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.

S.Jin

I decided to pursue an artistic career because I believe that art plays a crucial role in communicating and connecting with others. As a child who suffered with selective mutism, I’ve found other ways to express myself through creative means. I’ve often found myself daydreaming of other realms and stories, losing myself in books and the illustrations that accompanied them. Read More>>

Ruben Dario

Oh, I became an actor because at a young age I realized that I wasn’t good at anything except humor and I use that term loosely. I also didn’t have a care in my heart or a thought in my head. Then I said to myself how can apply those skills to what I want to be when I grow up and since influencer wasn’t a thing in the 90’s its either actor or congressman. I ended up choosing acting because I wanted to have job security, a stable income, and peace of mind when I chase validation from strangers while crying in my car at a meter outside of 200 south La Brea over a rejection email from an audition that starts with “we loved your energy.” Read More>>

Arlene Victoria Conrad

I grew up in a very intellectual family; one that always taught me that the best way to be prepared for life was through education. And my parents were right, I loved reading, science, history… I loved to learn. But I realized early on that life had to be experienced in other ways, ways that education and information wouldn’t help you understand. Art is what helped me to understand and navigate through life. Read More>>

Diego Feliciano

I felt I had things to say and I didn’t know how to say them. I was a shy kid and very bad at being intimate when it came to being with people, music and film helped me get in touch with myself. Read More>>

Nick Marino

There was no choice! Comic books are what I care about most. For better or worse, they’re my life’s passion and my life’s pursuit. Read More>>

Jay Bushman

On some level, I didn’t really feel like I had a choice. It was always an impulse and drive that I felt. The few times when I’ve tried to ignore that impulse it’s only come back stronger and stronger. Read More>>

Clayton Lin

I’m a Digital Product Designer — a role that blends technology and art, bringing creative ideas to life through interactive experiences. My journey started with a fascination for technology. About ten years ago, my dad bought me a Google Cardboard VR. He put his phone inside and played some immersive videos. At that moment, it felt like I was opening the door to the world of technology. Read More>>

Gerica Preston

I’m a former foster youth and growing up I was primarily raised by my aunt and uncle, Val and Ted, in Pomona, California. The arts have always been my passion. Creative expression was an outlet for all my big feelings. I was that kid jumping into everything: Girl Scouts, gymnastics, tap dance, children’s choir, talent shows, oratorical contests. I was goofy, creative, smart, independent — Read More>>

Nicolaus Robinson

I definitely think the best things happen organically because it wasn’t something I was planning initially. I was always really creative growing up but I did grow up in the 90s where doing anything creative or artsy was frowned upon because it “was unrealistic” and “didn’t bring in money” so I stuck to my artistic side as a hobby while taking the traditional route of school, college then career.  Read More>>

Jessica Lee

When I was growing up, I rarely saw anyone in media that looked like me. Asian representation at the time was sparse. But, my dream was to be a model, so everyday I would watch tutorials on catwalks, take my own headshots, and practice posing in front of my mirror. That world always seemed impossible, so I studied hard to get into UCLA for my professional career.  Read More>>

Kenneth Yeung

I chose a creative career mostly because I don’t think I could have done anything else. At least not anything that would have made me happy. I was never going to be a doctor or lawyer or work some office job. I’m not really able to study or do things that don’t interest me. To that end I feel very fortunate and grateful that I fell into cinematography. I always enjoyed photography as a kid so cinematography was a natural transition. It kinda came easy to me and it quickly became my number one passion in life. Read More>>

Shaun O’Brien

A few different reasons actually. The first being that I’ve always wanted to be creating something and has always felt like a need in my life. First it was drawing as a child, then music really took over when my parents got a free piano from a neighbor who was moving away. I’ve also painted and done photography a lot but creating music has always had the strongest pull on me. I think it’s just my way of processing and expressing how I’m feeling. A couple other reasons why I like to make music is to give back to music for what it has given me, and to offer something beautiful to the world. Read More>>

Steinunn

I’ve always loved art and being creative. From a young age, I chose weekend art classes over sports, inspired by my family’s appreciation for art and design. My mother is an architect, and for years she and my aunt ran a design shop together, creativity was always around me. I think I pursued a creative career because it’s the only space where I feel fully at ease, where I can be curious, hands-on, and imaginative all at once. Read More>>

Karyante’ Franklin

I’ve always been a dreamer. My imagination never stops, and I’m eternally grateful for that. Sitting down and looking at the world and everything that’s happening is honestly so stressful. Yes, it’s a beautiful place. For real, Mother Earth is gorgeous! But so many bad things happen that it just makes me feel pessimistic about life. Then depression sets in and that’s a whole sad roller coaster nobody wants to ride. Read More>>

Jarret Liotta

The short answer is because I don’t have a choice. Believe me, life would be so much simpler — and far more lucrative — if I could trade in my so-called artistic sensitivity and an ever-present yearning to create stuff, for a job at the bank. Unfortunately, along with an extremely short attention span, I’ve never been able to escape my pestering desires to write, perform, make film, or do photography, for any significant length of time, thus making the possibility of a hedgefund career extremely impractical. Read More>>

Mackenzie Jaquish

I love to tell stories. From a young age, I understood that I could communicate through storytelling. Storytelling is one of the main ways we connect as humans. We’re all exploring this world for the first time, and finding someone with a similar story to you, someone you can relate to, is so important. Comedy came into the picture when I realized people enjoyed hearing stories that made them laugh at the end. A story with a punchline, not just a plot. When you’re laughing, you’re not thinking about your problems, you’re truly in the moment. Read More>>

Eugenia Moreeva

Making art helps me process the overwhelming worlds within and around me.

As humans, we are suddenly born into a reality that has existed long before us and might continue long after we are gone. It’s startling — being brought into a place we have never been before — just like that, without warning. From nothingness, we emerge into real beings. Read More>>

 Isabelle Muschamp

I pursued a career in the Automotive Industry with the guidance of my father, an industry veteran. As society questioned a woman’s past, present and future because of the concept there is a time and a place for a woman, my parents gifted me the confidence to be independent with the perfect combination of adrenaline, fuel, oil and speed. Read More>>

Lily Li

I pursued an artistic career because it became the most honest way for me to process and respond to the world I grew up in. As a Korean-Chinese person raised in Beijing, I was exposed early on to subtle and overt forms of systemic discrimination. I started with literature, but over time, I found that drawing allowed me to express what words sometimes couldn’t—complex emotions, internalized rage, and the contradictions of living within political and social structures that often silence dissent. Read More>>

Stephen Les

I was a sophomore in high school and I was taking a course in French. My French teacher asked me if I wanted to go see a French movie at a nearby college, and I went with her. We sat on folding metal chairs in a gym and watched a 16 mm print of Hiroshima Mon Amour by Alain Resnais. I had a very strong experience when I saw the film. I was too young to understand the story, but I was overwhelmed because I felt that the director cared enough about me to tell me the truth. Read More>>

Netraa Dave

Since my childhood, I have always been drawn to the power of visual storytelling. I did not choose an artistic career because I thought it to be easy or glamorous. Ever since I picked up the camera in my 7th grade as a part of an extra curricular activity, something shifted in the way I saw the world. As a photographer, I felt drawn to quiet moments, the way light falls on someone’s face, the stillness in a room, the contrast between shadow and emotion. It was not just about capturing beauty, it was always about noticing things others walked past. Read More>>

Nora Mae

I didn’t really choose it — it’s always been how I moved through the world. Creating was how I processed emotion, how I made sense of what I felt but couldn’t say. I come from a lineage of performers, so in many ways it felt ancestral — like something already living in my bones. But over time, it became my own language. Music, especially, gave me permission to tell the truth in a way that felt both intimate and expansive. It’s not about performance for me — it’s about presence, and connection. Art has always been the clearest mirror I’ve had. Read More>>

Kris Figueroa DJ PROPHET

Honestly, music and movement have always been my language. DJing wasn’t just about spinning records—it was about connecting energy, telling stories through sound, and elevating the vibe in any room I walked into. Over time, that passion evolved into something deeper—a calling to not only entertain but to inspire. I chose this creative path because it gave me the freedom to be fully me. Whether I’m behind the decks, coaching kids on the field or court, or pushing someone through a workout, I’m in my zone when I’m helping people feel something real. It’s more than a career—it’s a mission rooted in rhythm, growth, and impact. Read More>>

Brendan Pegg

I didn’t exactly choose to pursue an artistic career, it felt more like it chose me. From a very young age, music was a constant in my life. My mom signed me up for classical piano lessons when I was six, and my dad was a drummer, so creativity and musical expression were naturally apart of my upbringing. In high school, I started writing songs, and that changed everything. Read More>>  

Joe Edwards

To engage with people and spread something only I can deliver- me. Everyone sees the world their own way and has experiences that are specific to them- mine are fun, not so fun, sad, not so sad – all over the place! The world’s on fire, and if I can make people forget about that for even a little while by entertaining, making them think or even learn something new- it’s a win. Read More>>