Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

Caden Healander

I can’t do anything else. I think that’s when I know that taking the risk at being an artist was the right move for me. I lasted as a veterinarian for about 2 days, just thinking about doing it. That’s normally how long my ‘normal job’ fantasies last. I think art is the skill I have to offer in organizing movements as well. Read More>>

Honey Ant

I’ve always loved art. Music, fashion, muesums, etc. But, I growing up it never seemed like a tangible reality to have a career in it. But while in NYC I picked up a second job as a runner at a recording studio and got my first glimpse into a career as an artist. Read More>>

Natalie Marceau

I simply have no other choice, as far as I can tell. The creative spirit has been with me for as long as I can remember and has shaped so much of who I am. When I’m not performing or working on performing, I feel a profound loss, like there’s a part of myself I’m neglecting. Read More>>

Dani Hagan

I think a life as a creative almost chooses you. There was literally nothing else that captured my interest for a career. I considered jobs that paid my bills to be the side hustle, creative expression was always the driving force in my life. Read More>>

Daria Zadorozhna

I’ve been interested in art, creativity, and the history of fashion since childhood. I was always drawing, performing in theater, and singing. Creativity has been a part of me since the very beginning, so it would honestly feel strange if I didn’t choose to express myself in this field. Read More>>

Shannon Hamm

I don’t know that I ever consciously chose a creative career. It always felt like the thing I was meant to do. My parents enrolled me in dance classes when I was three years old, and I still remember the excitement of stepping onto a stage for the first time. Read More>>

Mari Victoria Fallat

I never consciously decided to become an artist. Art has always been the language through which I understand the world and myself. Throughout my life I worked in different creative fields, from fashion and beauty to design, but painting remained the place where I could ask the deepest questions about human nature. Read More>>

Patrick ‘Guitarboy’ Hayes

Growing up in music allowed me to be exposed to the art. It actually chose me because of my family’s interest in instruments. My family formed a gospel group which consisted of my grandparents:Henry MuleTrain, Basheba, my mother Frankie, my aunt Susie and my uncle Junior. I became intrigued with guitars and all the other sounds by watching their performances. It is in my bloodline. Read More>>