Deciding to pursue an artistic or creative career path isn’t for the faint of heart. Challenges will abound, but so many of the artists we speak with couldn’t be happier with their choice. So, we asked them about how they made the decision in the first place.

 Ariel Finks

I have a deep passion for the arts. I started at the age of three as a ballerina and completely fell in love with being on the stage and performing for others. I unfortunately have weak knees and had to end my dance career much earlier than I wanted. My first ever artistic dream was to dance in a ballet company in Paris. It’s something that I literally still dream about to this day. Though that dream has gone I have pivoted into filmmaking. Film is an experience that you can share with the audience to convey messages of love, horror, action and more. I have always been so fascinated by film and now I am pursuing a dream of directing films. The reason I have pursued a creative career is because of how much my soul longs for artistic expression. I have such deep love for the arts and I don’t think I could be doing anything else in this life. I am here to inspire others and create beautiful art. At first it was through dance, but now I show expression through my films. It is my calling and it’s all I have ever wanted to do. I know it’s a tough road and it has been but I am hopeful that my talents and passion will help me go far and surpass my wildest dreams. Read more>>

Jordan Tyrell

I pursued an artistic career such as music, due to the way it makes me feel. Music makes me feel something beyond the surface. Music has always been my muse. Read more>>

DJ DBNR

I’ve been drawn to music since I was about 8 years old. I can still remember the first time I heard Sonique’s “Feel So Good” on the local radio station and how it completely captivated me from the rhythm to the vocals. From that very moment, I knew I wanted a career in music. I find immense joy in expressing my thoughts and emotions through music. Curating a setlist, producing a track, or going to hear other DJ/Producers allows me to explore new ideas and gather inspiration. Read more>>

Christopher Anderson | Graphic Designer

Watching cartoons /anime growing up gave me the idea to go into a creative career. I was amazed on how animation was created and how amazing the art style looked. I had already loved art but seeing the level of creativeness that was being produced made me inspired to want to create and continue making my work better each time. I was able to see the opportunities that were out there for an artist. I was able to see more that their is a possibility to have a career. Read more>>

Ill Minds | Music Group

We love music and we look at it as a form of self expression. Read more>>

Kayla Rumph | Marketing Visionary

I pursued a creative career because, to me, creativity is like turning ideas into visual stories that speak louder than words. It’s a way to communicate and connect on a deeper level, where the visuals and the concepts do the talking. Pursuing a creative career really describes my personality, as I’m drawn to artsy things and love creating a unique perspective behind the lens. As a marketing and social media coordinator for a media company, I blend my passion for content creation, creative directing, and embracing my inner fashionista. There’s something incredibly amusing and fulfilling about working with art and concepts, seeing how they come together to form something that resonates with people. Working events also allows me to network with other individuals and collaborate with those seeking new ideas. For me, it’s not just a career; it’s a way of life that lets me express my vision in ways that words alone can’t capture. Read more>>

Mz. Leebra Clark | Your next favorite Author

To be honest, I don’t think I necessarily chose a creative career. I feel as though being a creative person and with how my mind works, I naturally gravitated towards having a creative career. Read more>>

Spirit Butterfly | Entrepreneur | Product Developer | Musician | Fitness Consultant | Hairstylist | Actress

I pursued an artistic and creative career because I feel that I am the true definition of creativity…

I have a vivid imagination, and I express myself through my creative endeavors. I mentally thrive in creative environments. The majority of my income derives from my creative products and services. I am deeply connected to and inspired by other creative beings. I truly believe that my purpose in life is to constantly create, which in return keeps me happy, healthy, and paid. Read more>>

Malaki Smith | Musician / Writer

Music was something that I grew up with in many different ways. Not only did I listen to Kiss 102.7 every waking moment of every day, but my father was also a big influence. He would burn some of my favorite songs on CD’s, play the guitar and sing, even help me make mashups when I was just 12 years old. I’ve wanted to make my own original music when I was that young, but that urge really took off when my father passed away when I was 14. I didn’t have the tools to create music at the time, but in 2017 I was finally able to start making original music. Ever since then, I’ve been writing and composing music as a coping mechanism and as a way to simply express my thoughts realistically and/or creatively. Read more>>

Abby Pennington | Author

I have been writing for what feels like most of my life. When I was in third grade, I wrote a seventy-page book on notebook paper and knew from then on what I was meant to do in life. Fiction and Poetry speak the most to me, so I spend my time working on those topics the most. I also enjoy writing reviews on items or experiences that I have had, which I have previously turned into blog posts. Having a creative career is difficult, but worth the fight. Whenever someone reads my work and feels that it touches them in some kind of way, it is such a rewarding feeling. Being a writer means that you spend a lot of time alone with yourself and your thoughts, so, when those thoughts are put out into the world, it is exhilarating to know that someone else has a piece of me, in a sense. Read more>>

Mackenzie Boden | Model & Painter

My mom is a painter, so growing up I was always messing around in her studio above our garage. She gave me total freedom in using all of her supplies to my hearts content, and it was there where I started to develop my own artistic skills. From then on I painted and eventually graduated college with a BFA in studio art and a concentration in painting from Auburn University (War Eagle!). I’m heavily inspired by old renaissance masters and recently have dipped my toes into portraiture by doing a series of realism self-portraits discussing the paradox of vanity through the lens of the goddess Venus. Read more>>

Kashish Bhandari | Visual Effects Artist

Animation has captivated me since childhood. I remember watching Popeye, Oswald, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every morning without fail, then spending hours drawing and coloring those characters. These early experiences sparked a lifelong passion for art, one that has only grown stronger with time. Read more>>

Daniel Leathersich | Songwriter

Because I had to, or I’d have gone crazy! People who are curious, creative, or entrepreneurial are always going to be pulled in a different direction than the mainstream. I was working office jobs for twenty years, traveling to Milwaukee and Atlanta over and over again, solving the same problems over and over again, waiting for the same responses from coworkers and clients over and over again. I would get frustrated, bored, even flat out angry sometimes. Since I finally decided to give the bulk of my attention to creativity, I am much more happy and fulfilled. Read more>>

Reagan Kruse | Painter

I’ve never been anything other than an artist. I had exposure to this type of career at a young age. My grandma was a working artist and lived five minutes down the road from me. This career was always my dream. No matter what other job I may have at the moment, those resources are there to support my painting. The studio is home for me. Read more>>

Rhea Agarwal | Multidisciplinary Designer

Art has been in my life for as long as I can remember. My mom was always painting, so you could say the creative bug bit me early—it’s definitely in the genes. Growing up, I was that kid who’d dive headfirst into every art competition I could find and even won them all. My crowning achievement was taking home the National Bal Shree Award in creative arts, which was a huge deal for me at the time. It felt like I was destined for a life filled with colors, and creativity. Read more>>