Deciding to pursue an artistic or creative career path isn’t for the faint of heart. Challenges will abound, but so many of the artists we speak with couldn’t be happier with their choice. So, we asked them about how they made the decision in the first place.

Chelsea Billingsley | Crochet Apparel Designer

I chose a creative career because this is the language that I understood the best.I know that it sounds very abstract, but the truth is, the fiber arts(fashion design) has allowed me to express and communicate in ways that universally others can understand. Crochet for me has been this meditative process of looping that I truly enjoy. Art and the skill of crocheting is the place that I feel most freest. It’s my lane to do and be whoever I want to be. I said this once before and I still stand by it to this day. In a creative field, I have the ability to create and manifest the life that I want. Read more>>

Claire Yixuan Zhang | Costume Designer, Maker, Historian

Growing up, I’ve always loved creating things with my own hands. Back when I was at school, I would finish up my homework as quickly as possible, so that I could spend hours carving complicated patterns on rubber stamps, or making jewelry out of epoxy resin. At that time my favorite hobby was probably drawing and making pretty dresses, first out of garbage bags and then real fabrics. Also a pretty nerdy academic type who loved reading about history, I naturally got into costume history and historical reconstruction, which allow me to both study and recreate beautiful garments from the past. Read more>>

Kelsie Mathews | Singer, Actress, Comedian, Model, Writer, Producer, Photographer

I was raised in an artistic family. I was in my first reenactment at the age of three weeks. My parents met in theatre in college, and my mother became a drama teacher, and used to add extra parts for me. My grandmother was in a band with her 11 brothers and sisters, and used to have me occasionally sing with them. My mother taught me how to play the flute at a young age and my grandmother taught me the piano and guitar. So you could say I was born into it. My grandmother always told me I belonged in New York or Hollywood, so I chose the one with less snow. Read more>>

Natalie Nielsen | They/Them – Experience Designer

From a young age, I looked at the world and I knew that things could be better. Design-wise, certainly, but socially as well. Taking a creative path afforded me the opportunity to create work that could make an impact, influence, and connect with people in long-lasting ways. For me, this is through placemaking and spatial storytelling – theme park design basically. The spaces we inhabit hold so much power and when thoughtfully designed they can make us feel empowered or disillusioned, included or excluded, and so much more. And as an experience designer, I can connect with people in deeper more meaningful tactile ways that have the chance to leave a mark on their minds and maybe even change their way of looking at the world. Read more>>

Kenzie B | Crystal Jewelry Artist and Healer

There was a moment in my life where I sat on my bed and said to myself, “What is my hobby? What is my niche?” I wanted so desperately to find something that I can call my own. I’ve always been a naturally artistic individual, but it seemed as if my creative interest came to a halt. Shortly after that moment on my bed, I became inspired by the art of yoga and meditation, thanks to some friendly yogis at Equinox in Santa Monica, CA. Along with that came the interest of essential oils and crystal healing. My journey began almost immediately after purchasing my first Black Tourmaline ring that was handmade by a local artist in a beach city. Intuitively, I knew that this was it! This was the creative route I was destined for. 2014 is when I began my handmade crystal jewelry journey. It all started with a question and now not only can I call it my niche, but my calling. Read more>>

Preston Bruner | Actor and Writer

Ever since I was about 2-3, I was almost a always in front of a television. I’d sing the theme songs, memorize a bunch of random lines, and usually learn a few things along the way. As time went on, I ran into the Canadian drama Degrassi, and I became SO enthralled with the storylines. It was much more than your typical drama. It made you think. It made you feel. It made you open your mind. You learned. It wasn’t until I watched that show as a teen that I realized that’s what I wanted to do. Not necessarily be a Canadian teenager, but teach the world different things. To provoke thoughts, feelings, and ideas through storytelling – and acting is, in my opinion, the best version of doing so. Read more>>

Ryan Matera | Writer

I’m not sure I ever did, or at least I can’t remember the moment when it became inevitable. But it surely has, and the thought of a traditional career seems as implausible to me as putting on a moon suit and sipping tea with Jackie Kennedy. It’s just not gonna happen, for so many reasons. A lot of people “pursue” artistic careers, and those people are getting very successful all around me, and I think they could have applied their talents to a wide range of fields and done equally as well. My life has resembled more of a mindless stumble, where in every moment I’ve been intensely focused on details and experiences, and only occasionally do I look up and wonder where I am. There’s a cliché with a bit of truth that goes, “the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.” Personally, the way I do everything is the way I’m doing this one thing. Read more>>

Rebecca Ann | Fitness Instructor

I worked for 4 years in a Law Firm in my early 20s. During my time there I realized it was not where I saw myself for the rest of my life. Although the pay and benefits were amazing, I was unhappy with the work I was doing. I knew I had to make a change. Read more>>

Isue Shin | Filmmaker

The first thing I loved to do was to draw. I’ve always been moved by different artistic forms, whether that be movies, photographs, paintings, or sculptures, and I wanted to channel that into the way I led my own life. Read more>>

Manuel Rivas | Sound Designer & Music Producer

I’ve always been into music but didn’t really understand what I wanted to, or could do with it. I had worked in customer service, factory jobs, etc and it always made me feel absolutely miserable being there. I know I wanted to do something more with myself, a career in something I’d actually love doing but wasn’t sure what that was until I went to my first audio engineering school and discovered post production sound design!. Read more>>

Justina Biosah | Actress, Artist & Writer

Since i was six years old i fell in love with the arts after watching a Bollywood movie with my mum. I loved everything about the arts, the music, the acting and the creative process. I soon fell in love with the telling stories through musicals, movies and music. It was a passion that just got strong over time and i knew it was something i was destined to do. Read more>>

Claire Harvey | Lifestyle and Brand Photographer

This is an interesting one for me and one I have thought about ALOT because I didn’t start my career in the artistic field, in fact I started in finance right out of college! While I spent a lot of my growing years with a camera in hand I was drawn into the busy corporate world post college and despite having to count on my fingers and feeling trapped at a desk I was somewhat successful in my field and found a field that I did really love…. for a while….Because I truly believe if you are a creative you cannot push it aside. As Brene Brown says, unused creativity matasticizes (sp?). Before I had my first child I went back to photography and launched my own business- that was 12 years ago. What I found to be different about me was that I was a creative who is unique in that I’m Obsessed with the business and marketing side of entrepreneurship as well as the creative- most people just have one side that they love. This is what has really propelled my business AND allowed me to so easily connect with my entrepreneurial. Read more>>

Mihai Liviu | Visual Artist

I had many moments when I thought I could have done something else in life, but not painting. I feel truly fortunate to have pursued this path. I did not have to grope like others and look for a suitable activity, job, a sense of purpose. I was lured into the artistic world without even noticing. It must be vocation! I do not think that you can make a choice at a certain time, a logical and clear one. The creation simply starts to have control over you. Like being trapped in a beautiful dance, you just glance around from time to time, but never stop dancing. Read more>>

Ryan Nealon| Singer/Songwriter

Ever since I was little, music just felt like the right path for me. When I was 5 I had my first “gig,” which was performing Dixie Chicks covers for all of the elderly people at the Alzheimer’s Home my Grandma was staying in, and after that my parents constantly encouraged me to pursue music in any and every way. I joined choirs all throughout my childhood, went to performing arts schools, and ended up even going to college for music because I knew from a very early age that I didn’t want to do anything else. To be frank, I didn’t really even give myself the opportunity to have a backup plan–I was all in! haha. I don’t think 7 year old or even 21 year old Ryan realized how much of a pain pursuing a career in the arts would be, but even as 26 year old Ryan is going through tax season with 17 1099’s and $3.17 in his bank account, he wouldn’t change a thing. Read more>>

Jeff and Andy Crocker | Immersive Experience Designers

Both of us have been making shows in one way or another all our lives. Andy put on puppet shows as a kid, Jeff was making movies with GI Joes in middle school, and we both have a long history of aggressively dodging homework by staging ridiculous presentations that were probably equal parts research and racketeering. Now that we’re adults, it’s not just about avoiding book reports, we’re drawn to the problem-solving and team-building that comes with entertainment design. Having a creative career is the best way we can put to use the skills we’ve been honing our whole lives. Plus we love helping people find ways to be playful. Read more>>

Gary Christian | Artist

I’ve been a pretty imaginative kid from the very beginning. That aspect of my personality just really took off when it came to art, music or any other creative endeavor and eventually became the way I found easiest to express myself. Had a bad day? I would draw how I felt. Had a creative idea? Paint it. I kept at it and managed to find a career that paid me to do something creative in the visual field. I’ve been doing VFX now for over ten years and am currently at Blur Studio working on some really great projects like Love Death and Robots and cinematics for some of the most popular video game franchises. I’m still cautious about letting that define me entirely since my original passion was for traditional art that really spoke to me. Szukalski, Dali, DaVinci et. al still hold a special place in my imagination and that really drives me to keep creating – I can’t stop really even if I wanted to. Images and places are just constantly popping up in my mind that I feel desperate to capture. Read more>>

Rich Gilliam | Editor & Cinematographer

When I was growing up I was obsessed with movies. I spent so much time watching them which gave me the idea to pick up a camera and start figuring out how they work and the whole process of making any kind of video content. Years and years later I’m still learning with every project and growing my skill set in ways that other artistic endeavors have not satisfied. It may not be the easiest or most lucrative career path but it’s something I’ve found a knack for and really enjoyable, it does take up time which is such a precious commodity, but putting that time into working on projects really is a fulfilling experience for me and I’m grateful to have worked on each project I’ve been a part of while meeting and collaborating with such talented individuals along the way. Read more>>

Tiana Sharp | Actress & Screenwriter

I have always had a deep love for film and storytelling. I get so lost in these worlds being created and it made me feel so connected when the rest of the world felt so far away. Acting and writing sort of became an escape for me into the most beautiful places where I finally felt seen and I wanted to offer that feeling to others as well! I want people to know that they are not alone. There are stories out there like yours. And if I can offer someone an escape when the world just feels like too much, I absolutely want to and will do that!. Read more>>

THOMAS LYNCH | Photographer

I chose this route because everything in my life had been telling me what to do, what I need to do to succeed in life, to obtain money and be happy. Yet none of my jobs were fulfilling for me. Once I picked up a camera, there was a major shift in my emotions, thoughts, just overall it made me feel.. different. 5 years later I have finished college, and had some time at my desk job at Facebook. After about 2 years there, I decided it was time to really try all that I could to become a full time photographer. I moved to LA with some friends from college and here I am, still on this journey. Read more>>

Denitra Gregory | Image Consultant & Creative Director

Art and creativity has always had a special place in my heart and life experience. Interestingly enough, while in a not so creative career, I used art to help my clients. After my tenure in Social Work and Human Services, I discovered that the practices I’d used were transferrable and relevant in my current industry of beauty, fashion and art. Read more>>

Simon Pavlik | Music Producer

At first, it wasn’t my primary goal to pursue a creative career. It was more fun for me than it would be work. It was just a way to express how I feel, all the emotions, situations etc. After a while I realised that this could be something I could do for the rest of my life and that this would be my true passion. Read more>>

Nicole Burch | Writer & Performer

I have been writing since I was in the second grade. By age eight, I had a full diary, a few short stories and a three page script where Denzel Washington saved me from the bad guys. It was in my blood and I didn’t even know it. I thought it was a hobby, but never thought it would be something I got paid for. Eventually, I ended up at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. I did not study writing or theater, but instead dove right into a dual major in Biology and Chemistry (pre-medicine), which I had zero business doing. It was like my entire life I was bad at science and math and great at everything right brain, but I dug my heels in because I thought I wanted to be a doctor. After graduation I became a real estate agent. And this I did well at. But after a few years, there was still something missing. That’s when I started taking acting class as an escape. I truly believed if I went to class every Wednesday, I would be able to survive the open houses the rest of the week. Read more>>

Jessica Perez | Photographer

I chose a creative career because that’s kind of all I knew. If you were to ask me before the age of 13 what I wanted be when I was older, I don’t think I ever gave an answer because I didn’t know. However, for my 13th birthday all I wanted for some reason was a camera and I got one. It was this little digital point and shoot and I loved it. I ended up always capturing middle school moments with it and from that point on I never put a camera down. That moment has basically led me to where I am now at 27. Choosing this career path lets me do what I want. I get to take photos for a living and every day is different, which is one of the big things I love about it. I went from shooting concerts in the Bay Area to now working on film sets in Los Angeles. Every day is different even if you are around the same people for a longer project. Read more>>

Brandon Dean Johnson | Producer / Director / Animator

I grew up loving to draw and I’ve been watching cartoons all my life. I knew at an early age that I wanted to work in animation, but never knew how to get into it. Being a military brat from North Carolina I was never really surrounded by creative people who could put me on the right artistic path, so I had to figure it out on my own. While attending college at Elizabeth City State in North Carolina, I decided to be an art major. Everyone wanted me to rethink my major but I knew deep down inside I didn’t want to do anything else. I ended up graduating with a Graphic Design and Fine arts degree. After college I would move to Poland and London to explore the world of street art/ graffiti style of work. There I made a lot of connections and learned tons of skills that I would use later in my career. Read more>>

Chris Barry | Actor

I used to wake up at 5am on Saturday mornings to paint with Captain Bob when I was a kid. I’d coach my sister for her dance recitals, literally I’d be in the wings behind the curtain encouraging her to put more energy into it. I knew all of Frau Blucher’s lines and movements and reactions from Young Frankenstein. I gave violin concerts in the living room to any visiting relative who would sit still long enough… All of this just gave me joy. The getting swept up and lost in the possibilities. It was a nice escape for me, imaging a world freer and more colorful and magical than the one I grew up in. Life happens to all of us and my life circumstances made it challenging to see art as a career UNTIL life circumstances helped me see that it’s ALL I’ve ever wanted. I LOVE being an actor. Collaborating with other artists in story-telling is where I feel fully alive, fully truthful, fully free. To see and to be seen. The more time I’ve spent BEING an actor, the more I’ve been able to BE fully present in my life and vice versa. Read more>>

Diamönd | Singer/Songwriter, Musician

I decided to pursue being an Artist once I realized that it was my purpose. When I was younger, I was hard on myself about wanting to pursue it. I would tell people I wanted to be a writer or a teacher. I think the fear of pursuing my number one goal was really prevalent at that time in my life. I think another factor was the negative stigmas attached to being a full time Artist. Lastly, I knew that I loved music but I wasn’t even close to believing in myself. It wasn’t until I asked for God’s guidance for the last (of many) times and He confirmed that this is what I was supposed to do. Read more>>

Tyshana Richard | Co-Founder, En Root Travel & Multidisciplinary Artist

At my core I’m an artist, I’ve been drawing since I knew how to hold a pencil, I started dance classes at 3-years old, and almost all of my childhood activities were heavily based in artistic endeavors like photography, videography, graphic design, fine arts, and literature. Artistry radiates from the core of my being. My mom has always encouraged me to do what makes me happy. Being an artist is what keeps me fulfilled each day, so everyday I choose to delve further into this path and see what I’m capable of and how my work may impact others. Read more>>

Tyler Gallant | Actor

As far back as I can remember I always used to love to play pretend, I always had such a vivid and vibrant imagination. When I was seven years old my cousin put me in one of his movies. The experience of acting felt just like what I was doing when I would play pretend for fun except this time it was on screen it was for a movie. I was absolutely hooked. Read more>>

Sergio Chavez | Photographer

The idea of working in career path that wasn’t giving me the ability to be creative in any way gives me anxiety. I always knew from a young age that the corporate America world was just not for me. I feel the most free and happy when I am being artistic whether that is through my work or in general with everything I do. Read more>>

Gregory Blair | Entertainment Professional

I didn’t have a choice, if I wanted to be happy and true to myself. Though I was always a bit of a hybrid as far as taste and aptitude were considered and engaged in both the arts and sciences, one thing was clear from the beginning: that while the sciences thrilled my brain, the arts were the calling of my heart and soul. Not a day went by that I was not engaged in some sort of acting, writing, singing or some other artistic endeavor or activity. That’s when I feel most alive: when I’m engaged in or experiencing creative art. It speaks to me and I respond. I think that’s how you know you’re doing what you’re meant to do….and that’s the only way to true happiness. Read more>>

J Bentayga | Recording Artist

There’s two types of people in this world, the people who watch/consume and the people who create/contribute. I never allowed myself to be influenced by anyone except a few select individuals, so I always had to create my own way of living, thinking, dressing, etc. Everyone I grew up with creates, everyone I keep around me creates, anybody who was meant for anything meaningful creates so that’s why I create. It wasn’t a choice, I’m just that type of person. Read more>>

Kaley Hickman | Illustrator and Designer

Creativity naturally fell into my life, as my Dad was an illustrator, graphic designer, carpenter, musician and much more. I was fortunate enough to grow up in an open minded household that nurtured my curious and creative nature, I think that really guided me to pursue a career as an illustrator. I have also always been a sensitive person, like many other artists, and we get bored very easily. So the idea to create new exciting projects and collaborate with other visionaries while making a living sounds great!. Read more>>

Matteo Martignago | Director of Photography

Since I was little I have always been in love with Photography. I am pretty sure my mother, as a photographer herself, influenced me and made me passionate about it. She gave me my first analog camera when I was 7 years old and since then I have always gone around with it, trying to capture as many moments as possible. It was until high school when I started to get really passionate about filmmaking and cinematography particularly and really thought about it as a possible career path. I have always loved the power, thought cinematography, to create realities that only exist in our minds. There is no limit in creativity when it comes to filmmaking. I love the fact that in every project I do, I never know what to expect. It is always a different story, a different environment and it never gets boring. Read more>>

Michael Reyes | Lowbrow Pop Surrealism Artist, Writer & Musician

It’s hard to answer that question because it’s a bit like asking me why I choose to breathe or walk. It’s kinda like the way a Green Lantern is chosen because the ring understands they’re able to handle the burden of that power and latches onto them. Art is a spiritual mind virus that has completely overpowered my will or ability to do anything else in life other than feed the monster that is a creative mind. If choosing to pursue a creative career was a choice, no one in their right mind would ever choose it. You’ve gotta have a few screws loose to be deluded enough to pursue art. Read more>>