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.

Levi Alexander | Writer

I always thought I was going to be an entrepreneur. In high school, I took ten business electives, and then I spent three years studying entrepreneurship in college. I was even on a competitive entrepreneurship team. My plan was to either take over my dad’s company or start one of my own. But reality hit when I failed accounting twice, struggled to understand economics, and found most of my classes to be exceptionally boring—except for the creative ones like marketing and graphic design. Read more>>

Bradley Remorie | Everything in the interview should be attributed to the band as a whole.

We have all been involved in music from a young age, each of us in our own way. There was simply no other option for us. This is what we’re passionate about and what we’re good at. When we got together as a band, it was clear that this was a perfect match, both creatively and professionally. We’re incredibly happy to be able to do this together. Read more>>

Matthew Enad | Game Developer & Artist

It’s no understatement to say that video games changed my life. From a young age, I was always inspired by the digital worlds that encouraged exploration, proficiency, and expression. In middle school, playing games from the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises encouraged me to draft rudimentary design documents on scrap paper for my own stories. By 8th grade, I was creating simple games in MIT’s Scratch program and learning how to code on my own time. In high school, I enrolled in filmmaking and animation courses, and practiced my skills in 3D modeling, music composition, and video editing. When graduation rolled around, I was already participating in game jam competitions and publishing my Unity projects online. Read more>>

 Sofia Martinez | Actor

I’ve always felt different in a way. I’ve always seeked expression and I’ve always wanted to feel more than what daily life offers.
Since I was a child I would always love to play, I would play with dolls and barbies, play at the courtyard with my friends, play to the scary mansion with my older brother. I also loved talking to people.
I’d hate sitting down at a desk and studying. That made me fail some classes but luckily my parents were cool with it. My mom always believed that going to the playground with my friends was going to teach me more in life than studying Math the whole afternoon. And I am grateful for that now. Because I can still play and use my childlike spirit in a daily basis. Read more>>

Tip Dunn | DJ and Non-Profit Founder/Director

I worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for six years after I graduated undergrad. I was buying custom fabricated parts that ended up in rovers on Mars and satellites orbiting above Earth. Dream job right? For some, maybe, but it just wasn’t my passion. I loved the mission and people but just couldn’t connect with the day to day tasks. Staring at the computer all day was taking a massive toll on my mental health and after my Mom unexpectedly passed away in 2021, I followed her guidance and decided to take a leap to try and find something that really connected with my passions. That led me to quit in early 2022. I started DJing professionally as a fulltime job shortly after as well as running a non-profit I founded in 2018 called Give Skate. Give Skate works to support skateboarders around the world by giving them skateboards free of charge and helping them to develop important life skills that skateboarding teaches. For those that are unaware, skateboarding helps to cultivate incredible skills like perseverance, creativity, hard work, and resilience just to name a few. It also is amazing at helping the youth to build community and friendship. We mainly support skateboarders in India but have also helped skaters in places like Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Nicaragua, and multiple Native American reservations across the Western United States. There was a lot of fear and uncertainty with the decision to leave my job at NASA but I now know it was absolutely the right move and I needed to take a chance. Read more>>

Richard Ford Iii | Illustrator & Graphic Designer

I’ve genuinely loved animation and comics since I was little, and that love grew into a desire to make my own worlds. Following my passion and earning a living from it felt like the natural path to take. Nothing compares to being in your creative space and just…creating! I’ve always wanted to be independent, and I enjoy the freedom that comes with being an artist, but being a freelancer in particular requires a lot of responsibility. As a result, I set out to become the employer or boss that I would like to work for. Read more>>

Qianshu Guo | Film Composer

From a young age, I had a natural talent for music, with a strong sense of pitch and rhythm. But at the same time, I was also doing well academically, so when it came to applying for college, I initially planned to pursue a science-related degree. However, after much thought, I was worried that if I didn’t follow this passion, I might regret it later in life. So, I convinced my family to let me try my hand at music production, and that’s the path I chose to explore. Read more>>

Shabba Ry | Artist

I feel I was supposed to be an artist. And I was born to create. I’ve always struggled with expressing myself and finding the words to encapsulate how I feel but when I write how I feel in a song everything just flows. I be always loved music and art and have always gravitated towards them. I feel that I was meant to be a creative. Read more>>

Kristin Thegreat | Fashion/Costume Artist

I decided to pursue a creative career because I was born to create! For me, it wasn’t a decision, I knew that was who I was and what I was supposed to do. I had no doubts. Read more>>

Cal Barnes | Actor & Film Producer

When I was in college finding myself and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, I thought the coolest job in the world was to be a movie star, so that’s how it began — with a thought, an idea, and a belief. Read more>>

Bernard Galane | Drummer, Artist, Investor, Entrepreneur

I was pretty much born into music. My parents were very supportive and sent me and my brother to music classes at a very young age. We must have been around 4 or 5 years old. We were introduced to different instruments, basic rhythmic and harmonic training and playing together with other kids. I actually started out on piano, but followed my brother and switched to drums, which became pretty much an obsession for me. We had a great drum teacher and ended up in a successful Latin Rock / Pop band which even landed a song in the European hit parade. It was a magical time! We were already touring and playing big venues at around 10 years old. We were pretty much professional child drummers. Read more>>

Joseph Rhea | Novelist, Screenwriter, Game Designer, and Scientist

Why did I pursue an artistic or creative career? The answer lies at the intersection of my dual passions: a relentless drive to explore the unknown and an innate desire to create worlds beyond the ordinary. From an early age, I found myself equally captivated by the logical precision of science and the boundless possibilities of the imagination. Growing up in Yakima, Washington, I dreamt of venturing beyond my small town, inspired by the likes of Captain Kirk and Jacques Cousteau, who showed me that the wonders of the universe were just as thrilling beneath the ocean’s surface as they were among the stars. Read more>>

Terèsa Biter | Chief Operations Officer; Babes

I’m not sure I had a choice. Long ago, I thought I wanted to be a nurse and I was going to try to focus energy on that but something just kept pulling me away and it didn’t bring me happiness. I had one little opportunity. A slight window and I packed up my car and came to LA not knowing what the future was going to hold. I just knew that it was going to be something I needed for my soul. Read more>>

Kat Lukin | Writer, Filmmaker

At this point in my life I don’t feel like there is any other option. Fresh out of high school I thought I was going to be a forensic scientist but after a long conversation with a career counselor in my second year, I went on to finish my first undergrad in English Literature. My love for chemistry and biology persist in passing, I think that the sciences require people to reimagine reality in creative ways, but it just wasn’t entirely for me. I knew I needed to create, I wanted to write, I had stories to tell and I had this restless yearning to return to filmmaking. So that’s what I did. I decided that it was okay to redirect myself from Forensics and focus on what feeds my soul-because at the end of the day no one is going to do that for me. Read more>>

Fawntelle Sankari | Experimental Musician & Visual Artist

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been filling up sketchbooks and making things because it’s such a fulfilling feeling to actualize a concept that started as something that only existed in your head. That core, somewhat basic-sounding but very difficult aspect of art-making is one of the biggest forces that drives me to create today. It is genuinely just so cool to me to create something that didn’t exist at all beforehand. Read more>>

Jada Rayne Lucas | Writer & Creative Marketer

Creativity was always apart of my life, but it took me a long time to accept that it would also become a career pursuit.
As an introverted kid growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I spent a lot of time re-imagining the world around me. Writing, drawing, and creating visuals started as an outlet. It became a safe space to escape from things, and the one place where I felt comfortable enough to show up as myself. I think in those early years I didn’t really consider that a creative job could be my reality. Read more>>

Keisha Bloise

Back in 2016, I was a Clinical Scientist by day, deeply invested in the pharmaceutical industry. But after hours, I craved a creative outlet and was unable to shake the idea until I brought it to fruition. That’s when The Love Scientist was born, It was a space to explore the complexities of dating, particularly the rise of ghosting and a desire for deeper connections. Little did I know, a life-altering event would propel me on a path of self-discovery and following my heart. Read more>>

 Emma Breen

I have always had the blessing of parents that encouraged my two siblings and I to pursue our dreams. After starting trumpet in fifth grade I just knew I didn’t want to spend a day without trumpet in my life. Taking the leap to go to college for trumpet and ultimately start to build a career was just the most direct way to keep make sure that dream came to life. Read more>>

Neda Davarpanah

I’m lucky to have found my passion at a young age. Art began as a form of self-expression — writing stories to turn my inner world into something tangible, acting in plays and short films to take on perspectives other than my own, playing music to explore complex feelings that I couldn’t name. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household where this kind of expression was not only encouraged but celebrated, and when I applied to colleges, the Writing for Screen & Television program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts was my top choice. After graduating, I began working in television writers rooms and on film & TV sets, where I’ve worked ever since. My decision to pursue a career in entertainment was sparked from the passion for the craft that had developed throughout my childhood. And over the course of my time in this industry, as I became intimately aware of the fact that instability in Hollywood is a feature, not a bug, it has become clear to me that a love for the work is essential to sustain a successful career. The progress that I’ve made in my career so far — recently, co-writing Episode 205 of Netflix original series The Recruit and starring in the feature film Bird of Paradise from Equilibria Pictures — and the relationships that I’ve nurtured with my mentors and collaborators, has taught me that longevity in this industry is possible through a combination of personal drive and community support. As I continue to move forward as a writer, actor, and producer, I hope to foster that spirit of support with the aim of increasing equity in entertainment, so that other emerging artists can pursue a career they may feel like they can now only dream about. Read more>>

Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz

I pursued an artistic career because from very young I realized that there are fewer things more exciting to me than the creative process. It’s difficult and challenging but extremely rewarding. I do what I do because quite honestly, I can’t help it. I think that’s the way I’m wired. My mind is always looking for a story to tell, for a creative way to communicate thoughts and feelings about the human experience. To be able to create something that didn’t exist before you thought of it, is remarkable. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could do anything else, so the fact that I get to do it for a living it’s something I’m extremely grateful for. Read more>>

Vito Finamore

I pursued music because it has always been the thing I can’t get enough of and can not stop thinking of. I truly enjoy being part of the creation process in all aspects. It is what makes me truly happy. I started my career as an engineer and a producer in multiple genres and have spent the last 9 years teaching and mentoring at Icon Collective in Burbank and now I am the Director of Student Services at Icon Collective. I get to shape the minds of young artists and producers and teach them the technical skills they need to pursue an artistic career and it has really been an honor to inspire so many talented individuals which shows me that I have followed the right path in my life and career. I come from Youngstown, Ohio where having a successful music career is a bit of a dream so to me it was very important for me to make it a reality since my love and passion for it was so strong and really what I wanted in my life. Read more>>

Daphne Miller

I’ve always been a storyteller. Whether it’s talking about my own experiences, writing a fictional tale, or creating marketing materials , I’ve always just wanted to tell a good story. I think the key is finding what’s interesting about anyone or anything and then relating it in a way that’s both engaging and understandable. Sharing stories via any artistic medium creates community and conversation and I’ve always found connection through storytelling. Read more>>

Kate Halauko

Since childhood, I have been engaged in creative activities thanks to my mother, who taught my siblings and me to draw, sew, embroider, make crafts, and even how to make decorative elements using whatever you have on hand. We grew up in a typical family in a small town in Belarus and lived through the difficult ’90s when the USSR was broken and the country had an economic crisis. Economic hardships made it hard to find things in stores, so my mother taught us how to make everything by hand. This taught me how to make the most out of little and really brought out my creative side, making me good at thinking outside the box and finding beauty in simple things. Read more>>

Emi Sun

Artistic creation is a lifelong journey of self-healing for me, and it’s a positive experience that I wish to share with the world. I am deeply engaged with themes of vulnerabilities, physical touch and love. I practice in various mediums, and I especially focus on the concept of games. By crafting rules, spaces, and interactions, I invite participants to explore and evoke new feelings about connection, relationships, and love. My hope is to continue creating such works, encouraging people to rethink these themes through a serious yet playful approach. Read more>>

Natasha Aponté

Music has been the thread that binds my DNA; it’s really in my blood. My family used to tell me that I learned how to sing before I could talk. When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by the frequency of my voice. I would hum and sing different notes, writing songs and putting them all together. By the time I was eight, I already knew I wanted to be a singer. However, there was one moment that set the trajectory of my life; I didn’t know it then, but it ultimately shaped my future. Read more>>

Timothy Hill

I’m a very faith-based person, and I believe God through my faith has always guided me to the spaces I’m meant to be at certain points in my life. Even if that means removing me from places where my talents are no longer needed. After being laid off from my corporate position earlier this year, this allowed me the space and freedom to pursue my entrepreneurial and creative passions unapologetically and share my gifts with the world without fear and judgment from coworkers who often, didn’t want to see me do better than them. Being a storyteller has always been who I am at my core and for the longest, I denied my artistic abilities. However, one day I became ill from being in a job that no longer served me and trying to force something to work for the sake of pleasing others. I couldn’t take it anymore. After all, we only have one life to live and it’s a responsibility to myself that I leave this Earth pleased and leave a legacy for my future family. Whether through poetry, interviewing guests for my podcast, What’s The Tea with Tim, reading a script for voice acting, or modeling in front of the camera, I desire to tell stories through my art. Instead of investing in someone else’s dream, I have made the conscious decision to invest in myself something that made me genuinely happy. It’s also interesting because I’m an empath and storytelling allows me an outlet to express what I may feel in the world around me while also telling the stories of others. The best way to describe this is there’s a constant want to understand and tell our shared human experience whether in moments of grief or triumph. Read more>>

Andrew Chang

I pursued an artistic career because it was the only thing that I was drawn to. I’ve known that I wanted to be an artist since I was a child and I have never changed my goals since. Read more>>

Cal-I Jonel

Creativity has been a constant thread in my life for as long as I can remember. After spending eleven years as as secondary school teacher I felt an undeniable pull to revisit my creative roots. My decision was driven by a desire to set an example for my children, demonstrating what it truly means to pursue one’s dreams. I yearned to grant myself the freedom to dream boldly and engage in what I love most. This journey represents more than just a career shift for me—it’s about building a life aligned with my innate strengths and challenging conventional notions of what a career should be. I also wanted to give myself permission to dream again during my mid-thirties. Read more>>

Thibaut NOGUES

My sport career is an artistic way where I constantly need to be creative, and I love that.

I choosed this way because I’m an outsider, my sport is an artistic sport the goal is to mix performance and style, both are important. To be artistic with a motorcycle you must be creative, it’s important to be visible and it helps me to grow my business. Read more>>

Jordan Maye

I chose to pursue my music career because I simply didn’t see myself enjoying each day in any other field. Music is more than just an industry, it’s an art form that brings emotion into peoples’ lives. Read more>>

Melinda Matticoli

I feel through perusing an artistic career path I get the chance to use my art as a way to continuously learn more about myself. I feel although this career is extremely challenging in many ways, there are a lot of great payouts that make it worth it in the end. Read more>>

Ryan Thomas

Growing up, I was always passionate about art and music, and I dreamed of becoming a star in either acting or singing. My journey began at the age of 10 when I first took to the stage. Acting provided a delightful escape, allowing me to embody different characters and explore new dimensions of myself. However, as I continued participating in high school plays and musicals, I began to realize that I was seeking something more fulfilling—something that demanded greater hands-on involvement and attention to detail. Read more>>

LOUR

Growing up in Jerusalem and the West Bank, I never saw myself represented on screen or on stage. I realized early on that if I wanted to see my story told, I couldn’t just wait for someone else to do it—I had to take matters into my own hands. Art has the power to create social and political change by humanizing others and highlighting their lived experiences. Seeing this firsthand made me understand how vital it is to bring my own perspective to the forefront. Read more>>