Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?

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.

Shawn Esho

Pursuing an artistic or creative career felt like an inevitable choice for me. Acting is not just a profession; it’s a passion and a calling. From a young age, I was captivated by the power of storytelling and the profound impact it can have on people. Being on stage or in front of a camera allows me to explore different facets of the human experience, delve into complex characters, and convey emotions that resonate deeply with audiences. Read more>>

Xuanxuan Gao

When I was around four or five years old, both of my parents were very busy with their demanding jobs. One day, my mother asked if I wanted to go to an art studio on weekends to learn how to draw. This way, I could do something interesting and enjoyable while also staying out of trouble and not worrying them by being home alone. At that time, I thought drawing was something new and fun, so I agreed. Read more>>

Nick Martino | Poet and teacher

Pursuing a career in poetry isn’t the result of one specific decision, but rather the accumulation of small moments over years and years. For me, it was always the path of least resistance: a kind of solitary joy I could embark upon on my own. Read more>>

Robbie Molina | Baker, Content Creator, Model & Actor

Hi Robbie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I didn’t even think it was possible for me to pursue a creative career, it was never in reach or just for me. I thought I would have a regular job after I graduated from college and go on from there. That isn’t the case now, it took me a few years after college to get a sense of what I wanted to do. I was working at the LAX airport for 3+ years. During this time, in 2019 modeling peaked my interest and did my first fashion runway show, definitely was nervous and excited. I found out I love being in front of the camera so much and taking photos were enjoyable to me.  Read more>>

Yu Vitor | Actor & Rapper & Teacher of martial arts

I am sure it was because pursuing art was a moment of “freedom. It is the only place where you can create what you want to create and share it with others, without anyone telling you what to do. Like a pure child. Read more>>

Yuhan Zhang | Architect & Sustainable Design Expert

scientist. I was studying Environmental Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Thanks to Berkeley’s excellent liberal arts education, I was exposed to a wide range of courses and fields. Although my major was under the College of Natural Resources, I also took several courses in the College of Environmental Design (which is Berkeley’s architecture school). That’s when I had my first encounter with design studies in general. Berkeley’s progressive thinking and advanced technologies in environmental causes also shaped the way I initially approached architecture. Read more>>

Alejandra Palomeque | Latina Content Creator

when I was a kid, me and my cousins we always wanted to create content on Youtube, we even borrowed my mom’s camera and recorded plenty of videos of us just playing games and talking about our lifes and dreams we wanted to accomplish, it was my dream but I was too shy to do it, the thought was always there but I never posted anything. Read more>>

Mykey Reed | Makeup Artist

I have chosen the artistic/creative path because it’s always been something that has relaxed my mind. It’s always something I have enjoyed doing since I was a small child. It’s always been something that I am use to. It’s a comfort zone where it’s not always comfortable because you never stop learning and it’s always something new. Not everyone is comfortable with things constantly changing or having to be constantly learning. It sure has always been an enjoyment for me. Read more>>

Boomertoolive | Actor, Producer and Director

I was a class clown all my life, but being funny in school never held me back from learning all my lessons. The reason why I decided to pursue comedy/film was because I was enrolled in Southwest College and I needed a few more units to become a full time student. I ended up crashing a theatre class and my love for acting excelled into so many different avenues. Read more>>

Hao Do | Actor & Bartender & Photographer & Social Media AD Specialist

I chose an artistic, creative career because there is no ceiling or limitations to my potential. Sure, if you want to consider revenue and income a criteria to determine the value of my potential; that is a subjective matter. With where I am currently in my life, the risks are more rewarding. I know that as a I grow older and gain more responsibilities than I already have, my risk-tolerance will change. As of right now, having the freedom to be creative is not bound to my payroll. What one customer, client, patron views as being valuable may be perceived different from individual to individual. Read more>>

Carolina Mancias | Actor & Creator

The passion for this industry started from an early age, with the crazy performances I used to create in my own shower. I remember my mom knocking on the door of the bathroom saying I needed to hurry because I was taking too long, but for me I was only in the middle of a world tour show. From there it just escalated to doing theatre in school, voice and dance lessons, making small music videos and Shortfilms with my phone, it was the little things that fulfilled me. Read more>>

Alexa Gold | Singer/Songwriter & Music Producer

This question has found me at a very interesting turning point in my life. Before I could sit down and share my honest thoughts, I engaged in my usual procrastination habits: I cleaned, then cooked and sat down to eat, watched some cartoons, added some more items to my Amazon cart and just absorbed myself in some mundane activities until I was ready to deal with everything this question was bringing up for me. Read more>>

Cam Drain | Environment Artist

Two paths in my life converged, leading me to pursue a career in Environment Art for games. I grew up in an artistic household. My parents met at the Art Center College of Design; my mother is an incredible Graphic Designer and Creative Director, while my father was a Creative Director for Motion Graphics. They encouraged my sister and me to follow our passions, and from the age of 12, my passion was art. I was heavily into skateboarding and spent much of my time at a skatepark surrounded by graffiti, which intrigued me. My mother, being an artist herself, supported this interest. Read more>>

Britni Mcneill | Actress, Cosplayer, Content Creator.

I’ve always had an affinity and love for the arts. I have drawn, painted, sung, acted, and cosplayed for most of my life, I think it just became something that I knew I wanted to pursue, and would do anything to achieve it! Being creative is always such a nice outlet for life in general, whether it just be a hobby, or getting to be lucky enough to do it as a job! I have been fortunate to do both, and I don’t think I would do it any other way. Read more>>

Tess Gudmundsson | Actor, and Producer.

As soon as I dipped my toes into acting, I knew that I wanted to pursue a creative career. I was always drawn to acting and to the stage, but by the age of eleven, the true reason underlying my passion for acting was made clear to me. As a young child, I felt free to express my individuality in everyday life, and I loved the stage as I was able to express not only my individuality, but those of the characters I embodied. Looking back, I see that what truly fascinates me to this day is the heterogeneity of the human species, and how unique each human is. I therefore came to appreciate the stage as the medium where individuality is embraced. Read more>>

Genie Wu | Graphic Designer

I pursued a career in graphic design because it beautifully merges creativity with problem-solving. From a young age, I was captivated by how visuals could convey powerful messages and evoke emotions. This fascination grew as I explored different art forms, but it was the world of graphic design that truly resonated with me. Read more>>

Zoe Nazarian | Actor

Growing up in LA, I was constantly surrounded by creatives and the arts. I became passionate about acting and content creation when I was young and never stopped. The itch to begin pursuing a creative career came very early on for me because of this, as well as the opportunities I had living in the entertainment capital of the world. I feel extremely lucky that I didn’t have to move to the city when I made this decision, as I was already here. Read more>>

Vincent Raymond Moreno | Multidisciplinary Artist, Author, Entrepreneur

Hi, My name is Vincent Raymond Moreno but i go by Vincent Black. I am a Latino indigenous man from the Southside of Chicago, IL, out of the Little Village neighborhood. I now live in the LA area. I am a singer, composer, actor, director, creative. I have a band by the name of De La Luz and own a production company called Life Flower Productions. The reason why i chose to have an artistic and creative career was to tell the stories of my life and my people and I love to create. Read more>>

Cindy Sandoval | Photographer

Initially I was on the path towards becoming an R&D Chemist for cosmetic products. I went to college and got my BS in Biochemistry. Although this field was something that interested me, I knew I didn’t have a passion for it. Growing up I always had some sort of creative outlet or project I was working on. Me taking on a science field was more for financial security and ended up working at a lab after I graduated college. During this period, I discovered my passion for photography and decided to switch career paths. Haven’t looked back since! Read more>>

Chinweizu Oham | Actor and Creator

I have always had a love of entertaining people. Growing up, I always sought out various avenues to explore my creativity. Watching other people entertain brought me so much joy, and I would see how they would positively impact others, and I wanted to do that. Acting and creating content has helped me with that. I know it is what I am best at. I love to make people laugh and tell stories. That is a way to bring people together. Read more>>

Charlotte Beach | Writer & Sign Painter

I pursued a creative career because I wanted to be happy. It took some trial and error in school and just after to realize that if I genuinely wanted to be happy and cultivate a life I was proud of and that was true to who I am, for me that meant being an artist in some capacity. It meant shirking the stigma I’d internalized around having a creative career, identifying and then accepting what sparks joy in me, and then going after it in a meaningful way. Read more>>

Odin Blackgrove | Chaos abstract artist

To me, art is not so exclusively the physical act of crafting as much as it is the perceptual act of valuing. Seeing meaning in the meaninglessness is what makes art. I always loved that madness of subjectivity. That irreplaceable weight of sentiment has had a firm grasp on me for a long time. Read more>>

Jordan Schudie | Filmmaker & makeup artist

My life for as long as I can remember has been centered around the arts, I never made the decision to pursue an artistic career because it was just something I always knew I was going to do. My creativity is my favorite thing about myself and I would be nowhere without it. I want to be able to inspire people with my art just as I was inspired as a kid to start creating. I’ve always known that actively choosing an artistic career was a risk that may never see a reward but I would choose this path a thousand times over just to hear that the art I create has inspired someone. Read more>>

Nikkole

I’ve always been passionate about music, and that passion really began to take shape in my early years. For me, music is a powerful way to express emotions and share experiences. I remember feeling a deep connection to melodies and lyrics that resonated with my own feelings, and I wanted to create that same impact for others. Read more>>

Jamaal Harley

Both of my parents are very creative people that are into fashion, photography, music, art and film. At a very young age I naturally gravitated towards art, cartoons, music, and comic books. I was fascinated by the art on our walls and loved looking at all the cover art of my parent’s collections of magazines, comic books, VHS tapes, novels, and music albums. I also loved looking through my dad’s sketchpads full of his drawings and original characters, and his epic bed time stories. Read more>>

MC NIKHIL

I have always been a creative person since childhood, and I love investing my time and energy into creating things that bring me joy. I gained confidence by pursuing my interests in the creative field, particularly in music, which has become a significant passion of mine. The experiences I’ve had in the music industry have made my life more enjoyable and exciting. My main goal is to continue developing this early passion and to make it a long-term pursuit. Read more>>