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.

Hank Mehren | Musician

I was lucky to find the piano at a pretty early age and have the support I needed to run with it. After sometime, the career path just sort of fell into place. From busking at farmer markets to playing in bands, recording, arranging, gigging and teaching, music never fell short of avenues to venture down. I’ve had my share of all these and continue to do some of them, though, this last year I’ve been doing a lot more touring for an artist and producing some of my own music. Read more>>

D’Angelo Himes | Comedian and Actor

It just made sense. I’ve always been funny. I just never knew what to do about it until I pursued stand-up comedy. Most of the time when I would get cast in a play it would be comedic roles. In college, my best friend Parker and I always talked about how funny we were and how we should stand up, but we were too afraid to do it. We were not only scared of people not finding us funny but also scared that this thing we thought we were meant for might not be for us. It wasn’t until February 2020, when I signed up for the slam poetry open mic, that I thought to myself, “Okay, D’Angelo, if you can go up on stage and make a room full of people reading poetry about how sad they are laugh, then you can make anybody laugh.” And it worked! Read more>>

Ayush Paul | Music Producer & Mixer/Engineer

I am a Music Producer and an Audio Engineer based in Los Angeles. I have spent years carefully carving out my career path, identifying my niche and consistently working upon my skills. Choosing this path was a simple decision, because this was the one field that I always had an unrelenting pasion for. Read more>>

Thomas Wagstaffe | Lead singer of Ryland

I think it’s just how I see the world, so everything led in that direction. I spent my time in music growing up; I met my friends through music, and I learned how to process my emotions through music. It’s always been there nudging me along into new phases of life, so naturally it became the ambition for my career. So when it came to a point of starting the band, it was a no brainer. I believed in it, and I’ve been running for it ever since. Read more>>

Emerson Majano | Chef

Pursuing this culinary artistic career has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life. It all started when I grew up with my great grandmother, she was my driving force to follow this career. My great grandmother had the creativity in the kitchen to find solutions in the culinary field very quickly, such as creating her own stove with bricks and mud. Once I saw so much of her creativity in the kitchen, I was completely captivated by the fact that so much curiosity led me to go into the kitchen, hiding from my dad since my dad was very strict (sexist) since he was more of the people he said, “men don’t cook, that’s women’s work” which was crazy because he knew how to cook. My great grandmother was a genius since she was the author of “I teach you son secretly from your dad” and that’s how my passion for cooking began! Read more>>

Hannah Dubner | Actor, Breathwork Guide & Creativity Coach

One of my teachers says creative energy is powerful, and if you don’t use it, it will use you. This is certainly been the case for me. When I’m not writing or nurturing my inner artist, I get pretty spicy and scattered. I begin to focus on what’s not going “right”.. But I find that when I’m channeling my energy into creating whether it’s my solo show or co-creating a session with a client, I feel at home. I move into a more present, playful, and proud state where I feel less consumed with my own fear. It doesn’t mean that ever step of my creative process is joyful giggles with brilliance flying out. (I wish!) It’s often showing up and being honest about some stickness or frustration or desire and creating from there. Read more>>

AVA WANG | illustrations

Drawing has always been a happy activity for me since my childhood. When my family discovered my interest, my mother enrolled me in a children’s art class, where I had a lot of fun. I enjoy transforming ideas into artwork on paper using various materials, and attending art exhibitions has become a source of joy for me. Despite the academic pressures and burden of schoolwork, I am grateful that I still have this creative outlet. I even turned my textbooks into art, although I apologize to my teachers for that. Read more>>

Steven House | Tattoo Artist

A few reasons, my main one getting into it I wanted to practice and embrace Polynesian tattooing, to also connect with other artists with the same purpose. I grew up around Polynesians of different backgrounds and I always admired the pattern work, each cultures traditional or style of tattoos, tattoo history and tattoo culture. I was really drawn to it. Later in my career I discovered Filipino tattooing. Myself being half white, half Filipino, I was very interested in learning more about this side of my culture and wanted to lean more towards this style to practice and embrace it as well. It’s now the majority of tattoo requests I get asked to do. I pursued the path of a tattoo artist to have the opportunities to give someone a tattoo that can be seen as a representation of their culture on skin and as a form of identity connecting back to their roots. I still offer other styles of tattooing although Filipino and Polynesian design are my main focus. Read more>>

Luiza Girardello | Singer-songwriter & Music Educator

I spent a long time hesitating about becoming a full-time musician. There’s this concept from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way in which she talks about “shadow artists”, which would be people who want to be artists, but who can’t fully commit to their creativity taking whatever form it needs to, so they end up putting their creative energy towards other artistic endeavors, but not quite what they want. I really relate to that. I always wanted to write and perform my own songs, but that felt really scary. So I sang other people’s songs, worked with photography for a long time, produced some music for other people, etc. All of these things were fun, but in my case, at the time, were coming from a space of avoiding what I really wanted. And that all changed when I found out I had cancer at 23 years old. Read more>>

Dorly Jean-Louis | Actor, Model, Journalist & Fashion Stylist

Well, I’ve always had an innate interest in the arts. To me art is life! I possess and lean on my God-given talents and gifts and apply them in my professional life. I also pursued a creative career because as a child I was fascinated and in awe of the artistry of filmmaking. To me the entire process was so magical. In short, my entry to the film business was fueled by my passion to tell visual stories. I was enchanted by the cinematography; the glamorous costumes, set decor, vocals and dance routines. I was especially enthralled by those happily-ever-after stories of old Hollywood movies. I used to pretend I was the heroine and imagined myself on stage or in front of the camera reciting my lines. I kept quiet about my dream until I graduated from high school. That’s when I decided that my post-graduate studies would be concentrated in the arts; fashion design, broadcast journalism and acting. So, passion and action propelled me to where I am today. Read more>>

Samuel Nkrumah | 3D Artist

I embarked on the artistic journey propelled by an unwavering drive to create, leaving an indelible mark on the world through my creations. As the years unfold, my aspiration is for these works to not only be seen but to be eternally remembered as intriguing and captivating pieces of the past. From an early age, I found satisfaction in the world of creativity, drawing inspiration from playing Legos with my sister and the imaginative stories and lore that we created together as well as all of the early 2000’s media I saw. However, it was in high school that a friend of mine saw my drawings and introduced me to Blender, a powerful 3D/CGI software. This discovery marked a pivotal moment for me and, one I always remember as I found a new and exciting medium to bring my ideas to life. As I created anything I could think of the memories of playful creativity with my sister resurfaced, inspiring me to set a profound goal — to create art and later on a series based on the wild and imaginative stories we conjured. The roots of my creative journey lie in these early experiences, laying the foundation for my dedication to making eye-catching visuals and captivating stories. Ever since I started making art in Blender and interacted with so many talented artists and interesting projects I this drive to continue to create and make has only been fueled. Looking back and seeing my steps in my progress has encouraged me even more to accomplish my goal. Read more>>

Jonathan Leon | Voice Actor and Musician

There was no other choice. I have never felt more alive than doing the things that make me happy. Voice acting, making music, dancing. The purpose of life is to live, and I wouldn’t be living how I truley want to if I were to do anything else. Read more>>

Melinda Cardenas | Interior Designer and Creative Thinker

When choosing a career, I believe it is important to harness the things that one is naturally good at. For me, I grew up naturally drawn to design, organization, and being creative. As I got older and started to think about what I wanted to do, I thought about the skills that I wanted to hone in on. Although I thought of myself as being naturally gifted in being creative, I knew I needed to work on the skills that would allow me to do this as a career. Once I did more research on the types of careers I could potentially do, I dove in head first into the world of interior design and architecture. I found that although it is more challenging than I may have originally thought it to be, it allows me to do the things I was naturally gifted at: design, organization, and creativity. As I continue to grow in my career and push myself, I am finding more areas to grow in to become a better designer, thinker, and creative asset to the industry. Read more>>

YILIN DING | Artist & Graduate student

It’s always changing, every piece and every project is a new adventure, it’s fun, and you don’t have to stay in a constant state of boredom, which is very important to me. As an undergraduate, I majored in Chinese Painting, but for my master’s degree, I applied to the Scenography program at the Brera Academy. For me, pursuing art has brought me different experiences, which have turned into beautiful memories and experiences that have slowly woven themselves into my life. Read more>>

Thomas Wu | Sound Designer & Filmmaker

I chose to work in film because it’s the way I felt most comfortable communicating with the world. I studied in local Chinese schools that use Chinese to teach, but since middle school, I suddenly transferred to an international school that teaches in English. It was quite hard since I barely spoke English and all my classmates spoke perfectly fine English. Eventually, I met a film nerd in middle school who started recommending films to me, which drastically helped improve my English. I also started watching a ton of YouTube at the time, to improve my English and just have a common topic with classmates. Eventually, I was always watching creators like FreddieW, Corridor Digital, and Rocket Jump and was hooked on VFX and post-production. Soon I started making films on my own with my friends and it was amazing to figure out a story together, I decided then that I wanted to go to film school and perfect this craft. Being in film school, though facing some challenges, I was even more certain that film is the way to connect with a wider audience and the best way to bring a message to people. Read more>>

Amy Roko | Artist and Social media influencer

It’s crazy, I don’t know how life works but me have a creative career was never an option, I just kept watching from a far, then like a lioness, I kept coming closer and closer. Then, I started getting involved. That’s how I’d describe my transition from the medical field to the social media realm. I was still a student in college, and I started posting funny videos to the world the world responded. Read more>>

Regan Mozingo | Harpist & Composer

Growing up I took great reprieve in the arts. I gained much needed perspective by experiencing other times and places through art and music. Reading literature could completely take me to another place, with my focus growing so intent that I couldn’t hear what was going on around me. I ceaselessly sketched through all my classes, hurrying to finish homework so I could return to my sketches of people and animals. The throughline of creativity in my life lead me directly to a career in the arts. I started with coloring comic book pages for Image comics, then I got a degree in musical performance and composition. Playing music was hard to get paid for but I made ends meet running a dance company for a wealthy benefactor. Scoring large-scale theatrical dance such as Labyrinth Masquerade was a hobby and occasionally a paid endeavor as with Astra Dance Theatre. As soon as I was able I started my company High Priestess Productions as an umbrella company to release the musical albums, promote and produce album or dance company shows and plan the promotional tours. My ethos was to create beauty in the world… but in reality that actually means a lot of little office work tasks. The time I get to spend creating makes it all worth it. There has never been a straight line from art to paycheck for me, but I’ve managed to stay afloat in one of the world’s most creative cities, while continuing to make audacious, mystical beauty in the world. Read more>>

Taryn Zaragoza | Operations in the Creative Industry

Although I’ve never considered myself inherently creative, I’ve always been drawn to careers within creative industries. It fulfills the side of me which craves artistic elements in my life. Architecture, to me, is a form of art that we live in and interact with daily. My role as an Operations Manager at Relativity Architects allows me to be part of this creative process, ensuring that the visions and designs of architects are realized efficiently and effectively. I find it incredibly fulfilling to be involved in projects that not only look visually stunning but also serve a practical purpose, enhancing the quality of life for the people who use these spaces. Additionally, the constant evolution of architectural styles and the integration of new technologies keep this field dynamic and exciting, providing endless opportunities for learning and growth. Read more>>

Clara Dubau | Writer, Director, Filmmaker

I always had a passion for films, spending a great part my free time watching films. Films helped me develop my imaginary and I was amazed at how they could ignite all these feelings within me. When dvd’s came out and with them the “making of bonuses” I was absolutely amazed by the behind the scenes, the teams, the tech behind the magic. As a teen I had the great chance to intern on commercial tv sets and then on never wanted to do anything else but be a part of the incredibly buzzing and inspiring filmmaking world. As a writer-director it is a pursuit of craftsmanship and expression. All artistic practices are a search of meaning and connection. It is a very privileged way of life to make it your “job”, especially within our capital obsessed – grind culture and in the current political climate. Read more>>

Susaye Greene | #1 best selling author, artist,singer/songwriter, heart leader and the Last Supreme

I have always been a creative soul. My parents were in showbusiness and I was encouraged to express myself in every way. I wrote my first song at 8. My mother realized early on that by supplying paper and pen, paints and canvas, clay, and any kind of tools to enhance my skills and confidence, a door to my fertile imagination was opened. As a voracious reader, the world of words and mental images came to life and my inspiration was born. I am happiest while creating. I have always known this would be a great part of my life. Read more>>

Cherie Collazo | Soaper

Actually I didn’t … at first. I did everything but pursue a creative career because a creative career is not “practical”. I had “real” jobs and while I did not hate them (I hated some) I did not love what I was doing. I feel like I was marking time, work, pay bills repeat, it’s actually kind of soul killing. I’ve always been a creative person. I enjoy working with my hands. A lot of my early creative pursuits, I wasn’t good at, for example drawing, I’m terrible at it. Mediocre at other pursuits, but soap making and the soap business … turns out that’s my jam. Read more>>

Brian Kniffel | Executive Producer / Creative Director

My creative origin story is rooted in skateboarding. Growing up, there was nothing I loved more. And if I wasn’t on the board, I was there filming my friends. For me, skateboarding was an unrivaled blend of art and science–the ultimate in alchemical expression. I discovered a kindred creative alchemy in making skate videos with my friends. In the same way I wanted to land a new trick on my skateboard, I wanted my next video to be bigger, more impressive, more precise. I still have a version of that goal today and it’s why I work in television and content creation. I still love riding my skateboard too. Read more>>

Edwin Tanu | Industrial Designer

Growing up in a family of architects and creative entrepreneurs, I was always surrounded by the exciting world of design. We, as a family, had each other’s backs and were all about pushing boundaries and coming up with new ideas. Our creative projects were more like team efforts, where everyone aimed to surprise the others with fresh, unexplored concepts. The thrill of expressing my creativity and receiving appreciation fueled my passion for diving into a career in industrial design – something I’m really into. Read more>>

KATHLEEN LACCINOLE | Screenwriting Coach, Reader & Writer

I am a creative. It’s how my brain works. I like challenge of attacking goals from a more artistic angle – thinking outside the box. And I love to partner with young writers and creatives in finding solutions to those issues that might blocking them or making them feel stuck in their craft or project. It’s fun! Read more>>

Marcus Evans | Actor/Comedian/Director/Producer/Writer

I was frustrated working a 9 to 5 job, so I began to think, what do I want to do. So, I pursued a career in modeling, which led to acting, which led to improv, which led to standup comedy, which led to me producing my own comedy shows and short films. I wish I would have started all of this sooner, but all is well. It’s been a great ride. Read more>>

Vaibhavi Bansal | Director & Assistant Director

From a young age, I found myself immersed in the captivating world of films and television, drawn to the glitz and glamour that it exuded. I have laughed, cried, felt overwhelmed, shocked, amazed, experienced my heart breaking into zillion pieces, felt a loss of words, and sometimes even got goosebumps because that is the kind of effect Film, Music and Art has on me. Read more>>

Kelsey Coleman | Producer and Editor

Basically, I’m not good at anything else..

I’m no good at math, I failed every science class I’ve ever taken. I was an awful student – hated School. Growing up was hard, kids I went to school with weren’t friendly. I struggled with depression and anxiety like most creatives and so my escape was watching movies and creating my own stories. Self expression in storytelling helped me cope with the turmoils and uncertainty of adolescences – and honestly continues to in my adult life. Read more>>

Grace Bernardo | Actor

The decision to pursue a creative career didn’t originate instantaneously so much as it was the general unfolding of my life. I always found performing to be tremendously fun. The pursuit of fun may seem like a trite reason to base a career on, but I knew that if I wanted to stick with something long-term, there would need to be a fairly large element of joy. So I kept choosing the next artistic opportunity that seemed like it would fit that bill. I’ve enjoyed the range of people I’ve met through my work in acting, the places I’ve been able to travel to, and the inevitable bouts of laughter that come along with a group of people pretending to be people that they’re not. I also find human behavior incredibly interesting, and the chance to explore that in plays and through different characters has enriched my experience as a person in the world. It has made me more grateful, I think. Read more>>

Gen Yoshimura | Drummer/Composer/Educator

Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved music. And my mother always wanted me to play music. She took me to lots of concerts, showed me many different kinds of instruments. I had a lot of options, but i finally chose cajon and my mother sighed me up for lessons. In the first day of the lessons, I was so excited and I opened the door. There was a drumset instead of cajon, then I thought “That’s even cooler!” That’s how I started playing drums. I used to play Japanese Jazz/Rock fusion music. I was playing well at my house with a practice kit that my mother made, but that was the whole world for me at the time. When I was in the first grade of middle school, we found out there was a week-long jazz seminar directed by a world-class trumpeter, Tiger Okoshi and some professors at Berklee College of Music. I participated in the seminar and that experience changed my life. Everything that the professor taught me was very new for me, I was totally shocked, I felt like I came to a different world. And that was the first time I saw a performance by world-class musicians. I was simply amazed by that. Since then, I gradually got into jazz, and thinking seriously about pursuing music as my career. Music was always in my life, I had simply enjoyed listening to music and playing drums. But my feeling towards music changed. I got truly impressed in the seminar, and I started to feel that I want to develop my ability more and share that feeling with many people. I followed my dream. I came to US, studied at Berklee, and now working as a professional musician based in boston. Read more>>

Prashanth Cavale | Annie Award nominated Lead Animator at DreamWorks Animation

With a background in Mechanical Engineering, art, for me, unfolds as an ongoing puzzle-solving adventure where there’s never just one ‘right’ approach. It’s a realm of expression that opens the floodgates to infinite possibilities. Each artwork is a unique endeavor, and that inherent diversity is what resonated with me from the outset. Read more>>

Nick Thomas | Actor, Writer, Director

I know it sounds cliche, but I don’t think I had a choice, being an actor and a writer is just part of who I am. As an actor there is no better feeling than being on stage in front of an audience and as a writer nothing is more special than hearing the words you have written go from the page to the stage. Read more>>