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.

Melissa HONEY Montesi

I began pursuing an artistic and creative career in tattooing due to several factors and a main reason being that I am permanently disabled with titanium alloy implanted hardware throughout my spine. Becoming a Tattoo apprentice allowed me to work and Create while still being disabled permanently. Read more>>

Skully Brandon

I always knew that i wanted to make videos and be on camera since a kid. So I never felt fulfilled at any 9-to-5 job i had in the past. I first picked up a camera when i was 13 years old and fell in love with making videos all around my neighborhood. Read more>>

Nelson Hill

Honestly, it’s something I’ve always been drawn to. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved movies and storytelling. At first, I thought acting was the path for me, which is actually why I moved to Los Angeles. But once I started making my own films, I realized I fell in love with the entire filmmaking process. Writing, directing, filming, editing, all of it. Read more>>

Berita Sibanda

I pursued a creative career because creativity is at the core of who I am. I first realized I was a creative in high school, and over time I discovered that my talents could not be confined to just one lane. Read more>>

William Diorel E. Villanueva

I pursued this career path because of a dream, and because of my love and passion for creativity. I mean, why spend time dreaming about something when you can actually make it happen? March to the beat of your own drum instead of always following the rules. Read more>>

Sue Martinez

Don’t seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen, and all will be well with you.’ – Epictetus. This philosophy, and pillar of knowledge has been a bridge for me to build my foundation in my personal and professional art practice. Nothing is ever really certain, except the uncertainty in life itself. Read more>>

Chris Wirsig

I can’t say exactly why, but I always had this urge to create. Early in my life I was interested in music and arts, and started with piano lessons when I was about 6 or 7 years old. And I soon discovered the fun in playing around, experimenting with the sounds the piano gave me. Read more>>

Kate White

To be completely honest, I don’t think I really chose an artistic career as much as it chose me. I’ve worked in tech for most of my professional life, and as that industry has faced a lot of instability in recent years, it’s pushed me to think more seriously about the creative work I’ve always loved. Read more>>

Yujin Han

Since young age, I have been drawn to music, composition, and creative expression. I think it’s because I crave constant inspiration, I love discovering different interpretations of art and creating my own versions of them. I am naturally attracted to works with depth and complexity, such as metaphors, poetry, and cinema. Read more>>

Fang Shu

Growing up, I was always drawn to creative work because it felt like a way to bring imagination into reality. I was interested in art, storytelling, films, games, and architecture, but what connected all of them for me was the ability to create experiences that could emotionally resonate with people. I originally pursued architecture because it combined many of those interests into a single discipline. Read more>>

Yvonne Jongeling

Creativity has always been the way the world makes sense to me. Art allows the exploration of emotion, memory, conflict, hope, and human connection in ways words often cannot. Through painting and mixed media, personal experiences and social issues become visual stories that invite reflection and conversation. Read more>>

Nicole Yessler

I’ve always been deeply drawn to self-expression in whatever form feels most authentic to me. From a young age, I was fascinated by the emotion, energy, and storytelling that can exist within creative work. Film, theater, modeling, and visual art have been at the center of my interests for as long as I can remember. Read more>>

Miracle Valenzuela Everett

I always enjoyed making some form of art from drawing, to writing music. When I got to high school, I pushed myself by joining choir and performing in front of others, even though I was more comfortable behind the scenes. I went into college performing original songs, watching more queer cinema and blogging on tumblr. Read more>>

Joe Fondarella

I grew up in a New York Italian family where food was at the center of everything. Sundays were sacred. My nanny Stella played a huge role in my upbringing, and some of my strongest memories are of Sunday dinners with her and my family around the table. Read more>>

Kai-Hsiang Yang

I pursued a creative career because I’ve always been fascinated by how music and sound can communicate what words sometimes cannot. What first drew me in was the emotional power of sound — how a melody, a texture, or even silence can completely change how a story feels. Read more>>

Eva Vyhovska

I’ve known I wanted to be an artist since very early childhood. My mom was something of an artist herself. She never had the chance to pursue that career path, but she’s always had an eye for good music, she designed the apartment we lived in, and right now she’s designing a house entirely on her own. Read more>>

Myesha Nicole

First and foremost, I’m a theatre kid. Even before I officially became one, I was constantly creating little scenes with myself and my cousins. Performing was always instinctive for me. Being on stage was one of the first places where I truly felt like my authentic self. I got to play, explore, feel free, and be fully seen. Read more>>

Janik Rai

I initially studied marketing, but I was always drawn to advertising and the creative side of how ideas are communicated. That curiosity led me into making commercials, where strategy and storytelling intersect. It became a way to follow my instincts while creating work with intention and lasting impact. Over time, it became clear that this was the most honest way for me to work. Read more>>