people helping to create the film I was sitting in the theater watching. I just knew I had to find a way to become a part of that. Read more>>

Sophia Alvarado | Portrait Photographer

I got into photography by being inspired by the photos in magazines and the media growing up. I thought it was cool to see the how the visual language and point of view are shown and interpreted through the eyes of the artist, and the viewer in photography. I was fascinated in all types of photography but my interest gravitated towards fashion and portrait photography. I’ve always really enjoyed shooting nature and started out by shooting flowers up close. I learned working with film, black and white and darkroom in high school with a 35mm camera and went on to own a 120mm film camera.  Read more>>

Jourdan Jade | Recording Artist & Cannabis Entrepreneur

After a decade of corporate jobs and working for other people, I needed to be self-employed and have a creative outlet. I was tired of working 40+hours for someone else’s dream, and decided to commit to making my own a reality. Now I own two cannabis companies and am performing my music throughout the nation. Read more>>

Sajah Francesca | Author

Since I was a child, I have always naturally gravitated towards interests and avenues that are derived from a means of artistic expression. I was raised in a religious environment, which encouraged the attending congregation to think simply and discouraged the idea of questioning the institution. I felt incredibly restricted in this environment, especially since it was prevalent in all avenues of my life. My mother worked as a children’s minister, my father was a deacon, and I attended private schools which upheld specific religious values and ideals until my final year of middle school. Many of my classes required me to meditate on the Bible and memorize long, complicated passages staring at age five.  Read more>>

Kamil Ghaouti | Music Producer & DJ

I was fortunate enough to start making music and falling in love with it at age 15 when I was still in high school out of pure passion and an obsession to sound as good as my favorite artists at the time so by the time I went to uni three years later, I already had somewhat of a career start with releases on decent record labels and a few nice DJ supports without feeling the pressure of adult responsibilities. I believe that if I had started in my 20s or later, I would have felt a lot more pressure because of the need to make a living and probably would have decided to make music a hobby instead of my occupation.
Ultimately, I pursued an artistic career because passion and timing allowed me to get to a certain skill level and accomplishments earlier on in life, giving me the confidence and delusion to do it full-time. Read more>>

Sophia Renée | Luxury Event Stylist

I actually decided to pursue a creative career while pursuing my Business Degree at Cal State Long Beach. I saw what a “9-5” life could look like, and I knew that wasn’t for me. After I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree, I decided to pivot. I knew I wanted a more free flowing, artistic career, where my passions could truly thrive. That’s when I started Events by Sophia Renée. Read more>>

Su Lwin | Writer

Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a novelist. There is no other longing that I’ve felt more deeply than that, even though I wished many times that I didn’t.
My road to writing was a difficult one because I didn’t get much encouragement from my family when I was young. I inherited a lot of limiting beliefs from them, and it took me a long time to start writing, and keep writing. But I always felt no matter how much the odds were stacked against me, writing was a dream that I couldn’t give up on, and that’s what made me keep going. Read more>>

Sergio Brito | Writer

I’m beginning to think I never had a choice. From when I was a kid, I spent all my time creating stories in my head, lost in daydreams and books. As I got into high school, I was captivated by music and started a band with my close friends and music consumed my life. Once I set out into the adult world, moving from city to city and working, I stopped playing music but started writing again, my head once again filled with stories just like in childhood. So really, I feel like i’ve always needed an artistic outlet, and as I venture through life, writing has been my North Star guiding me through it all. Read more>>

Kuba Dudek | Guitarist & Composer

I was drawn to music from the moment I first heard rock music at the age of 13. From the instant I picked up a guitar, I knew it was what I wanted to pursue. As I honed my skills and began playing more advanced pieces, I started exploring my own musical ideas. Since then, creating music has become something I can’t live without—it’s a part of me that I have to follow. Read more>>

Shabnam J. Kermani | Composer for Media and Concert – Audiovisual & Multimedia Artist – Music Producer – Audio Engineer

My life was surrounded by art, in all of its forms, and creativity from even before I was born! My mother always recounts that when pregnant with me and my sister, she played classical piano records on her belly.
While my first contact with art was my first painting and piano lessons, my gateway to falling in love with the arts and the colorful world they present was my family. My parents are not professional artists, but they have always been dedicated admirers of the arts. They raised my sister and me in an environment full of art and love for art. In our house in Tehran, Iran, art, both national and international, was everywhere. Read more>>

Rain Hashimoto | Fashion Marketing & Styling

Although often referenced, there’s a quote that I read recently from the Dead Poets Society that deeply touched me. It goes, “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to stay alive. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”  Read more>>

Anaya Monette | Photographer & Local Caffeine Dealer

Growing up I had a very tumultuous childhood. My parents suffered from addiction and being the oldest daughter- everyday was an uphill battle. This catapulted me into escapism (I know it sounds bad but it did me good) I started using my creative mind to escape my reality. I discovered my love for music and singing, my love for capturing the beauty in all humans, and my love for creating. I discovered that I could be anything I wanted to be. Nothing was impossible. As I grew up, I knew with certainty that I was going to be in the creative field. It was freeing and rewarding and I have been chasing that feeling since I was a child.  Read more>>