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.

Becca / Justin McCoy / Groom | Leafmore Studios – Multi-Disciplinary Creatives

Art had already been everything to us: a proclivity, a hobby, a job, a vocation, a passion. But honestly, it was the pandemic that made us pursue it as a bonafide career. The pandemic honed our desire to live a purpose-filled life, as it did for so many others. Read more>>

Wowashwow | Artist/Creative

It may sound absolutely extreme, but being an artist and creating is as important to me as breathing is. It’s the driving force around how I handle my daily life. I’ve always been creating and playing music since I was 5 years old, and I feel blessed that almost two decades later, I’m still doing what I love and making progress that makes me happy. Read more>>

C. Zaki Roshell | Author & CEO of Zaki Blaque

I feel like no matter what I decided to pursue the creative life was going to choose me anyway. For as long as long as I can remember I’ve always had a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. Read more>>

Weiqian Han | Inspired Creator

From a young age, I was bursting with ideas and creativity, which I poured into all aspects of my life. When I discovered the world of design, it felt like I had found my true calling. Throughout my four years in college, I was captivated by the power of aesthetics and its impact on everything from art to business. This ignited a fire within me, and I knew that I had to pursue a career in design. Read more>>

Myra Danielle | Loctician

Well as they say “I didn’t choose this life, it chose me.” It took a while for me to fully embrace this artistic life. I have always admired entrepreneurs but I never really seen myself as one especially in the creative field. Little did I know it was within me the whole time. Read more>>

Rebekah Berger | Visual Artist & Starseed

Art is life affirming. To be creative and playful stimulates all of the layered bodies: the emotional, mental, physical, spiritual. In fact, I feel that without art, my life would be quite dull. Art is both active and passive and incites a delicate balance of chaos and peacefulness. Read more>>

Alan Toleu | User Experience Designer

Since I was a child, I always had a passion to help people in any way and handle certain situations as though they were puzzles that only I could solve. These personal aspects somehow mimic what User Experience Design does, and they definitely affected my career choice later down the road before going to college to pursue User Experience Design as an actual major. Read more>>

Alice Dinh | Video and Photo Creative Specialist

Taking on the artistic and creative route was a decision on a whim. I recognized from a young age my strength in the arts, however, I never seriously considered it until it came down to college applications in late high school. With my selected field of media creation through videos and photos, it was my fascination and lack of knowledge which drew me down this path. Read more>>

Jena Bredeman, CKBD | Owner and Designer of JBee Designs

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be an artist. I found success in it at a young age winning local coloring contests and later student competitions. When I told my parents that I was going to go to college to be an artist, they chuckled. Read more>>