Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

Gabrielle Eloy

The story of how I ended up choosing a creative career path is kind of funny, actually! When I was about to graduate high school, everything was pretty much set. I had a full-ride scholarship to a local, but great university literally down the street from my high school, and I was committed to studying business administration for the next few years of my life. Read More>>

Nick Turbo Benson

You’ve got to be a little dysfunctional to pursue a career in the arts. I think the drive to create comes from a dissonance with reality and an urge to bend your surroundings into something you can understand. Read More>>

Michel Van Devender

I never set out with a plan for an artistic or creative career. Each chapter of my life taught me something I needed to learn and brought me to where I am now. Art and creativity have always been part of who I am though. I was a creative kid, and I come from a family of artists, makers, builders, and artisans. It is in my blood. Read More>>

Christian Campbell

I’d say I’ve always been creative, even from a young age. I grew up building with legos and playing pretend with my friends and my younger brother, and that creative drive eventually manifested itself in my love for film/video. I’ve been watching movies for as long as I can remember, but I remember at about age 8 or so, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in editing (although back then I thought editing was purely about VFX and CGI). Read More>>

Sanchild

I’ve always been inclined to music and I can hugely credit that to there always being music playing in my house growing up. Literally from day till night, music would be playing and sometimes everybody would just blast their music all at once. Read More>>

Angelica Johnson

Growing up, I always knew I’d end up doing something non traditional. I’d found myself drawn to the arts and was lucky enough to be surrounded by adults that were not only creative themselves, but supported my creative endeavors. I flew through endless hobbies as a child – mostly creative – but somehow always found myself with a camera in my hand, which set the groundwork for where I am today. Read More>>