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.

Kevin Qin | Audio Engineer and Music Producer

I picked up guitar in my early teens and I immediately started dreaming of being a rockstar, as teenagers do. But around the end of high school I had a music instructor who helped me realize that a career in music is a possibility and gave me lots of real world advice on how to actually make a living.
Honestly I didn’t have that many options haha. I wasn’t a very good student and the only other thing I did was martial arts, and the thought of having to watch my diet and workout every day for the rest of my life sounded awful so I decided to go with music. Read more>>

Jena Carpenter | Entrepreneur, Aerialist & Cirque Performer, Rigger, Writer, Life Coach, Mom

I grew up in Vermont in a creatively and artistically rich community filled with different types of artists and artisans who were creating work that they were passionate about, and I had the opportunity to try many different creative pursuits from a young age including music, theater, ballet, gymnastics, gardening, carpentry, languages, & so many more. Read more>>

Mandy Adams | Interior Designer & owner of Amanda Adams Design

I knew from a young age – like 7 or 8 – that I wanted to do something in the design field. That’s when I started drawing up floor plans of my parent’s home reworking the size of my room by expanding the house into the backyard and overlooking a new pool, of course. Wishful thinking at the time but hey a girl can dream, right?! And dream I did until I turned it into a reality 20+ years ago when i started my interior design career after graduating with a BFA in interior design. I started in commercial interiors, working on projects all over the country then continued my design career after moving to Boston and New York City then back to LA in the early 2000’s. Read more>>

Yen-nien Hsu | Musician

This is a very natural process, sometimes I feel like fate has led me along the way. When I was a child, I was interested in arts, music, dance, acting, painting, etc… From a small habit I liked to do in my free time, and then became my career. Along the way, I’ve encountered many challenges and most gave up during the path. But music and creation saved me every time, so this is the reason I keep pursuing it! Read more>>

Kayla Greenwade | Music Manager & Creative

The reason I chose to go down this route of a creative career was I love being creative. I love the natural feeling of creating something and seeing it take a life form. As a child, I always loved art, music, and entertainment. This new endeavor that I’ve been on has been one of the most rewarding things I could do besides graduating college. My purpose is to touch lives through my passion for creativity. Read more>>

Cooper Foster | Actor and Writer

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love performing. I have been in love with acting, performing, art, and creating since I was a child. When I was in elementary school in Richmond California I started dance and theater classes. I was fortunate enough to do the theater program at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. I fell in love with everything about the theater and the art of acting. I loved the smell of the dusty velvet curtains, the wooden stage, the costumes, creating something from words on a page and performing in front of an audience. Read more>>

Hortencia Aguirre | Ceramic artist

I have always loved decorating my home with pretty arts and craft. At first things I purchased then mostly with things I created myself. My father liked my work so much he encouraged me and said “You should become an entrepreneur and sell your beautiful work. “ Read more>>

Daviontae Walker | Drag performer

Pursuing an artistic career has allowed me to tap into my passion for self-expression and having the ability to connect with others through the display of my visions. For me it was really about exploring and pushing boundaries. While on the other hand being a creative allows me to have a sense of fulfillment by being able to bring other people’s ideas as well as mine to life. Read more>>

Mariana Budal | Model/Actriss/Songwriter

Well I always felt like I was shy kid growing up, but inside of me all I wanted was to feel seen, heard and I loved expressing myself through drawing, dancing, singing and theater. I see the artistic side of me it’s the exactly person I truly am when I don’t care about what others might think and I feel free to be, invent, change and try new styles. I feel like I have no more restriction on myself, the shyness I had as a kid now kit’s just a memory left behind me. Read more>>

Heaven Nunez | Performing Artist

I felt like there was nothing else I could pursue that would fulfill me as deeply as the arts do. I have a lot of activities and hobbies that I enjoy, but nothing has ever matched the feeling that performing, (acting & singing), gives me. I’ve tried to divert my focus to something in the job industry that’s “safer” and more sustainable, but it always left me feeling unsatisfied. Read more>>

Wendy Wilkins | Writer, Director, Actress and Realtor

Someone told me that what you “play at” as a child is likely your ideal career. When I was a little girl I put on shows for my grandfather and reluctantly got my brother and sister to be a part of them. I would charge an entrance fee! A quarter! Read more>>

Austin Jay | Recording Artist

I feel like I’ve been an artist long before I know knew what the word “artist” meant. I’ve been writing songs since I was like 4 years old, I used to leave voicemail recordings on my parents phones with songs I had written, and kept a book of songs and poems when I was in lower school. Choosing to be an artist was really something that didn’t feel like a choice: it felt like something that was/is just apart of me, that just made sense. Growing up, it’s something that just became stronger.  Read more>>

Pab Emson | Artist / Producer

Music has always been a part of my life. The ability to share emotions with people and create reactions was what convinced me to pursue an artistic career. I quickly realized that music is a way for people to feel; when you go to a concert, music acts as a universal language, allowing you to experience emotions in a unique way. I wanted to share these emotions with the world, which is why I decided to pursue an artistic career. Read more>> 

Emily Bowen Cohen | Graphic Novel Creator

Since I was young, I’ve always sorted out my feelings through creativity. I would put on a puppet show for my twin sister, or I would draw a picture that illustrated how I wished things to be. As I got older and started trying to sort out my complicated identity – I’m Native American and Jewish – I continued to pick up my pen. It feels natural to problem solve by making a story. It feels so satisfying to have a narrative in pictures and words that can explain challenges. Read more>>

Amy Wang | Visual Development Artist

I like telling stories in a visual way. Being able to share my imaginations with other people makes me feel happy. Read more>>

Stephanie Han | Graphic Designer & Illustrator

My parents had a lot to do with choosing a creative career. My mom loved doing still-life drawings in chalk pastels and my dad was a huge comic book nerd. That started a love for art that only blossomed once I discovered a little show called Sailor Moon. From then on, it was full steam ahead with trying to draw my favorite characters from anime and games. It blossomed once my dad introduced me to Photoshop and I just knew that digital art was something I wanted to pursue. Read more>>

Irene Mazour | Actress & Writer

The simple answer…When God says GO, you don’t say NO.
The more complex answer is as follows. The arts touch the soul. Through film, paintings, music, theater, sculpting, and so many other beautiful art forms; we get a chance to change the world and touch the heart of humanity. Through film and media specifically, we are offered an avenue of intimacy with people from far away. Stories are told as images dance across our screens, legends are shared, and emotional connections are fortified with relatable characters through the shows and movies we devour. Read more>>

Bailey Pless | Writer, Comedian, Rapper

When I first learned to read, all I wanted to do was be an author. I used to read this gritty 80s reboot series of the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew where they solved murders & fought terrorists. So of course, for our homework writing prompts, I also wrote stories about solving murders and fighting terrorists. Even on the nonfiction prompts, I would find a way to twist it. For example, if the prompt was “who is your role model and why?” I’d make up a story about my mom kickboxing an arsonist at her office. I don’t know if my first grade teacher was confused by these papers or completely terrified. Read more>>

Adelia Nazyrova | Ballet dancer

Hello! My name is Adelia Nazyrova. My whole life is connected with dance, ballet and contemporary dance. I was born in Kazan, Russia. From early childhood, I was exposed to various cultural events and concerts. At one of the ballet performances, I told my mom that I wanted to dance like a Ballerina on stage—so light and beautiful. That’s when my parents took me to my first ballet class, and so my journey in ballet began. Read more>>

Topher Hall | Actor & Producer

I’ve always been drawn to the arts, especially films, because I love how they bring people together. It all started when I was an usher at a dollar theater. Watching how movies could light up a room and create shared experiences really resonated with me. I realized that storytelling, in any form, has the power to connect people and bridge differences. I pursued a creative career not only because I love it, but because I believe art is essential in helping people see the world from new perspectives. Read more>>

Julienne Marié | Actress, Dancer, Writer

I pursued a career in the arts because apart from my family the performing arts are the first thing I ever loved. I fell in love with storytelling and how I could convey emotions with dance and acting and through my career I’ve never regretted that decision. Read more>>

Emily Robinett | Writer & Producer

For most of my life, until just a few years ago, I was living like a “closeted creative.” I’m the daughter of a lawyer and an educator, and my parents always urged me to use my brain to make the world better. For a young and inexperienced me, there was one obvious “right” path: become a doctor. (Duh.) So, I chased that goal for years. I truly believe that I would have been in medical school right now… if it weren’t for the simple decision my mother made, which forever altered the timeline. (Love you, Mom!) Read more>>

Segun Jiboku | Textile Artist

My artistic journey began at the age of 15, when I discovered my passion for creative expression. I learned the basics of making cloth banners, cutting paper stencils, and customizing clothes from a roadside artist. This early exposure sparked a fire within me, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts. Since then, I have dedicated myself to honing my skills and exploring various mediums to bring my ideas to life. Read more>>

Benign Envy | Artist/Songwriter

I decided to pursue music ultimately because it is the thing I love most in this world and I’m thrilled I get to share it with everyone. I would do anything to spread my songs to people who relate. I also think it’s amazing that through music you can really make someone feel something and change for the better, and that’s what I aim to do. Read more>>

Bryan Blandine | 3D Modeler

It was the only thing that made sense to me. I was always drawn to art, science, nature, and building things. As an avid gamer growing up, the rich immersive stories that captivated me also fueled a fire to enter this industry. I remember when I made that choice. I was around nine years old and I had just beaten Jak III. I felt the impact of the character’s journey and the consequences it had on them throughout the series. Read more>>

Ashlee Rene’ Johnson-hunter | Hair Care and Mindset Coach

I like to say, “I didn’t choose hair, hair chose me”. When I was 14 years old, I got my first job as a Shampoo Girl in my cousin’s salon. I had absolutely no desire to become a hairstylist. In fact, I was on the path to becoming a cosmetic reconstructive surgeon. Around Junior year of college, I found myself thinking about my life more deeply and how I wanted it to look. I saw myself living a life of freedom. Living a life on my own terms and that life didn’t exactly align with being a doctor. In this time, I was still working in the salon and I had even began developing my own clientele. Read more>> 

Cosette Grider | Mixed Media Artist & Muralist

Drawing portraits had been a passion of mine since my childhood. Years of just doing it for fun or as gifts for friends made me into a pretty good Artist. Getting to take a few fine art courses whiles studying Fashion Design in college from 2000-2004 opened me up artistically, but it was never a consideration for an actual career. After over 15 years of working as a CAD Artist for different apparel manufacturing companies, I started to feel more and more unfulfilled. Read more>>

Rushan Jesani | Writer – Director

When I ask myself why I pursued an artistic career, I think back to how I used to tell stories about things that never actually happened to me. I would take my listeners on a journey, and before they realized it wasn’t real, the story would end. The goal was to make them believe in the story so completely that it changed their mood or lifted their spirits. The real thrill for me was in crafting a narrative so engaging that it felt like I was living in a film myself. Seeing their reactions and knowing I had taken them on that journey was one of my favorite moments. Read more>>

Nikki Behjat | Animator, Director, and Screenwriter

When I was growing up, I was only allowed to watch cartoons, so I watched shows like Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, The Powerpuff Girls, Scooby-Doo, and basically any cartoon on Boomerang. The exposure I had to this style of storytelling sparked a love for animation in me at an early age. Read more>>

Heather Collins | Background Painter

Drawing has always been a part of my life. My mom was a graphic designer and my dad would paint motorcycles as a side hustle, so it ran in the family. I was always the artistic one in my elementary school and would often get into trouble drawing on the sides of the math exam. I knew I wanted to have a career as an artist but I needed to figure out a practical way of making that happen. I would often create stories and comics and was considering that route, I also worked at the art gallery in Brea and considered being more of a gallery artist using traditional canvas and media. Read more>>

Zixuan Fang | Film Director & Production Designer

I remember when I was little, the TV at home would always play a show called *Journey to the West* during summer vacation. As a child, I was completely captivated by that show. I began to realize that I could empathize with the characters, feeling their joy and happiness. Then one day, I turned to my grandpa and said, “When I grow up, I want to be a director.” I was 4 years old at the time. For me, the most wonderful thing about being an artist is the emotional connection. It’s amazing how the emotions an artist expresses through their work can resonate with so many strangers across the world. Read more>>

Abigail Haven | Photographer & Designer

It was actually by chance. I went to a vocational high school, meaning I had to pick a trade and stick with it for all four years. I always enjoyed computers and art, so I chose Graphic Design on a whim. I remember being 14, sitting in one of my first ever design classes and being suddenly overcome with one thought: “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life”. That feeling never faded, and over time I just became more and more obsessed with the ability to create and modify the world around me. Read more>>

Nuoran Chen

I pursued a creative career because it allowed me to combine my artistic background with my strong skills in logical thinking and analytics. My fine arts training as a child, which helped manage my hyperactivity, laid the foundation for my creative interests. Choosing design was a natural fit for me, as it merges creativity with rational problem-solving. Read more>>

Qi Yun

From a young age, I have been captivated by the world of fashion, seeing it as a powerful medium for creative expression and innovation. My education at the Fashion Institute of Technology has been instrumental in shaping my understanding and mastery of fashion design. Specializing in Fashion/Apparel Design, I have honed my skills in both the art and technology of garment creation. My hands-on experience with cut & sew techniques has been particularly influential in refining my approach to garment construction, allowing me to bring my creative visions to life with precision and craftsmanship. Read more>>