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.

Zhaodi Wang

I chose the creative career because I’ve always been curious about the world. I’m drawn to what’s new, and what’s unfolding, and I find joy in learning and discovering. Design, for me, is like a window—it lets me see into different lives, hear untold stories, and connect with the world in ways that feel alive and exciting. It’s more than just solving problems or making things functional; it’s about reaching into the heart of what makes us human. Read More>>

Xavier Hemery

Since childhood, I have always been drawn to illustrations, photography, drawing, engraving, and painting. Images have always played an essential role in how I perceive the world. For me, the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” resonates deeply. Read More>>

Aldo Widjaya

Even before I discovered filmmaking, I knew I wanted a career in a creative field. I’ve always felt drawn to doing something unique, something where I could freely explore and express my creativity. I spent a good few years trying to discover what my canvas was going to be — painting, drawing, sculpting — but none of them ever really captivated me the same way the camera did. It didn’t take long to realize that the camera is my perfect tool for both seeing the world and capturing its beauty. Read More>>

Nao Fesseha

I pursued a creative career because I’ve always been drawn to storytelling, design, and the way spaces shape experiences. I studied Curatorial Studies and Interior Design in undergrad, which gave me a strong foundation in art history, exhibition design, and spatial aesthetics. That education deepened my understanding of how visual culture and the built environment influence human connection, identity, and memory. Read More>>

Phyllis Chumley Martinez

I feel like art chose me. Many of my earliest memories involve making art. I’m the youngest of five kids from a poor family that moved to the city from Appalachia following WWII, and our family culture was to make what you needed instead of going to the store. I was always making “art” with whatever was available. I modelled people and animals from mud, carved animals from sticks, sewed dolls and clothes with scrap cloth, and I drew and painted pictures on every page of the newspaper. I never wanted to be anything except an artist. Read More>>’

Asher Gillman

I do what I do currently because I have never been able to stop sticking things together.

I’m tentative to say I chose a career; rather that curiosity and those I have met along the way have enabled me to sustain myself as an artist and designer. Growing up I had a really serious fascination with science but I was always learning in my own way and sort of failing in school.  Read More>>

Kensey Thierry

Growing up, I always found my escape from reality through my creative expression. I initially began with charcoal and that transformed to acrylic painting and I finally moved to procreate (an iPad application enabling digital creation). Even though navigating a creative career is challenging to say the least, it’s important to release your cathartic expression. At the end of the day, sharing any art form helps others feel not so alone in this big world. Read More>>

Jesse Cai

I started learning classical music training and playing guitars at a young age, and from the moment I picked up an instrument, it felt like second nature. Music quickly became an integral part of my life, shaping not only my skills but also my creative mindset. I didn’t go to any parties or had fun in college, I would always just sit in the chair recording stuff. I felt it was only natural to continue pursuing an artistic and creative career after college. Read More>>

Kira Stansberry

I chose an artistic career because creativity is a fundamental part of who I am. What I create is an extension of myself—it’s a way for me to express the emotions, ideas, and visions I hold inside. There’s a feeling that comes with bringing something to life through makeup and artistry that’s hard to describe. It’s a deep joy, almost like a form of self-expression that allows me to shine. Every project, every brushstroke, brings me immense satisfaction and truly fuels my passion. Being a part of this industry gives me the freedom to channel that joy into something tangible that connects with others. Read More>>

Krysta Brown

I’ve always been drawn to psychology. Why we think the way we do; what motivates our decisions; how we perceive the world. And I’ve always wanted to create things that inspire others to ask those questions too. I want to spark curiosity. Read More>>

Ariel

Singing is my first love. I’ve known that I wanted to be a singer for as long as I can remember. It’s been so long that I can’t even give you an age. Apparently Pisces daydream a lot, and that is certainly the case for me. All I’ve ever done is dream about my life as a successful singer, dancing on the biggest stages for tens of thousands of people.  Read More>>

Matan Ben-tolila

I chose a creative career out of a strong, inner conviction that this is the only place where I can truly thrive. Since I was a child, every time I encountered a powerful piece of art or heard an emotionally moving piece of music, I felt that this was also my calling. To express a unique frequency in the world through my paintings. An inner frequency that only I possess, waiting to come to light at any moment and to find a deep place in the hearts of those who view it. In any other profession I might have chosen, I believe I would have felt incomplete. Only within art do I feel whole. Read More>>

Aubrey Ares-hernández

Growing up, pursuing an artistic career was seen as an impractical choice. Success, as I was taught, meant earning a degree, securing a 9-to-5 job, and following a conventional path. Despite dancing my entire life, when I was offered a scholarship to the University of Arizona for dance, I turned it down and chose to study business at Arizona State instead—because that’s what I believed I was supposed to do. Read More>>

Jaydoh Aydoh

Well it’s definitely not the money
You gotta get into the music industry because you love it. For me, it was listening to people like Lil Wayne at a young age, and production from guys like Lex Luger and Metro Boomin that inspired me to download FL Studio and start making beats. I love the freedom that comes with making music, and being able to express myself however I want. Read More>>