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.

Robert Shultz | Music Artist

I have always felt passionate for music. I love being in a creative state of mind and speaking to people through emotion. I want people to feel good, happy, sad, angry – whatever the mood is. My end goal is to make me people feel something… past, present, or future. Read more>>

Ervin Cordero | Music & Tech Entrepreneur

Because my talent and creativity is God’s gift to me and using it is my gift to the world. A creative career is freedom in my perspective. This is because being able to express my creativity is one thing, but making a living off of it is a dream come true. Read more>>

Matthew Brewbaker | VR/AR Developer & Film Producer

My journey into the realm of creativity is an odyssey that began in the unlikely quarters of science. Completing an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, I was initially attracted to the empirical world’s promise of discovery and innovation.  Read more>>

Jennifer Inatomi | Editor

I wanted to pursue a creative career from a young age as I took much inspiration from my creative family- my father was in a band; my grandmother was a Japanese art teacher and my sister a painter. They have always been a source of inspiration for me, pushing me to pursue what I love. From this, I was always interested in having a creative career.  Read more>>

Juan Torres | Music Producer/Sound Designer/Audio Engineer

It was my dream to communicate the same emotions i felt from my influences. I was a huge Metallica fan growing up because of my dad. He showed them to me when i asked him a question of “What’s Rock Music?” he suddenly showed me Metallica and Jimi Hendrix. Read more>>

Jiawen Han | Director & Screenwriter

I’ve always been drawn to storytelling, even from a young age. Growing up in a small town, nobody in my family was in the film industry, but my dad, a film enthusiast in his spare time, opened up a whole world of storytelling for me. His collection was like a treasure trove, full of films from diverse cultures and places, sparking my imagination and love for storytelling. Read more>>

Sharon Shen | Film Editor & Assistant Editor

When your hobbies and talents align and find expression in your career, I believe it’s the most wonderful and fortunate occurrence. For me, film editing represents just that. Pursuing this career felt like a natural and inevitable choice. Read more>>

Steven Cortez | Country Music Artist

It’s something that I always was able to envision myself doing. For a long time it just stayed there. A vision in my mind. I didn’t talk about it or express those feelings till I decided to act. When I did everything made sense. It’s the only thing that makes sense at this point. Read more>>

Farrah Matovu Ddungu | Architectural Designer

I pursued a career in architecture and interior design because it combines my passion for creativity with my desire to create tangible, functional spaces. Having been raised with creative parents, my father being in Construction and having one of the largest tile business in Uganda, and my mother designing interiors and landscaping, I picked interest in the creative world. Read more>>

Layla Mayeline | Graphic Designer & Believer Lifestyle Enthusiast

I decided to pursue an artistically creative career because at heart I’m a creative person and I grew up around creative people, so it was in me. I love being creative and at a young age I found that it was one of the ways I learned how to artistically express myself in a healthy way. Read more>>

Danny Reyes | Animator & Cartoonist

I would draw daily as a kid because the act of drawing was fundamentally enjoyable to me. The moment I realized that drawing cartoons could be my job as an adult, I started to draw cartoons religiously. Every little margin on my homework would be filled to the brim with doodles. Read more>>

AJ, the One | Professional Rapper, Media Producer, Art Director

My artistry chose me. I’ve had the same creative passions since came into consciousness as a child raised between Inglewood and Oakland, CA. My passions have evolved through different phases in my life, of course, but performance art has been a consistent interest of mine foreva. Read more>>

Bilan Liu | Visual & Graphic Designer

As a child, I was constantly sketching, bringing my imaginative ideas to life in my sketchbooks. This creative outlet was my playground, a place where my ideas could roam free. As I grew, so did my interest in design. High school drawing classes further opened my eyes to the potential of turning these creative inclinations into a career.  Read more>>

Shanshan | Digital Artist, Writer

I was heavily influenced by retro 1990s Mandarin culture including music, literature, film, etc. However, growing up in a modern era in an international school, the nostalgic and tender pace of the last century seemed to be an oddity.  Read more>>

Cha Yuree | Artist

In hindsight, I guess it was pretty obvious that I’d pursue an artistic career! Since I was a kid I’d always carry a bag of colored pencils, markers and a folder of different colored papers. I always wanted to draw, make or paint. But before fully pursuing a professional artistic practice, I was deep into a career of graphic and product design. Read more>>

Brian Viveros | Artist

It’s all I really know, it’s all I ever really wanted to do, create and have a creative career and make a name for myself. I’m still doing that to this day. I’ve been exhibiting since 97′ and I’ve learned a lot about the art world and happy to say I’ve been running my own art as a business for a long time. now.  Read more>>

Rocio Lopez | Freelance Artist

I persued a creative career to inspire others through the things I do. It’s the best feeling to have an idea come to life and see others enjoy what comes out of that and gets them to feel a wider perspective of possibilities. Read more>>

Mario Greiner | Actor and Singer

Since I can remember, I’ve had a fascination with the Performing Arts. It’s a passion, a way of experiencing life to its fullest. It allows me to connect with humanity in a different way both as a performer and consumer. Acting, moving, and singing fill my soul with joy and often help express what words cannot.  Read more>>

Nicole Gomes | Actor

I don’t think I had a choice. Since I can remember, I’ve been putting up plays, writing, and creating things for me and my cousins to perform. Even in school, my grades were always A+ for Art, and I was constantly involved in any creative event in my town. Read more>>

Jessica Scozzola | Actor, Producer, Business Woman

I see how the arts help people around the world. The arts help impact peoples’ lives for the better. It just starts with one person to be impacted on the positive from an artistic piece which can then roll over into others’ lives that they surround themselves with. Read more>> 

Geoffrey Scheer | Writer

There’s a line in the movie “Rounders” where Martin Landau’s character, a respected judge in New York, is describing how his decision to leave the Yeshiva and pursue law instead of becoming a rabbi devastated his family, bringing his relationship with his parents to an end. Read more>>

Rachel Westra | Aspiring Development Executive and TV Producer

I did a lot of writing classes and improv classes at the Second City in Chicago and just loved the collaboration of creating. When I was looking into potential career paths, I felt drawn to the TV writing and as I explored that further during college found a passion for producing and working with writers to build out a show. I’ve just followed what draws my attention and keeps me laughing. Read more>>

Trey Sanders | CEO/Founder of Counter Culture Management

First and foremost, I extend my gratitude to Shoutout LA for this invaluable opportunity. It’s an honor to share my journey with such a distinguished platform, dedicated to fostering meaningful conversations and uniting our community through shared experiences. Read more>>

Agustin Equihua Ortiz | Artist/printmaker

I initial started drawing and having a love for it. As a kid I world ask me parents to enroll me in art classes which they did. As I progressed in drawing and friends appreciated my art, I felt it was a worthwhile endeavor. I felt encouraged. Read more>>

Marcus Braveboy | International Recording Artist & Songwriter

I’ve been in love with music creation and songwriting from as far back as I can remember. My dad would drop me to nursery school as a toddler and we would be compose fun songs together about the most random topics. Read more>>

Jerry Agbinya | Artist, Sound Engineer and performer

I chose an artistic practice as a career because it was the only thing I felt I could pour my efforts into that didn’t feel like it was draining me in return. Sure it feels like that sometimes, but it was and still is the part of my life that consistently rewards me with happiness, pride and contentment. Read more>>

Dianna Ippolito | Writer/Director/Producer

I was born with a creative streak, so I don’t really think I chose to be an artist. It chose me. I can remember always loving my art classes over any other, and loving movies and storytelling too. By the time I was twelve I knew I wanted to pursue art, and eventually made my way to writing and directing. Read more>>

Pacific Palace | (James Centeno) Musician/Songwriter

I felt that I could find a larger sense of fulfillment and purpose if I pursued a career in music. Music is what I’m passionate about. I’ve been passionate about it since I was a kid. Creating music is deeply rewarding for me as it allows me to express myself and connect with others whether it be other musicians or audience members.  Read more>>

Lin Tam | Chief AI Officer – Creative | Executive Producer

I chose a creative career because I’ve always been fascinated by stories and bringing imagination to life. Ever since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by stories and visuals—whether in books, movies, or video games—and how they can make people feel different emotions or see the world in a new way. Read more>> 

Janne Larsen | Ink Maker, painter, Vinter for hire

Art is the ultimate freedom to express your values. I love how artists will just deep dive into some niche skill and then pursue every nuance of that until it’s exhausted for them. I grew up in a very nature filled environment with trees all around us. Read more>>

Brandon Paul | Singer/Songwriter/Voice Teacher/Artist

I fell In love with singing and music at a young age and I knew it was something I’d want to do for the rest of my life. I joined choir in high school and I became obsessed with harmonies & singing with friends. I continued studying music in college where I began my songwriting journey. Read more>>

Margie Nguyen | Video Editor & Videographer

I’m incredibly fortunate to have parents who allowed me to choose my own path, especially given their challenging journey from Vietnam to America. Throughout my childhood, a lot of subjects in school never really interested me and I thought I was just someone who was not great in school. It turned out that I was just focusing on the wrong things.  Read more>>

Jun Lin | Designer

Turning ideas into tangible things has been an enduring source of fulfillment for me. I think a lot of creative people feel the same way. I chose graphic design because it’s a trade all about form-giving: shaping ideas into meaningful forms that hopefully resonate with others. Read more>>

Jack Spensley | Rapper

ever since i was a kid i used things like legos, or drawing to destress myself. as i got older and started growing out of those things, it was like 2016 and i found out who lil peep was and i instantly wanted to be a rockstar. i started recording music a few years later and started using it as a get away, or a way to talk about things i can’t really just bring up in a normal conversation. Read more>>

Parker John Phillips | Composer & ReRecording Engineer

I grew up in a music family where I started playing piano around the age of four. Through high school I was always involved in everything I could do that had to do with music. When college came around the corner I did a google search for “Best Music Colleges” and Full Sail University came up. After attending Full Sail, I learnt of Film Composing and I was hooked. Read more>>

Josh Frieder | Writer-Producer

Great question, Mike. I used to be a consultant in the healthcare technology field. I trained hospital staff on software systems in order to optimize workflow. If that sounds boring to you, then good – I thought so too. During the pandemic I decided to quit my job, start working part time gigs, and explore what made me happy.  Read more>>

John Dalton | Drummer, composer, and bandleader

Like many in the arts, it felt like music chose me, rather than the other way around. In high school, I started taking drum lessons in high school because one of my father’s colleagues was a player and teacher. My teacher, Mike Plunkett, was really into jazz and improvised music, and I admired his playing, so I asked him for recommendations. Read more>>

Emily Mutimer | Actress

I chose to pursue a career in the arts because being creative allows me to be the most authentic version of myself. I’ve always been an entertainer. Acting in short films while growing up in Melbourne, Australia became a part of my identity. It has led me to shine on television series’ and feature films where viewers can watch and connect with my characters from all over the world. Read more>>

Xueyang Niu | Filmmaker

Since my high school years, I know I will become a filmmaker. To this day, I firmly believe filmmaking is not only my passion but also the conduit through which I can achieve inner tranquility and serve others with unwavering compassion. I’ve held a vision of harnessing the power of film to instigate positive societal transformations. Read more>>

Sylva Kelegian | Actress/Author/Animal Activist

I pursued an artistic/creative career after I spent some years behind a desk and realized it was not the path that I was meant for. It was stifling and I was much happier when I quit my job to become an actress in my early 20’s. After years of acting and expressing myself in different roles, I was led to my next creative journey of writing. Read more>>

Juan David Arboleda | Associate Creative Director

When I was a kid, I used to play a game with my mom while watching television: Guess the brand of the ad, what made my first connection with advertising a funny experience. Years later, when I was pondering my future, I thought to myself: I want to be creative and make advertising that people can enjoy. Read more>>