Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Reigh Casimir

I just love to create. I believe the Creator who made me—and everything around me—put that desire in me. Creating has always felt like a calling. As a kid, I wanted to be an inventor, then an engineer, because I was fascinated by how things are made and why they work the way they do. Eventually, I realized that film was the perfect combination of everything I love: imagination, structure, learning, and impact.  Read More>>

Jamie Lou

I’ve always had a wild imagination. Before I could even write, my siblings and I would act out dramatic stories and force our parents to watch them. When I was older, my father used to take me out to the Rocky Mountain forests to cut down trees and sell the firewood. I imagined fairies lived in the mountains and made up stories about forest spirits that protected us while we worked. I started writing short stories to help me understand the world around me. When I was around ten years old, I wrote a story about how the god of the night sky fought with the god of the day sky over the moon. They were in a constant tug-of-war, making the moon wax and wane. My teacher liked that story. Read More>>

Maria Ramirez-Meyers

While both my parents are in the medical profession, they were huge film fanatics. They showed me “Laura” (Otto Preminger, 1942), when I was 12 years old. I would wake up in the middle of night, and watch old films on TCM with my dad, and my mom was an avid art lover. I was always encouraged to love cinema, and as I got older I think that adoration became this desire to make film and art. Read More>>

Kimin Kim

The ongoing emotions and struggles that occur while pursuing creative practice have been the biggest drawing force, as this way of working chose me as a painter. From early on, I was drawn to the areas that don’t have easy answers, the vague spaces between language, and the metaphors we carry on. Painting became where I could investigate all that clearly in visual language. Over time, it stopped being something I did on the paper or canvas and became how I process experience, memory, and presence. Read More>>

Ying Wang

The places I’ve been to, the people I’m involved with, the memories I have and the dreams that happened to me, are all traces and proofs of my existence. And more than anything I wish to maybe, just maybe, find someone out there in the world saying, that’s the same with me too. Then I would know that my art is worth something. Through the twists and turns on this long path of creative process and personal discovery, I triumphed the conflicts and challenges in order to chase after my real pursuit. Read More>>

Denise Eileen

I’ve loved fashion for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I would dress up in my newest outfits and create pretend runways in the living room, showing off everything I had just picked out with my mom and sister during our weekend shopping trips. I was endlessly inspired by pop icons like Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga—watching their music videos on repeat, captivated by the fashion, the choreography, and the world they created through style and movement. Read More>>

Katty Q

Creativity is not just my job — it’s a way of life. I’ve always searched for ways to convey
emotion and create something unique, whether through music or visual expression. I
started my career as a model at 14 and quickly realized the power of expressing meaning
through appearance. Read More>>

Mikey Candela

I decided to pursue an artistic career because I’ve expressed interest in music at an early age. From what my family tells me; I used to dress up as different artists that were popular at the time and perform their music around the house for all to see. Once I became an adult, I realized that making music not only makes me happy but others as well. Receiving feedback from friends and family has had a positive impact on me and my decision on making music my career. Fast forward to present day, I still enjoy receiving feedback, but now it’s from people from all over the world. Read More>>

Paloma Ronquilllo

I chose an artistic and creative career because it’s something that makes me the happiest. I was actually discouraged from choosing a similar career like mine because “you won’t make very much money and it’s better to keep it a hobby.” I do not regret choosing the path I chose, I love being creative and making artistic projects. Being a cinematographer is truly a rewarding job. I am passionated and proud to continue to grow, learn and tell visual stories. Read More>>

Vadym Kravchenko

I’ve always known I was a creative soul.
Ever since I was just three years old, I was obsessed with watching music videos on TV. I didn’t just enjoy the music — I was captivated by the way the artists looked, the styling, the visuals, the entire mood. I would notice every detail: the outfits, the makeup, the vibe. Even then, I was drawn to the world of fashion, beauty, and creative expression. Read More>>

Gilbert Garcia

So I decided to pursue the creative career when I realized it was the thing that helped me see the world in a new perspective. Being a photographer / videographer are skills I acquired that would help me explore that, to connect with people in a way that went beyond what they could see. So, I decided to dive into it and let my creativity lead the way. Read More>>

John Reynolds

Art for me is something that has always been unavoidable, because I’m totally lost in my own fantasy world most of the time! I paint highly imagined settings that play with notions of utopia and dystopia, landscapes in harmony and in peril. The paintings are an extension of what’s happening in my mind, as well as my response to the world around me. It’s a transformative experience to find something that I’m absolutely obsessed with. I think about painting all the time. The career then become based on the obsession. Read More>>

Rick Feldman

In 2010, I lost my oldest son Zac, and it completely shattered me. I was drowning in grief, trying to find my footing again. At the time, I had just started a new path in real estate after spending 16 years DJing and managing nightclubs. I’d always been connected to the arts—playing drums in my teens, capturing moments with my first 35mm camera when I was just 10—but it never really occurred to me that photography could be more than a hobby. It didn’t seem like something I could do professionally. Read More>>

Xiao Jin

My answer might be quite simple: if we only have one life, then before I leave, I want to live through certain experiences—and engaging in creative work is one of them. Of course, the definition of creativity evolves over time, but this desire stems from my own understanding of who I want to be. Since childhood, I’ve spent time and energy on aesthetics-related pursuits, even though my artistic skills weren’t particularly exceptional. People often begin their careers based on their strengths, and in my case, I was fortunate to gradually transition from architecture into the CG industry. Both fields are deeply rooted in art and creativity. Read More>>

Danting Li

I chose a creative career because I genuinely enjoy using my design skills to help rebrand businesses and elevate their visual identity. I am good at balancing business objectives, client needs, technical limitations, and strong design thinking. I also love the flexibility of being able to create from anywhere with just my laptop, whether I’m in the office or on the go, rain or shine. Read More>>

Atharva Dhekne

Growing up I was always involved with art around me. I trained on classical piano since the age of five and grew up influenced by my father’s music taste. He always had Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, BB King, The Eagles, and so many more rock and blues classics playing while I was growing up. My parents always encouraged engaging in creative pursuits in addition to academics — be it drawing, painting, or music. In that sense I feel that I always had a unique upbringing which encouraged and recognized the full worth of having even a creative hobby.  Read More>>