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.

Bagarisha | Musician & Artist

When I was 16, I participated in Umbria Jazz Clinics as part of the Berklee Summer Program, and it was the first time in my life that I truly lived with music. My parents are not musicians; in fact, they prefer silence to music. So, this experience was completely new to me.  Read more>>

Melanie Jo Dilorenzo | Drummer

From a young age I knew I would go into music. I would alway be singing and air drumming on furniture even before I picked up the drums. Music has always been my first love. Read more>>

Tengmo Han | Graphic Designer & visual artist

Before embarking on a career in graphic design, my artistic inclinations were deeply rooted in painting and public art. These early interests fostered my enjoyment of finding inspiration and expressing my creativity through a variety of mediums, and at the age of 19, Read more>>

Vanesa Moreno | Writer-Director/Cinematographer

After immigrating to the U.S when I was 5 years old, my parents pretty much instilled in me that I could do anything I want in this country. I decided to pursue creative career because it felt like it was my calling and I had 0 interest in studying anything that wasn’t creative or artistic. Read more>>

Mark Penacerrada | Art Director & Designer

Despite growing up in an environment that fostered my creativity, the idea of transforming it into a career didn’t occur to me until later in my college years. Art and drawing held a special place in my heart, and my family actively encouraged me to develop my skills. Read more>>

Cheryl K | Singer, Actor & Executive Producer

Because of my pure love and passion for music and entertainment. I’ve been singing for 20 years now, since I was 8 and grew up in Malaysia. I started performing professionally at the age of 9 with my first ever paid gig and never stopped pursuing it.  Read more>>

Aditya Dikka | Actor

I might not have always known that I wanted to be an actor, but I’ve always had a passion for art. I’ve been interested in various forms of art since I was a kid, perhaps even from the moment I was born. During my childhood, my parents told me that I shamelessly went up on stage whenever I saw one, performing by singing or doing silly dances. Read more>>

Lola Nevarez | Creative, hairstylist, visionary

I chose a creative career path because I wanted to always be myself. Growing up, people constantly project what their idea of your life should be like and I hated it. I’ve been myself, unapologetically, my entire life. I have never cared what others have to say about that. Read more>>

Mateo Gamero | Photographer

Because going other way just didn’t feel right, I grew up in Perú and seeing all my family always go for the more traditional route, studying a safe career, I was about to study finance in university because I didn’t know what I wanted, Read moe>>

Adam Ambuske | Filmmaker

It always felt like what was most true to myself. For as long as I can remember, I always had a camera in my hand. When I began my film freelance business at the beginning of high school, my motivation was always because I loved doing it, and it never felt like work. Read more>> 

Tecuani | Artist

I’ve always been an easily inspired person- since I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian, an actress, an anesthesiologist, a surgeon, a zoologist, etc. And if I could, I’d do them all. But the only thing I’m willing to dedicate my whole life to alone is music.  Read more>>

Theodoor Grimes | ggggrimes | Digital Artist

I was lucky enough to have my creativity supported by my community from childhood. My mom encouraged me to join band in middle school, I took art classes at Parson’s with other winners from a city-wide art competition, and I majored in music in college. Read more>>

Tanner Adams | Writer, Producer & Actor

Pursuing a creative career was more about quality of life for me. I know it sounds macabre. I adore my family, always have, but when I was younger, my grandpa hit me with the classic, ‘If you do something you love for a living, you’ll never work a day in your life.’  Read more>>

Zelda Fairfax | Singer, model and burlesque performer

This wasn’t something I had the courage to do until the pandemic gave me a golden opportunity to start over and take a chance! I was raised by a single, hardworking mom who always championed my creativity. But when I reached college age, she encouraged me to find a trade so that I’d always have something to cling to in times of uncertainty.  Read more>>

Amo Zhou | Illustrator and tattoo artist

Art has always been something that comes naturally to me. I started my art practice in early childhood, and it has always been something I wanna pursue as a career. I see art as my way of perceiving the world, when I see a tree or some blossom flowers, I feel in my heart that there’s an emotion and an urge to create something out of it. Read more>>

Empress Ayrial Griffin | Founder/CEO

I pursued an artistic and creative career because I believe in the power of self-expression and the transformative potential of art. Growing up in a family that valued creativity and craftsmanship, I was encouraged to explore my artistic talents from a young age. Read more>>

Sean Chow | Director of Photography

It was a Saturday night – Saturdays were movie nights – my dad and I had just finished watching Titanic and I ventured into the DVD extras. I was about 13 and had already watched the film a half dozen times before, but this was my first time seeing a green screen drape in front of Kate Winslet as she stood beyond the railing at the stern of the ship as James Cameron gives Leonardo DiCaprio screen direction. Read more>>

Yuxuan Huang | Furniture Designer

I’m always motivated by the beauty of everyday mundane life, and how normal materials and objects could be elevated through design and bring surprises to people. I have a background in conceptual art and moved to furniture making since covid time. Read more>>

Bradley Fowler | Screenwriter, Producer, Director, Husband & Father

Story telling has sort of always just been in my blood. As a kid I could play with a couple of action figures for entire days at a time, without the need to have other kids around to play with. I would create elaborate stories with whatever I had, He-Man, GI Joe, whatever other amazing 80’s characters that I had laying around. Read more>>

Nick Brandt | Photographer

I switched careers, from directing to photography , in my mid-thirties, frustrated by the crazy amount of creative energy wasted on attempting to get film projects financed. I also needed to express my feelings about the damage being done to all creatures, including humans, as a result of the destruction of the environment. Read more>>

Joshua Dailey | Photographer & Creative Director

Growing up as the youngest in my family, I was constantly surrounded by inspiring examples of entrepreneurship. Witnessing my father build multiple businesses from scratch taught me the value of ownership and the potential to create a fulfilling life based on my passions, regardless of the challenges we face in life. Read more>> 

Jules East | Filmmaker

I do that because I am an artistic and creative person. I know it’s not an easy path, one has to rise above merely surviving to do that. I believe everyone is creative deep down, some do not believe that they are creative and artistic, a lot of them have no courage to pursue their artistic and creative dreams, some rely heavily on others, Read more>>

Victoria Weatherspoon | Founder and Owner of VRW Design LLC

I think I pursued an artistic and creative career because I couldn’t do anything else and truly be happy. I’ve had different kinds of jobs in my life, but none of them have ever been able to sustain me emotionally or spiritually. And that sounds kind of woo-woo, I understand that. Read more>>

Greg Kriek | Actor and Producer

I’m reminded of one of Robin William’s quotes as John Keating in Dead Poets Society “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” Having faced a lot of difficult trials in my life as a child/young adult – combined with the precious gift of a few key people’s influence that had a major impact on me – it all unleashed the desire to want to impact the world in a positive way. Read more>>

Amy Zapata | Photographer, documentary filmmaker, baker

Growing up in a big family we were always creating we would make movies, and put up plays for our Grandparents. I found photography and documentary films and I wanted to tell stories from the folks I grew up with. Growing up in predominantly a Brown and Black neighborhood I saw struggles but I also saw pride and I aim to highlight and celebrate Latinos and Black folks by showing the beauty in my neighborhoods and creating documentaries that highlight Queer people of color. Read more>>

Arianne Del carpio | Model, stylist and creative director

I think when I was really little I knew the art and being creative it’s one of the things the fill my heart, people sometimes didn’t understand why I have this passion and as a latina you know the your family don’t gonna take it serious, growing up I knew the i cant make everyone happy, i just want people to see trough my eyes the creative side of me and with social media you can share all of your ideas. i love what I do and I love to be a different character every time it’s so fun! Read more>>

Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto | Performer and teacher of the Japanese koto, researcher of Japanese traditional performing arts in the WWII American concentration camps

I grew up with music. My home was filled with the koto music of my mother, and my father loved the violin music. He was not a musician but he was a lover of music, and that is also important to me. An appreciation of music can fill one’s heart and help a person to feel and love and survive. Read more>>

Yasong Wang | UX/UI Designer

I would like to clarify that my pursuit isn’t solely centered around being artistic. As a UX/UI designer, I see myself more as a creative thinker and problem solver. While artistry may involve infusing ideas, expressing emotions, and embodying personal spirit within artistic works, being a designer entails catering to everyone. Read more>>

Clayton Meek | Actor

Growing up in Brazil, I always thought I was different from the other kids, not better but different. Besides the passion for Art I always had this feeling, responsibility to leave a mark on this earth. And be an example to other kids. I remember growing up, looking the Nextdoor building thru my bedroom window, you could see other people’s tv flashing. Read more>>

Ji Lee | Director & Editor & Photographer

I believe artists are born with big hearts, too big to carry around. So they need to pull out a piece of their heart, make an art with it, and send it out to the world. That’s why they keep creating art. And I think that’s why I chose to be an artist. Read more>>

Camille Cabrera | Author

Art speaks to me while other professional careers whisper. Worse, some previous paths mumbled. I write because it organizes a perpetual stream of ideas into new worlds and unexpected lives. Words sprawled onto paper, typed on a computer, and eventually shared with the public. Read more>>

Colleen C Brady | Documentary Filmmaker & Editor

Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career? – Truthfully, I didn’t know if this was the career for me for a very long time. Sure, I was creative, but I was interested and talented in a lot of things. No one thing stuck out to me. Read more>> 

Kathleena Yiting Lin | Director & Producer

I never imagined myself pursuing an artistic career growing up in a business family. Being in a creative industry seems to be an escape from the rigid world and I used to see creatives being detached from what’s real and palpable. Read more>>

Christy Covell | Creative Director, Brand Strategist

I’ve always been a creative. I won a contest in elementary school and my design and tagline were used for the public water authority in South Florida. By middle school, I was attending a selective arts school in Miami studying different mediums and it was heaven.  Read more>>

Brianna Barrett | Playwright

Honestly I don’t feel like I had a choice. It’s weird how certain things grab hold of you and just never let go. I found writing and storytelling early in life — first as a form of play, then as a form of processing my thoughts and feelings and my place in the world. Read more>>

Leiya Wang | Fine art photographer and fiber artist

Growing up with having a lot of freedom exploring myself and the world, I am very lucky to discover the path that I want to pursue as an artist at the very young age. As a person who sometimes has difficulty expressing through writing, acting or other forms, I found myself comfortable and confident with visual language. Read more>>