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.

Christopher K Wright

Creativity has always been part of my story. My mother loves to remind me that even as a young child, I proudly declared I would one day be an artist—and teach art. Today, I have the privilege of doing both! Read More>>

Ski Gozo

I have pursued a career in arts because I find that storytelling is the basis of our humanity. We once told stories to explain the unexplainable, we came together as a community to better understand the world we live in. Through fiction we may dream about the greatest inventions of tomorrow or tread the lines of peril of days past or yet to come. I found early on that it was the stories of my teachers’ lives that they tied to our lessons that helped myself and other students find life in everything we were learned about. Read More>>

Elias Azimi

Since I was 4 years old I wanted to be an actor. Watching actors play pretend like I do and get to tell stories on camera was so fascinating to me. As soon as I learnt about film I was hooked. Acting is the art of bringing stories to life, and film brings that world to everyone’s homes when they turn on the screen. Acting fuels my curiosity in how people experience the world, and especially the stories that need to be told. These works connect all of us human beings and help us understand one another. I’m proud to say I stuck through with the dream and I’m still playing pretend on the screens now. Read More>>

Jack Li

It’s important to have feelings. As a storyteller, I want to help people with that.

Since the invention of the internet, society has accelerated at an exponential rate. Yet we as humans strive to keep up. We look for the trends; we consult authorities; we study information; we put in all that effort just to understand what is going on. But now AI appears. Boom, everything starts to reconstruct, in a way and speed that we have never seen before. So…what do we do now? Read More>>

Clark Copland

The reason I chose an artistic and creative career is because of passion. Throughout everything in life, I’m always drawn back into some sort of art form. It allows a sense of freedom and a reward to bringing something to life. Each song I make is an escape into its own sort of reality. Read More>>

Yueyi Zhang

I pursued a creative career because I’m fascinated by transforming imagination into tangible, immersive worlds. Working across theater, stop-motion animation, and themed entertainment, I’m driven to create environments that evoke emotion before a single word is spoken – through texture, light, and the raw power of materials. Read More>>

Nicholas Tjen

I pursued an artistic and creative career because it’s what I truly love. Since childhood, I’ve been drawn to various forms of art—drawing, photography, music—but film stood out as more than just a passion. It became a powerful way for me to express my emotions, share the values that matter to me, and make a positive impact. Read More>>

Esther Jolee

Honestly? It’s funny, I didn’t start out in this field. I was actually going to school for Legal Studies. My plan was always to go to law school, become a judge then a Supreme Court Justice and change history. That was all I wanted for as long as I can remember.

However, the arts were also always a love of mine. I grew up in dance from the time I was, like, 3. Then I started singing at various local venues with my Dad. I LIVE for dance and music. In high school, I got bit by the acting bug. Read More>>

Ruthie & Billy “Derian” Blair

My wife Ruthie B. & I decided to pursue a creative career with strong emphasis on fair business and equitable share for artists. Its felt like every successful music group and solo artist had some horror story about getting burned by “the man” or management/agency reps. The sad truth is that having biz folks represent you is a “necessary evil” of exposing your craft to the world….but often comes with the ole “selling your soul” vibe. We wanted to avoid that with our company “B2 Media Group”. We treat ourselves as a member of the band, with equal compensations (or less) than the players who are out there pouring their heart out to the audience. Read More>>

Grigorii Butrin

I’ve always believed that doing what you love means never having to work a day in your life. Art has always held a special place in my heart — I’ve been drawing since childhood and felt that creativity is a natural part of who I am. That’s why choosing an artistic career was the most logical and organic decision for me. I never wanted to work “for someone” in the traditional sense — with schedules, bosses, and tasks that bring no joy. As a tattoo artist, I’ve gained the freedom not only to express myself but also to choose the projects I want to work on. I get to create every day, and the process never gets boring — it inspires me. I love seeing how my ideas become a part of someone’s story on their skin. It’s not just a job — it’s a way to live in harmony with myself and my calling Read More>>