We asked some of the most creative folks we know to open up to us about why they chose a creative career path. Check out their responses below.

Nakia Richardson | On Air Host | Entertainent Journalist | Reporter | TV Producer | Writer | Podcaster

Ive known my whole life what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. Ive always known I wanted to work in the entertainment space but for a long time I was not sure how to reach the goal. I am so happy that I went for it and invested my time into this career full time Read more>>

Gabriela Ono | Film Producer

At the time I chose to go to film school, the idea of content creation was at its first stages of conceptualization. All my family and close friends were a bit worried with my choice to pursue something creative. But growing up I was involved with so many artistic outlets, that the only path I could see for myself was a creative one. I was into drawing, music, and movies. As I got closer to choosing a college, filmmaking made the most sense with my abilities and my overall passion. And I strongly feel like I made the right decision. Read more>>

Hershel Abram | Music Creator

I felt a career in music was the best way for me to honor my brothers memory. He was the beautiful soul who motivated me to play the drums in addition to continuing with the piano. Read more>>

Marcel Santos | Artist

That’s an excellent question, I can probably talk about that for hours… With the risk of sounding too cliche, you know what they say “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” – take it from me, that quote couldn’t be more true. Read more>>

Yelpy | 3 time Hollywood Music Media Awards nominee and Europ Music Video Awards winner Irish singer/songwriter

So I think when you’re a artist or have that artistic itch, be it music or any other form of art, you really don’t have a choice but to follow it through and go wherever it takes you. For some people that’s giving up everything else and pursuing that art even if it means struggling and hardships. Read more>>

Kelly Martínez-Grandal | Writer, Editor and Arts & Literature Researcher

I came from an artistic family. Both of my parents, Gilda Perez and Ramon Grandal, are renowned Cuban photographers. Of course, that is not an infallible formula, but the world was taught to me from a creative, artistic perspective. Besides that, it was a need for a certain kind of language and expression. Read more>>

Arella Devorah | Singer & Recording Artist

I’ve always been creative as a child and loved singing, it was just something I did naturally and always felt like my true self wherever I did express myself in this way. There isn’t anything that makes me light up more than singing, and it is my greatest artistic passion. Not only am I creative musically, but visually as well – I always loved picking up the camera to create beautiful images and also draw art. Read more>>

Kanami Kusajima | Dancer, Performing Artist

I pursue this career simply because I love it. Read more>>

Mark Rebennack | Artist, Teacher, Nonprofit Founder

I’ve always loved art. As a kid, I was always drawing. I remember being in kindergarten and having to stay after school to clean a mural I had painted off of the walls of the school hallway. The teacher had sent us into the hallway 2 kids at a time with a sheet of construction paper. We had paint and some freedom. I think the teacher forgot about us and I found myself with my paper covered and all of this paint left over. Read more>>

Alessio Filippelli | Manager|PR|Executive Director|Creative Director

I’ve always been a creative kid, I’ve always found myself being focused on my creativity as an outlet to escape from what was around me. and as an outlet to express all the colors and emotions inside of me. I needed to build something for myself where I knew I could have a safe place to share what I was going through but also turn this into my art. and to be able to share my creativity to inspire other people. Read more>>

Devam Shah | Photographer and Artist

There was always an artist in me, surviving but not living to the fullest. Since i was very young i was into singing. I wanted to become a playback singer. But i think god wanted things to be different than what I envisioned at that time. As i passed middle school, my singing interests nearly faded for good as i got more into photography, Read more>>

Linda Michaels | Actor, Makeup and Hair Artist, Esthetician

I pursue a creative career because I just never fit in the traditional roles. I have had a desk and an office before and wondered what people did with them. I didn’t feel like I really did anything unless I was dealing directly with people either teaching esthetics, makeup, or applying makeup for a film, TV show or bride. I was made to be around different people all the time. Read more>>

Hanna Cho | Story Artist & Comics Artist

I loved drawing and writing stories since I was young! Read more>>

Alexa Barco | Storyteller and Designer

Ever since I was little I have always been an imaginative person, and I found that drawing was the best outlet for this. I consumed a lot of media, mostly fictional, and at some point decided I wanted to make my own stories and characters. I also enjoy interpreting the world around me with studies and caricatures- art is how I tend to process various things and people. Read more>>

Amarildo Junior | VFX Artist

I was going to answer the “How to know whether to keep going or give up” question, but this one can answer both. Read more>>

Stuart Pearson | Musician

My mother used ask me that on an hourly basis! I can wax poetic and say that “it called to me” or something like that, but the honest answer is I don’t know. I kept walking away from it and when times got sad, I would return to it for comfort, whether as a listener or a player. My storage space was just robbed. Read more>>