We asked some of the city’s leading artists and creatives to tell us about how they decided to pursue an artistic or creative career. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Lee Ann Dufour | Art Director

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved drawing. It’s always been a way for me to create beauty in the world and share it with others. When I was in high school and the time came to choose a career path, I was really focused on making a choice that could lead to long term happiness. It was clear to me that a creative career was the answer but I wasn’t sure which avenue I wanted to pursue. As a kid I wanted to be an architect but I also loved fashion and drawing people so I wasn’t sure where I’d fit in best. Read more>>

Celines Estevez | Actor

I believe that art, in all its forms, has the power to inspire, challenge, and provoke thought. It allows us to reflect on the world around us, to explore our own inner landscapes, and to share our unique perspectives with others. Through art, I can communicate ideas, experiences, and emotions that are difficult to express in any other way. Read more>>

Javier Ledesma Barbolla | Storyboard artist

The thing that I always liked to do since I was a toddler was drawing, to me that was like playing. Later on, when I was at school, one teacher told us – OK guys, let’s observe how all the seconds pass to do a minute.- We all wait watching our clocks. When the minute passed, the teacher said – well, now you guys have to realize that this minute will never come back, it is lost forever.- Read more>>

Vanessa Evans | Musical Theatre Performer

I chose a creative career because I never been scared of a challenge and I honestly feel it was what I was put on this earth to do. I feel so at home on a stage and in a theatre. It brings so much joy and peace in my life. I even love the “boring nerdy” side of researching a character, and taking apart a script or a song. I geek out over that stuff. Character analysis is my jam. Its a feeling unlike any other to fully immerse my into a character especially one so different from myself. Read more>>

Meina Zhang | Illustrator

I’m from Tianjin, China, and currently, I operate as a freelance illustrator rooted in New York. My artistic journey sprouted from the influence of my sisters. During my early years, I immersed myself in comic books alongside them, finding inspiration in their sketches. Despite my lack of formal art education, my determination to follow this artistic calling remained steadfast. Read more>>

Lyle del Mundo | Executive Director & Dot Connector

I began my creative career path at an early age really because it was what I was passionate about and believed I can be successful doing., In most Filipino households, our parents were supportive of having us learn musical instruments, various forms of dance, bought us tools to create amazing art work, and even gone as far as having us join choir to showcase our natural talent in front of family and friends at a young age during gatherings. Read more>>

B Hayden | Painter and Tattoo Artist

I knew that I possessed a future in the arts from the very beginning, but it wasn’t until I was 18 years old sitting in a cubicle, and nodding off that I knew I just wasn’t capable of working a job staring at a computer, ordering office supplies, and responding to emails. After my boss caught me sleeping at my desk I was told that they would no longer need my assistance as office administrator, and I couldn’t have agreed more. Read more>>

Suki Shuqi” Li | Film Producer”

I pursued a creative career as a film producer because it was a path that called to me with unwavering clarity. My journey into this profession began during my childhood when I had the privilege of watching European films with my father. Those cinematic experiences left an indelible mark on my imagination. I was spellbound by the vast and captivating landscapes of Europe, which felt like an entirely different world compared to my humble hometown. Read more>>

Max Rosenbaum | Writer/ Director

Well, the “logical” side of my brain always knew pursing an artistic career was going to be a challenge— to put it lightly. I fought against my natural desires and abilities for most of my life in the name of stability. For all of my childhood, until I went to college, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. Even though I spent every waking minute of my free time staging photo and video shoots with friends, writing, and editing— I told myself that going into medicine or (yikes) orthodontics would be a responsible career choice that would allow me to help people, while still securing financial stability. Read more>>

Ana Rossi | Ceramics Artist

Ever since I can remember I found myself drawing, painting or working with my hands. I went to a very traditional school that didn’t pay much attention to art so I was always longing for the spaces in my life where I could lose myself into it. As I grew, I studied photography and cinematography but ended up choosing to work with clay. This allowed me to create and build in 3d, feeling the piece with my own hands at every step of the process. Read more>>

John DeFazio | Mixed-media artist, cinematographer, film director

I didn’t have a choice. I think you are born an artist, and you can never really choose to become one. Art has been a way of life for as long as I can remember and it informs most of my conscious decisions and thought processes. Read more>>

Cate Carter | Singer & Songwriter

This is a very pointed question for me because about 6 months before I signed my lease in Los Angeles to become an artist, my plan was to move to New York and pursue a Masters in Social Work (MSW). I had been writing songs since I was six and even had a brief stint in a college musical theatre program, but by the time I was finishing my freshman year in college, I was convinced I was going to go to law school or become a therapist. Read more>>

Derek & Mimi Maglinte | Social Media Influencers

Being artistic or creative is some thing that not too many people have the chance to be. Let alone have it be some thing that actually earns money. Being a “starving artist“ is a term for a reason. So many of us wish to have careers or businesses that we are passionate about but sadly only a handful of people actually love what they do. Read more>>

Jordan Jimenez | Painter & Art Educator

I pursued art ultimately because I was depressed. I was going out a lot and didn’t really feel like I had a hobby or something productive that I was doing with my time which was definitely taking a toll on my mental health. I remembered I had loved my art classes in high school so I decided to find a painting studio near me. I thought if I could get classically trained without having to be back in a traditional school setting, I could learn the process of how to start and finish a painting on my own for fun outside of work. Read more>>

Lingxue (Luna) Hao | Visual Artist/Image Maker

As a visual artist/image maker, my answer may differ slightly from others. I feel like I never have a moment like: Oh, I want to be an artist or I always want to be an artist when I grew up. My situation is more like, as I was growing up, I gradually discovered that the field related to art is what I am best at. In this field, I have the greatest self-confidence and the greatest room for display. Read more>>

Abigail He | filmmaking & moving image artist

I think now when I look back, I can see a clear path of my career as a filmmaker and moving image artist. It’s not a straight line, more like a detour, which I think is a lot more interesting. It’s hard to pinpoint why I would make certain decisions at certain points of my career, but ultimately it is the urge for new possibilities in film that motivates me to pursue a career as a filmmaker. I began as a traditional narrative filmmaker and I wrote and directed my own scripts. Read more>>

Becktoria | Singer & Songwriter

Singing, songwriting, acting and dancing is how I express my emotions and feelings; it’s a form of therapy and letting go of any unresolved personal trauma for me. Since childhood, I had always loved music and drama, starting with playing the piano and singing. As a singer, I was classically trained from age 11 and also took ABRSM and Trinity Guildhall music exams in flute, violin, singing and drums as well as LAMDA exams in Acting Monologue and Public Speaking. Read more>>

Alex M. Calle | Stage, Screen, and Environment Designer and Developer

I don’t think anyone chooses to go into art. The arts have a funny way of making you feel connected to the world while playing the strings in your heart. You simply fall in love. You can’t help yourself. It’s all cyclical in the end. You make art so, one day, other people feel connected to the world, fall in love, and make art themselves. Read more>>

Mei Semones | Artist

The main reason I pursued a career in music is because there was nothing else that was as interesting to me, and because playing guitar and making music is what makes me the most happy. Both playing and listening to music has been central in becoming comfortable and confident in my own identity, and it has helped me feel less alone when I feel isolated. I want to give back to the people around me what music has given to me, and I want my music to be a place of comfort for other people. Read more>>

Marissa Reyes | Artist

As an undergrad I studied Art History, and this is what initially peaked my interest in art. I remember studying the countless European artists, mostly male and seeing their beautiful works that were well documented throughout history. Over the next 4 years as I went through the rest of my undergraduate degree courses and graduate degree courses, I matured as an artist and those early years stuck with me. I wanted to be the representation I did not see all those years, I wanted to show the artworld what art from a Mexican woman can look like, I set out on a path to carve out a space for women like me. Read more>>

Carol Demick | Toy Designer and Aspiring Children’s Book Illustrator

I want to note first that I am extremely privileged and fortunate to be able to pursue my passion as a full time career. I have always had the support of my family, from when I first wanted to go to art school, to when I moved cross country for my first toy design job. Now, working in toy design and creating an illustration portfolio on the side, I can’t picture myself doing anything else. I have loved drawing my entire life; my drawings were a safe haven for me when I was a kid, and even as an adult it’s something that I do to unwind. Read more>>

LUPO | Artist, Pianist, Producer, & Songwriter

I am an independent music artist from Italy currently living in Los Angeles, who started studying music at the age of 4, and grew up in a music family. I had a constant event in my life due to my mother’s job, she used to work for the Italian Embassy. For those of you who don’t know, that means that every 3-5 years we had to move from any country to different countries in the world, which also allowed me to become fluent in several languages. Read more>>

Forrest Gray | Composer for Film and Television

I consider myself incredibly privileged to have been raised by parents who fostered artistic pursuits at an early age. My dad was an actor and writer, my mom was a talent agent; the idea that the arts were a viable career path was instilled at an early age. In the community I grew up in on Long Island, almost everyone I knew had at least one parent in a creative field. I was at a dinner the other night with a number of tech investors and venture capitalists, and I was struck by how many of them had pursued the arts in their youth- some very seriously- only to shift course in college. Read more>>

Darlene Aniebonam | Actress & Singer/Songwriter & Dancer

I decided to pursue an artistic career because it was all I ever wanted to do. I grew up dancing, singing and putting together little skits for myself as a kid. I would create whole worlds of imagination – creating was and is my happy place. Read more>>