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.

Han Le | Guerrilla Filmmaker

I mean any realistic person would never go for a career in Art, any parents would be able to tell you that, there is no money nor future in there, only hardship. The majority of artists are never gonna make it, that’s statistic, only a few becomes successful. Read more>>

Ruchi Hendre | Game Technical Artist and Animator

I was born and brought up in India and my background is in software development. Right out of college I got a job in FinTech, while at the job I realised that this field was not for me, and decided to explore something else. Read more>>

Brandi Kim | Designer, Illustrator & Embroiderist

Growing up, I was repeatedly advised to pursue a career that would bring me genuine joy and fulfillment. Witnessing friends and family members trapped in unhappy careers despite financial success, I became determined to find my true life’s calling. Read more>>

Yilin Xing | Producer and Filmmaker

I pursued a career in the arts because I’ve always been passionate about everything related to them. I believe creating art grants me a sense of accomplishment. From a very young age, I found joy in organizing and planning events, I loved organizing and planning events.  Read more>>

Bridget Murnane | Filmmaker

Often ask myself this question. I’m from an Irish working class family in Cambridge, MA, raised by a single mother. My mother often took me to museums, performances, theater, dance, and movies. Lived down the street from Harvard Square where artists were everywhere.  Read more>>

Zongyi Xie | Digital Artist & Director

As far as I can recall, during my childhood, television was the only window through which I could take a glimpse of this world. This small black box became my primary gateway to explore the mysteries beyond the confines of my little countryside hometown, Chiayi, a tiny and simple city in Southern Taiwan. Read more>>

Nate Shavin | Artist & Music Producer

The question whether I actually chose to pursue a creative career is debatable. Having been exposed to music from a young age, I’m in a sense programmed to prefer a creative process over other things. Read more>>

Simone Bethancourt | Filmmaker

Growing up I never had the chance to explore or develop creative skills, although I always had a pretty elaborate fantasy world. Art was just not something that happened in my house, and there was absolutely no support for it growing up. Read more>>

Sadie Monroe | Country Pop Artist

Music has quite literally been a key component in raising me. Whether it was from Disney Channel or watching TRL after school. Or my Grandfather who raised me playing the likes of The Supremes and The Temptations on his sound system nearly every evening to my father traveling the world in his heyday of being a music producer. Read more>>

Anneris Mercedes | Actress

I have always been drawn to the arts. As a child, I would spend most of my days drawing, daydreaming, watching TV/movies, listening to music, singing, and playing pretend with my older sisters. I was an extremely shy and quiet kid, and would never speak unless spoken to. Read more>>

Daniel Gonzalez | Marketing and IT Consultant

My passion for creativity has been an integral part of my identity since childhood, predating my career choices. From early on, I found joy in expressing my imagination through various creative outlets, whether it was making up games or creating projects that went beyond their initial purpose. Read more>>

Jo Iijima | Graphic Designer

Growing up, I lived in various cities worldwide, including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Vienna, Toronto, and New York City. These diverse experiences have enriched my personal understanding of the world. Read more>>

Kahren Torosyan | Digital Creator

I decided to pursue an artistic or creative career because I truly knew that, that is the kind of industry I was meant to work in. As someone who works professionally and personally in social media, I love all of the aspects that go into creating what is presented to viewers. Read more>>

David Richards | Breathwork Facilitator, Yoga & Meditation Teacher

Like many people after high school I attended college. I had great grades, received academic scholarships, was an honor roll and Dean’s List achiever. Learning new information was the part of academia that has always resonated with me, I love learning. Read more>>

Igor Djenge | Actor & Creator

You know that rush of pure joy when you’re creating something you adore, and it’s like your inner child is cheering within you? That’s exactly how I feel as a creator, sculpting stories from the depths of my imagination, and as an actor, breathing life into every character I portray. Read more>>

Muhan Wang | Writer/Director & 1st AD

I grew up on film sets. At a very young age, I learned that behind the magic on the screen lies stress, budget constraints, yelling, and a lot of cigarettes. What initially intrigued me was the process of making a film rather than what’s portrayed on the screen.  Read more>>

Alexis Peterson | Photographer & Storyteller

I think that I have always been a creative but until quite recently did not know how to express my creativity. Before I went completely in with photography I was a hair stylist and before that I was a make up artist. Read more>>

Scarlett Ssu-Chia Chen | Motion Designer

Before my artistic journey in the US, I pursued a major in Economics during my undergraduate studies in Taiwan. Around my junior year, I began questioning myself if economics was truly my calling, struggling with uncertainty about my future. Read more>>

Julie Liang | Storyboard Artist & Character Designer

Because I know exactly this is what I love and also what I’m good at. I started to draw when I learned to use a pencil, and art truly makes me happy. Besides, I love to achieve through arts, to tell a story, show a style, have fun, or make friends. Read more>>

Keri Freeman | Publisher

Downtown Weekly was started as Gallery Row Art Walk News in 2009, a monthly newsprint acting as an unofficial program for the 25,000 person Downtown Art Walk Event event, held the 2nd Thursday of each month. As the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk grew, a need for information about the artists and galleries, food courts and art park locations became of upmost importance. Read more>>

Robbie Fitzsimmons | Singer-Songwriter & Film Producer

I feel a responsibility to share my gifts with the world. My art has proven to be capable of inspiring people into their greatness. I’m honored to have this ability and am certain I need to pursue my creative career because of it. Read more>>

Toshi Satake | Set Designer/Filmmaker

I spent my life watching and loving movies. It is an ingrained part of who I am, even though it took many years to pursue a career in the field. Pursuing a career seemed out of reach, and I didn’t have the right connections or financial means to break in. Read more>>

Gizem Atalay | Motion Designer

I believe my path towards an artistic career unfolded quite naturally. Exploring and learning new things have always given me so much joy and excitement and I always loved turning all these into something new that is my own interpretation of what I experienced. Read more>>

Nico Muhoberac | Indie-folk/alternative artist

I grew up around music. Both of my parents still work in music and played in a lot of bands, so I grew up listening and learning and playing. I’ve been writing songs since I can remember. I didn’t know being an artist was what I wanted to pursue as a career until later in my life, but writing and playing alone in my room has always been a constant.  Read more>>

Samira Sahli | Film Producer

It’s really the ability to create something out of thin air, that fascinates me. There’s a unique magic in watching an idea materialize and come to life, shaped by the efforts of everyone involved. It’s that moment when everything seamlessly comes together, and the synergy of creativity becomes a tangible, shared experience.  Read more>>

Yoojin Kang | Screenwriter

Going into art wasn’t about the money for me. I was on the lawyer/diplomat track, which in Korea, is a big deal. But deep down, I wasn’t into it. It was all about the prestige. Then, getting sick was a wake-up call. It made me think, ‘If I want to write this badly, why not just go for it?’ So, I did.  Read more>>

Hussain Najam | Storyteller

Theatre, in its essence, was where I found my calling. It was as though the stage itself whispered to me, unveiling a perspective on the world that transformed the way I perceived this world. Read more>>

Torean Thomas | Actor

From a young age I had a passion for being silly and entertaining, in high school during lunch I would have kids gathered around my table as I told jokes and acted a fool! Read more>>

Meez Jones | Creative | Photographer

Taking the journey to become a creative was a huge risk, But I became fearless the better I became with the quality and story of work I was putting out. It really began as a hobby but I ventured out and became more aware with my ideas and imagination all together turning it into a lifestyle and career path. Read more>>

Ezekiel Lazaroo | Filmmaker, Picture Editor & Colorist

I chose an artistic and creative career because it provides a means for me to express myself authentically. More specifically, my creative journey is driven by a desire to see my family and memories come to life on the screen. There’s a unique emotional resonance that I aim to convey through moving images, a sensation that can’t be translated through other artistic mediums like literature or paintings. Read more>>

Mylo MU | Music Producer & Artist

I’ve been into music my whole life. My family sang in our Baptist church, and those live performances with instruments and soulful sounds always hit a special spot for me. My sister also was well-known as a singer. Read more>>

Shannon K | Singer/actor

I’ve always been surrounded by music. Music had helped me in so many ways especially mentally and spiritually. We don’t realize the value and power that music holds. It heals us all and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to peruse my career in music. Read more>>

Ciera Harding | Singer/songwriter| Actor| Model

I chose the creative path very young. I’ve been singing/performing and acting since I can remember. My favorite story my parents have ever told me about my childhood is: The story of how they knew I was born to perform. Read more>>

Cassondra Justine | Jewelry Designer

The moment I was introduced to the art of soldering jewelry, it felt like a lightbulb moment – as if I had stumbled upon my true calling. There’s something so captivating about the process of crafting each piece, but what truly surprised me was the profound impact these pieces had on those who wore them.

Lola Sandra | Recipe Developer, Model, Actor

I had gotten into a Doctoral program after college and thought that was going to be my path. It was difficult for me, but doing well in academics was an expectation. Creativity or extracurriculars outside of academics weren’t really supported in my family. Read more>>

Cynthia Martinez | Ceramic Artist

I honestly believe that having an artistic career was meant to be a part of my life journey. I have been creating for as long as I can remember. I would constantly be drawing as a kid. My father, who encouraged my creativity, would show me different drawing techniques. Read more>>

Karla Tomas | Owner of Cha Cha Cuterie Board aka Ms. Cha Cha

During the pandemic I found myself falling in love with cooking and creating new dishes once again. Cha Cha Cuterie Board was discovered one afternoon during a patio wine and cheese brainstorming session with friends… Read more>>

Danna Kiel | Stand Up Comedian and Writer

The desire to create, perform, portray, produce and connect with audiences has always been trapped inside of me. I grew up in the 70’s . I was the intersection between The Carroll Burnett Show and Soul Train. I wanted to make you laugh or dance. Read more>>

Natalia Sanchez | Movement and Visual Artist

Because I believe the arts are an ode and a celebration to the things that surround us. I can’t remember my life without art being involved in it. I’ve always been curious and fascinated about the freedom of expression that different art mediums can bring, in my case those were photography and dance. Read more>>

Alejandro Cuauhtemoc | Actor

My father would always tell me about his years as an actor for a traveling theater company. He did it with such passion and enthusiasm that I decided to give Acting a try myself, and enrolled on a small theater school in Mexico City when I was 15.  Read more>>

Damian Derungs | Director of Photography

Pursuing an artistic or creative career, for me, is akin to embarking on a journey where art doesn’t just seek you out; it becomes an intrinsic part of who you are. My journey commenced with a passion for music — a medium through which the essence of inspiration and the magic of subconscious creation first revealed itself to me. Read more>>

LAKSHMY NARAYANAN | Systems Thinker, Mobility systems, Design Researcher

Art was the stepping stone into my creative journey, which I started when I was six. It was a means for me to connect with my surroundings besides visually expressing the landscape around me, an active practice of embedding myself in my context. Read more>>

Lisa Hamil | Casting Director/Producer & Writer/Director

From as far back as I can remember, I was always obsessed with the arts. I grew up in NYC and my parents were always taking me to free concerts, art exhibitions, and craft based street fairs. For birthdays, we would go sit in the nosebleed section of a broadway show. Read more>>

Natsuki Aihara | Music Producer, Audio Engineer, Guitarist

I’ve always wanted to and tried to do something different than other people. I want to go somewhere else, I’ve always like that since I was kid, but at the same time I was very shy to express my honest thoughts. So my parents, friends and anybody who knows me was really surprised when I said that I wanna be a musician. Read more>>

Ruei-Ci Jhou | Cinematographer

For me, art serves as a unique form of language. Just as people need language to converse, express themselves, and communicate effectively, art holds significant importance in our daily lives.  Read more>>

Alessandro Streccioni | Filmmaker

When I was little my parents -who are musicians- asked me if I wanted to start playing an instrument. I thought about it for a while, but I decided to start playing basketball instead. I didn’t last long. I wasn’t very tall, or particularly skilled. Read more>>