Artists and creatives face innumerable challenges given that their career path often doesn’t come with a playbook, a steady paycheck or any form of safety net. It’s definitely not easy and so we asked a few of the artists and creatives we admire to talk to us about why they chose to pursue an artistic or creative career.

Erick D. Patrick | Actor, Singer, & Owner of Divinity Run Club

Honestly, I don’t think I CHOSE a creative career. I feel like an artistic career was the ONLY choice. I was the kid growing up, who wanted to do a million things! I was always making/doing things: music, painting, writing. Luckily, I had parents who allowed me to explore everything I had an interest in. Read more>>

Bae Sadè | Public Speaker, Artist, Entrepreneur

As a Detroit native, art and performance of sorts was always at the epicenter of my life. I’ve always been drawn to the reality of the influence art and performance has on those perceiving and receiving the energy of art. So for me, it was a no brainer. That was/is the direction for me. As early as 6, singing in choirs, writing essays that provoke thought, puppeteering, you name it. Looking back, I find that my art typically was the way I could be received most authentically in my expression. Nothing else would do. Read more>>

Huilin Gui | Illustrator

I wanted to fulfill my childhood dream. Like many kids, I used to scribble and doodle on paper every day, imagining becoming an artist one day. Read more>>

Jason Leung | Freelance Photographer/Videographer

During high school, my hobbies were graphic design and a bit of photography. When I got to college, I was trying to figure out my career and attempted the computer science route because it was where the money was. After taking several coding classes, I realized it wasn’t meant for me. There was an opportunity to work at a small startup for graphic design, something I hadn’t formally studied but had some hobby work to show for. Fast forward through various jobs as a graphic designer, I explored videography on the side until it evolved into my primary focus. Now, I am a full-time freelancer for photography and videography because I enjoy the diverse projects I get to be involved in. Read more>>

Nick Schultz | Actor

Watching films as a child profoundly impacted me, stirring something deep within my soul. Watching remarkable performances and captivating stories ignited a burning desire within me to pursue acting. Movies have a unique power to move me, serving as reminders of the meaning of life. There’s nothing like watching a film and then reflecting on its message afterward. For me, acting isn’t just a want—it’s a need. I feel a compelling urge to become a storyteller, pouring my heart and soul into this craft. Art, to me, is a reflection of life itself, and acting allows me to immerse myself in something filled with profound meaning. So, why not dedicate the rest of my life to something I love so deeply? Read more>>

Xinran Shen | Architectural Designer

In embarking upon the trajectory of an artistic or creative career, my journey bears the indelible imprint of my upbringing amidst the luminaries of architecture and real estate development in the pulsating heart of Shanghai, my hometown, during its zenith as a burgeoning metropolis. It was a time of prosperity, when skyscrapers punctuated the skyline and urban sprawl morphed into a testament of human ingenuity. Read more>>

Natalie Giannosa | Actor, Singer & Producer

I grew up on Carol Burnet, Barbra Streisand, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis, so with these legends as my earliest of influences, I don’t feel like I had a “choice” to go into the arts — it’s just what felt right. I started performing a very young age. I haven’t stopped being drawn to exercising my child-like nativete, wonder, and imagination. While it was easy to feel how the imagination allowed me to escape, I also recognized early on the power it had to help others escape. Even as a kid on stage, I had a moment when I became so overwhelmed with the realization that I could be moving people, affecting people, and helping people. It felt natural to me to want to follow that feeling. I pursued the arts because I pursued that feeling. If what I am now qualified to do can help people see themselves, feel deeply, or even forget — sign me up. Read more>>

 Luis Castillo | Digital Creator | Editor | Podcast Producer

What’s funny is, I never once had the slightest thought about pursuing a creative career. I went to a university with an undeclared major for two years while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. After taking a few GE’s and being truly moved by a guest speaker, I was really beginning to consider declaring a child development major to study to become a social worker. It sounded like very intense, heavy work that wouldn’t be the most fun, but I knew I’d make an impact on many lives. But then, my older brother who was a screenwriting major at the same school asked me to be a PA on one of his short film projects and I was like “oh damn. This is dope. Let me shift from helping countless young lives and instead, dedicate my life to making stupid, poop humor videos.” And that’s when I entered the film program and started my journey, which has led me to where I am today. So blame my brother for the lack of lives I’ve helped! Read more>>

Kalyn Elizabeth Wood | Actor

My journey into a creative career, mainly acting stems from a deep- rooted love for movies that I developed while growing up. At a young age I was introduced to people like Lucille Ball, which sparked my love for the old black and white films era. As a child, I was always captivated by the magical world of cinema, and it played a significant role in shaping my imagination. On one day I could be Lucy stomping on grapes in Italy, the next I could be Rose in Titanic holding my arms wide in the front of the ship pretending that dear Leo was behind me. It wasn’t until I was around 12 years old that I discovered what acting truly was. Up until that point, I would find my self acting out scenes in my bedroom mirror without realising that it was an actual profession. Read more>>

Cardell McManus | Musician/Artist

As I child I’ve always been creative rather it be music, dance or even building club houses from random materials around the neighborhood. Being a Artist all around has been a natural flow for me and I’m Big on being true to self, so that’s what lead me to pursing a career through the arts. Read more>>

priscilla mcnally | Nail Artist & Crafter

It actually was not something i had in mind. I had gone to school for medical field and worked in the medical field for about 6 years, but i hated being gone and away from my children so many hours in a day, when i had my youngest I decided maybe it was time for a change in career. 2019 was the year i started my first company La Villana Produx ,i would make custom gifts and decorations and that led me to branch out into artistry which led me to become a nail technician who specializes in hand drawn nail art and I am now an owner of two companies , I make my own schedule and I get to be a very present parent in my children’s lives, I no longer miss the little moments in their lives and best of all I am my own boss. Read more>>

Laura Reyes | Illustrator

Growing up, I always wanted to do something creative. I remember as a kid, I would draw little comics or design outfits for my dolls. My high school art teacher was also a big inspiration. In her class, I learned the basics of art and how we could take an idea in our minds to something tangible. She also demonstrated how it was possible to have a career in the arts. I also admire how art can communicate to a large audience. A big part of who I am is my Mexican culture. My parents were born in Mexico while I was born in the United States. However, growing up, there would be barriers in language. I still think about my grandpa before he passed and how I wished I could have had conversations about his life and how he was working in the United States in the 1950s. But, art was always there for me. I could draw something and instantly whoever views my art has a connection, no words needed. It’s truly something amazing. I hope to inspire others with my art as I have been inspired by others. Read more>>

 Joseph D McQueen | Multi-media Composer and Producer

From a very early age my life was surrounded with pure creativity. My mother was a west end actress and song writer, my father was a worship leader and entrepreneur, my brother is a filmmaker and actor, my British uncle is a painter and artist, my American uncle is a drama teacher, my grandmother is a watercolour artist and my grandfather is a sculptor. It was no real surprise I would inherit the musical talents of my family and fill the classical pianist and composer role. Read more>>

Allie Wong | Graphic Designer

From a young age, I have always loved to create my own characters, worlds, designs, etc. In high school, I loved buying blank t-shirts and puffy paint, and creating my own designs on them. My inspiration came from graphic tees (most of which I still have to this day), and my goal became to design shirts that would inspire and bring joy to others like my shirt collection brought to me. I am so blessed that my parents have always supported me in my artistic endeavors. My mom saw my love for computer graphics and told me that I could be a graphic designer one day. The possibility of sharing my creative ideas with the world and seeing my designs bring joy to the masses was really exciting to me and still motivates me to create each day. Read more>>

Stacey Firth | Boudoir & Couples Photographer

Being creative fills my life up with joy!

I’m a firm believer that we all need a creative outlet that brings us happiness. I do not take on any photography jobs that “feel” like work – I only say ones that align with who I am and that I am genuinely excited to do.

Even though I have created a business, I want every day to feel like it’s a hobby. Read more>>

Jiwon Lee | Writer

I think pursuing a creative career has always been such an obvious choice for me that it’s hard to think about when this all started. I was always a kid who was extra sensitive, extra opinionated, and extra emotional about life. Like every other kid, I went through different phases of what I wanted to be when I grow up, but I think every single one of them was creative — ranging from wanting to be the next Taylor Swift, to journalist, to what I am today, writer for film and television. I think I’d also have to attribute my start in a creative career to my upbringing of moving across different countries and cities every few years. I was never familiar with what was “mainstream” in conversations amongst friends, and I always harbored a desire to be the leader of my own story, to tell my side of the story rather than desperately absorbing the culture around me just to fit in. I’d say I’m fairly happy with where I ended up! Read more>>

Jennifer Gable | Stand-Up Comedian, Writer, Actor, Producer

That’s a great question! I chose this profession because it was the most fun for me. It didn’t feel like work. It still never feels like work. Acting, writing, producing, directing and performing Stand-Up Comedy is always so much fun! I love to feel free and express myself. I grew up performing and my mother allowed me to be very creative as a child so I think that’s why I continued as an adult. Most people thought I was crazy and still do by some of the choices I’ve made but I just follow my own passion and live my life the way I want. And the longer I stay in it, the more I achieve. The industry is always changing, but I stay in it and true to myself. Read more>>

Bernard Yagee | Singer-Songwriter & Producer

As Bernard Yagee, a singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and audio engineer, I pursued an artistic and creative career because music has always been my deepest passion and source of inspiration. From a young age, I found solace and joy in expressing myself through melodies, lyrics, and soundscapes. Read more>>

Daniel Armando | Filmmaker

For me, choosing the artistic creative route was something I thought about long and hard. To dive into making this a career was a choice I made once I graduated high school. I knew that this was the best way for me to really push myself to have a voice. I made this choice because I wanted to have the freedom to express my ideas and thoughts without constraints. Read more>>

Grigor Abgaryan | Film Composer

I did it not for the pursuit of fame or riches but to be a servant of art. The nostalgia I feel looking back at the film scores that shaped me is the same emotion I want to offer the next generation of story lovers. As an artist if I had nothing to say I wouldn’t be in the arts. Read more>>

Wenqi Zheng | Editing student&filmmaker

I was in high school and wanted to study filmmaking. At the time I saw a video about the process of making a Harry Potter movie. I got interested in it and I thought the process of making movies was amazing, like magic. When I studied, I made my own short films, and when I was involved in every step of the production from the beginning of the production to the final completion, it was very fulfilling. Read more>>

Karen Agurto | Elopement Wedding Photographer

I didn’t start off pursuing an artistic or creative career. For almost a decade I’ve worked in special education throughout various roles. I’ve always had creative passions but it was safer to follow a traditional path. My parents are immigrants from El Salvador who took a great risk coming to the United States. I grew up watching my parents work multiple jobs to make things work. They didn’t have time to nurture and grow their creative skills in a way that could become their income. A good job was a stable job. So, that’s what I did. I wanted a clear path to a stable income so that I wouldn’t have to stress about money like my parents did. Read more>>

Nea Somogyi | Actress, Singer, Dancer

I’ve always been compelled to encourage others to be good humans, Stepping into other people’s shoes isn’t always easy and it doesn’t come naturally to the vast majority unless we consciously work on it on our daily basis. However, it is a quality that makes us grow in empathy and kindness, which is much needed in this world, I strongly believe art in its many forms helps us step into other people’s shoes, have conversations about unexplored emotions and deal with unresolved inner or outer conflicts. Now I’m not a therapist or any kind of doctor but I know art has healing properties. It can surprise us, overwhelm us, excite us,bring us joy, make us cry, make us laugh out loud, we can escape this world or be confronted by it. Whatever it is, it will change something in us. If it’s honest at heart, it will. And that change leads to action. What better way to learn how to be more empathetic and kind with this world than through art? I want to help others become better humans through my art. I hope they can see themselves or someone they know in the shoes I get to step in, and that it will inspire them to expand their points of view and recognize unkind behavior so that they can take action in making this world a better place to live for everyone. Read more>>

Michael Thomas DeLano | Film Director, Writer and Producer

I grew up out in the desert, in the middle of nowhere so I had a lot of time on my own as a kid. My imagination would go hyperactive and I loved creating things. Stories, drawings, songs, I would read a lot and watched a lot of movies out of my parents VHS collection as well. Having an idea and then manifesting it into some sort of reality is as close to magic as we can get and I love it. I kind of need it, I originally thought I was going to go on to draw comic books, but at some point realized that movies are probably our highest art form and probably the best way to let other people know that maybe we can understand each other. We are all so different and at the same time very much the same. I think I am really drawn to the creative process and trying to connect with people, so I can’t imagine doing anything that didn’t stoke those two fires. Read more>>

Lori Goldberg | Visual Artist

When people asked me why I became an artist, I told them I did not choose to be an artist; it chose me. When I was a young child, around eight, I knew I would be an artist. But it was more than the making of art. It was a state of being. I think, breathe and live my art. I have an open, curious, imaginative mind that wants to explore and experience life through different means and materials. My main focus is painting. I love standing before a large blank canvas and saying, “What portal will open up for me today”?  Read more>>

 Julian Scaff | Interaction Designer, Professor, and Futurist

From the earliest whispers of dawn, when the world is still a blank canvas awaiting the first stroke of sunlight, it has been evident that my path was not one of choice, but of destiny. Like a river that carves its way through the landscape, driven by the inexorable pull of gravity, so too was I drawn to art, design, and science—a trinity of disciplines that dances at the edges of human understanding and creativity. In this confluence of fields, I found not just a career, but a calling that resonated with the very core of my being. I am an artist by nature, my soul attuned to the nuances of color and form; a designer, seeing not just what is, but what could be; and a scientist, eternally fascinated by the how and the why of the universe. This is not a path I chose; rather, it chose me, compelling me with a force as undeniable as the tides. Read more>>

Kuei-Pi LI | Artist

It is my first time to reply this question- as an artist, most people are already imagined your life, like you must have a traumatic childhood, taciturn with weird hobbies and incredible ideas shown in dedication to creativity, because of the poor financial management skills, you are always face on problems. They are more focus on another part of you, after you creative a representative work which be collected in the museum or someone’s home. How did you creative an incredible price for auction or art market? How did you worked those art project, exhibition and works with require high capital investment and so on. People would rather believe that you have extraordinary luck and get help from heavy hitter. Read more>>

Erin McAnany | Ceramic Artist

For me it’s just the only thing I’ve ever felt good at, but I always thought I would be too scared to try and do as a career. That is until my brother Elliott decided to leave his construction job to be an artist full time. I was basically like “Oh wait are we actually going to do this??” I was totally inspired by him and ended up leaving my job shortly after. My brother and I decided to go all in and rent a studio/gallery space and I think a lot of parents would react with a little hesitstion/concern but Nancy didn’t skip a friggin beat and simply said “Well I’m happy about that!” Our mom has run her own perfume store since 1990 and our dad was an incredible abstract artist so I was so lucky to be raised by two beautifully passionate people who showed us how amazing following your own path can be. I really blame them. Read more>>